While some might roll their eyes at the thought of droves of costumed Batesies wandering across campus, most can’t wait for the time that is lovingly dubbed “Halloweekend.”
For me, childhood Halloween costumes involved long lists of planning, often months in advance. My 2011 Sherlock Holmes costume (I was seven and a big fan of the books) took an entire month of asking my mom to help sew an accurate cape with a matching hat. Shockingly, it seems like the excitement usually associated with the younger generations has still found its place on college campuses.
Halloweekend invites students to plan — often multiple costumes — to celebrate their interests, pop culture moments, or witty puns for the entire weeks surrounding this spooky holiday. But why is this still an annual tradition, even though the age deemed “socially acceptable” to participate has long passed?
The answer might be more related to the cultural vehicle that Halloween offers.
Halloween traditions originated as a fusion of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and the All Saints Day in Catholic tradition. Halloween wasn’t popularized until the latter half of the 19th century when a large influx of Irish immigrants, seeking refuge from The Great Potato Famine, introduced the custom, solidifying the holiday in U.S. life. One tradition that changed with the holiday’s migration was pumpkin carving. Originally, turnips were used to create jack-o-lanterns, but given the availability of pumpkins in the States, the vegetables were substituted.
The holiday evolved from one focused on the supernatural and folklore to one centered on community and costumed parties. Out of concern for the “innocence of children” and the “supernatural” elements of Halloween, the holiday became deliberately restructured into one of community through the 1950s when it evolved into a consumer holiday.
It wasn’t until the 1970s—when feelings of distrust and anxiety began growing in America—that adults became concerned about how safe it was for their children to knock on the doors of strangers during trick-or-treating. This change showed how cultural anxieties can transformed that play out on customs like Halloween.
For younger children, Halloween is perhaps about more than just having fun, dressing up and filling their bellies with sugary treats. The holiday lets them explore heavy and sometimes culturally taboo topics like death in a controlled way. Topics that are normally left undiscussed with such an emotional weight that are too difficult to think about daily, could instead be framed in a way that both explained and introduced children to them. Under their guardians’ supervision, children can talk to strangers and truly interact with the community surrounding and supporting them. Halloween flips social norms in ways that, even though just for a night, can have so much more meaning.
As for this spooky holiday’s success in the college environment?
Well, Halloween has always resonated in circles where identity exploration and the transgression of societal norms are at the forefront. Historically, for the LGBTQIA+ community, Halloween and other “carnivalesque” holidays have a deep and powerful meaning despite the long relationship of “monstrosity” and “queerness” in myths and media. These holidays were and are opportunities for members of marginalized groups to express and explore their true identities without societal constraint.
Famously, college is the time for students to explore the depths of who they are and the person they want to be in the world. Halloween offers fluidity of gender and societal norms, self-expression, and the freedom to explore. When you examine the holiday in that context, it’s not difficult to imagine how this appeals to the average college student, especially if they are a member of the queer community.
So, brush off your creative side and pull out those niche costumes relating to hyper-specific pop-culture moments. Or, find some way to wear that shirt you’ve always wanted to wear. You know the one. Because even if it feels like Halloweekend lasts for the entire month of October, you’re never too old to participate.
