The following represents the opinion of the student reporter and does not represent the views of Loyola University Maryland, the Greyhound, or Loyola University’s Department of Communication.
Hating Halloween has to be one of my most controversial opinions. Whenever I say it out loud, heads turn and I’m immediately dodging questions about my stance on the popular holiday. I guess “hate” may be a strong word for it, but I think it’s important to back up my stance. The biggest reasoning as to why I hate Halloween is childhood trauma. Without going into too many details, I puked all over my Minnie Mouse costume in kindergarten. While all my friends went out, getting candy and having fun, I was stuck on my couch eating saltines. The trauma further continued into first grade when my mom insisted that I wear the same Minnie Mouse costume. She wanted to save money, and as we’ve all seen, Halloween is quickly becoming incredibly expensive.
Year after year, Americans spend endless amounts of money on Halloween, ranging from costumes to candy to decorations. The list is never-ending. In 2021 alone, Americans spent around $10.14 billion and the number is expected to increase in 2022. These numbers alone make Halloween the second-largest commercial holiday in the United States. In my opinion, Halloween is overhyped and this raging popularity in the media has encouraged Americans to purchase a surplus of Halloween-themed items. From Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes to festive Rae Dunn dishware, Halloween has created an entirely new market. Eli Falconer ‘23 views Halloween as any other day, saying that it is not worth the large amounts of money many Americans spend.
“It’s just a day,” Falconer said, “Like it’s cool, but nothing to write home about.”
The origin of Halloween is Celtic, where it was believed that the day before the new year (November 1), the lines between the living and the dead would blur. As time has progressed, the symbolism behind Halloween has become virtually nonexistent in American culture. This happened as early as the beginning of the 20th century. For many, a religious or cultural connotation is necessary for a holiday. Laura Somma ‘24 explains why this influences her stance on Halloween.
“I don’t see the point in Halloween if you can’t get off [of] school for it,” Somma said, “That’s the best part.”
On the other hand, Halloween does have a large fanbase in the United States. Similar to getting in the Christmas spirit, people feel the same about Halloween. They get excited over the leaves changing and celebrating all things spooky. Colleen McCarthy ‘24 shares why Halloween has always been her favorite holiday to celebrate.
“I’ve liked Halloween since I was little, it’s my favorite holiday actually,” McCarthy said, “My family always does a great job decorating and I love dressing up and trick or treating…I just like the spirit of Halloween.”
Whenever the time of year comes around, I’m brought back to kindergarten and the embarrassment I had for ruining my Minnie Mouse costume. I understand the appeal, but realistically, Halloween is just something I cannot fully get behind. Whether it be childhood memories, the expense, or the commerciality of it all, something is just missing. I cannot speak for everyone else, but I’m looking forward to December 25. Nothing can beat the Christmas music, decorations, and overall holiday spirit (especially the Starbucks peppermint mochas).
Featured Image courtesy of Unsplash.
