October begins the start of fall weather, visits to fairs, scary movies, and pumpkin patches. October ends with the good ole holiday of Halloween. Halloween as a child is a time to dress up, get candy, and start some traditions that will follow throughout your life. In high school, trick or treating still goes on to some extent.
However we notice a transition where kids begin to realize Halloween is about the Halloween parties instead. Halloween turns into costume contests and parties of a lifetime. In college and in the Greek system, Halloween can be looked at as our favorite holiday. Here is why:
Socials: THE NUMBER ONE REASON, Halloween can be looked at as a Greek’s favorite holiday, is because we basically celebrate is almost every week. Sororities and fraternities match up in events and have a “social” atmosphere, that we dress up according to themes and costumes that match the event. Some of these ideas can be: Fight Night, Great Gatsby, Librarians and Barbarians, Housewives and Handymen, etc. We get creative as Greeks and any possible theme that we can come up with to dress up in costumes… WE DO. We truly celebrate Halloween every chance we get.
Trick or Treat on Greek Street: I know at my school this is a huge event, and I am pretty sure we can’t be the only school who does something like this. We have a “Greek Row” where most of the houses of Fraternity and Sorority Life is housed. During one night near Halloween, we invite all the kids from the local areas to Greek Row to go down this road and trick or treat at the houses. This is another way we get creative as well. Things often seen are Greek’s dressed up in costumes (shocker I know…), haunted houses, inflatable bouncy houses, and ring tosses. It is a good way not only to give back to our community; I feel it is also a way for our college kids to have a good ole blast from the past into our childhood and celebrate our own trick or treating.
Philanthropy Events: Halloween also is a good time to get some community hours in as well. Many churches need help setting up for their own events, or I know in my own personal sorority, we are having members travel down to a children’s hospital and do a reverse trick or treat, allowing the kids who are sick, to have the Halloween experience as well. Any chance we get to celebrate these events of dressing up again, is something we tend to run to the fastest, even in philanthropic events.
ACTUAL Halloween: Hands down the day and night of Halloween is celebrated stronger than most other holidays. Between the different parties, or local contests at the restaurants and bars, we always seem to find the best way possible to celebrate this night. For most of us we have been planning our costumes for months. Guys have paired up with their girlfriends to win the best couple contests (probably forced from the girlfriend honestly) and the sorority girls have found their perfect big and little duo costumes that perfectly match the balance between Classy and Riskey. Girls have been on Pinterest for hours searching for the best outfits. And Halloween is that one night, where all the outfits worn at socials, and all the outfits from philanthropy events, will be shown up because this is the night where you find the BEST outfit to dress up as.
I think we all love Halloween also because we really do like to take a break from reality, relax, and feel like a kid again. Halloween is that perfect holiday to let loose and be the kids we wish we could still be without the worries of college classes. And like always, this Halloween, we expect nothing less than one to remember!
