“You're in college; aren't you too old to celebrate Halloween?”
“Halloween is for little kids, grow up.”
First of all...
Whether you agree with me or not, Halloween seems to be that one day that people truly start to feel that Fall kick. How can you not feel it? Pumpkins are everywhere! In every store and in every specialty latte, you can get your daily dose of Fall.
Whether it’s going all out with our costume or staying cozy for a night-in, celebrating Halloween is a must for a mental break in the middle of the semester. But it can be quite strenuous to make plans while balancing a part-time job and full-time class schedule. When you’re writing dozens of essays in October and studying for millions of midterms in the library, the 31st can just sneak up on you and you don’t have any plans at all.
So, what do you do when you want to celebrate but you procrastinated all your Halloween plans?
Here are my five favorite last minute Halloween musts:
1. Last Minute Halloween Treats
Obviously, candy is a must have, but my favorite last minute treat is candy corn and popcorn mixed together for a late night snack. And if you're feeling extra and you have a little more time on your hands here's my favorite white chocolate candy corn popcorn. Remember, calories don't exist on holidays. Only your sweet tooth!
2. Last Minute Halloween Decor:
Decorations can be a little tricky; especially since you'll only have Halloween decorations up for less than 24 hours until it's basically irrelevant, but if you're truly dedicated there are a few options that you can take to keep it going for at least a month. An empty gallon of milk can go long ways when you're creative. Draw a few ghostly faces and put a glow stick or cut out a hole at the bottom for a string of lights to go through and you have yourself some friendly ghosts. But if you don't want to risk throwing away your hard work within a few days, you can stick with the fall favorites. Pumpkin and harvest go with this beautiful Fall season and you can find them everywhere: Target or the dollar tree. Paint your pumpkins to put a little twist of you in them and your last minute decor can last through Thanksgiving!
3. Last Minute Halloween Costume:
We all know Pennywise is going to be everywhere on Halloween which is why you won't see me walking around just anywhere this year. Clowns are literally the worst and you cannot pay me enough to put on that costume. How about let's save me the heart attack and we go for something original. If it's last minute and you need something quick, try dressing up as your roommate! This also works for significant others, siblings, parents, etc. Don't be afraid to exaggerate it just a little bit, but be tasteful. You don't want to lose friendships over this.
4. Last Minute Going-Out Plans:
Trick-or-treating is a classic, but for some reason, people start to look at you weird when you don't have a little kid to go with you. It's okay to transition to pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and haunted houses until you have a little one of your own. But if you're still in dire need of some candy, find a harvest festival. Drive around for a little while and you may see some really cool festivals at churches nearby.
5. Last Minute Staying-in Plans
While going out may seem appealing to some, last minute plans can make some people uncomfortable but those people still deserve their mental break like everybody else. For me, I'd much rather keep it simple on a Halloween night by kicking it back with my favorite Halloween treats and have a movie marathon. If you're a non-scary movie lover like me, you can't go wrong with Casper the Friendly Ghost and a Halloweentown marathon. The best part is that you can choose to invite other procrastinator friends for the night-in or spend some alone time whichever makes you happy.
Whatever you choose to do on Halloween is up to you, but make sure to do something other than work and homework to give yourself that mid-semester break you so deserve!
