Why do people like Halloween so much, and why is it so fun to dress up? Many people at Arcata High love to dress up in fun, creative, scary, and unique costumes. Some even have group costumes, making the frightening atmosphere feel like a fun night for partying or trick-or-treating.
The feeling of Halloween when you were little could never go away. Kids take Halloween seriously, even if that means mixing and matching their costumes with things that may or may not clash.
Teachers at AHS also show off their costumes and hand out candy during class. Making showing up for school on Halloween worth it and fun!
But, back 2,000 years ago, it wasn’t for fun. It was to protect from evil spirits and ensure a good harvest next winter. People from Europe would dress in dead animal skin and whatever else they could find. They believed that on Halloween, also known as All Hallows’ Eve, spirits would come back and roam the streets.
Now, in modern-day Halloween, our costumes aren’t as scary as they used to be. Some individuals dress in more minimal costumes and lots and lots of glitter. Some people may forget that the point of costumes on Halloween was to ward off evil. And not just a day to dress however you want.
“I used to go crazy for it when I was little, and I’d like to mix and match costumes,” senior Omari Ferguson-Johnson said. “I was like a vampire fairy queen.”
No matter how you design your costume, whether you buy it from a store or make it from scratch, still celebrating this spooky holiday in the community will keep this tradition alive and popping.
Senior Canela Zuleta Harper plans to make her own costume this year. Even went all out and used body paint to paint her whole body and wear black contacts. Going for a whole alien costume.
Halloween isn’t just about the costumes or candy. It’s also about the people you spend it with. Many students used to not celebrate it because of travel or family traditions. Like Day of the Dead, a day to remember our loved ones who have passed away. Celebrating it with colorful dances and big parades, or even just an altar.
“It depends where you are, but here nobody really does anything for it,” Canela Zuleta Harper said.
But rather, all around campus and Eureka, there are murals and a huge celebration where people dress up and have fun in Eureka.
The free big bag of candy you’d get every Halloween night would make your scary costume worth it. It’s always fun to dress up, whether it’s for a holiday or an event.
