Whether you went to the Wobbly to be seen and dance to club music, went to see Phish from Vermont at the charity event in Albany to support addiction recovery, or you’re just trick or treating somewhere with the littles, Halloween time is accessible and fun for everyone. Halloween has been my favorite holiday, since I was a kid. I always thought of it as they time where being weird was OK. A time where those of us with a sweet tooth can indulge guilt free. While this day may be known for giving us the opportunity to dress up and play a different part, I always saw it as a time when I could really just be myself. Of course, I dressed up, too.
As chiildren, we would decorate the house with hand drawn decorations of spiders, zombies, pumpkins and monsters. We would hang fake webs from the front lights and put glowing lights in the window. Picking a design to carve into a pumpkin and roasting the seeds with plenty of salt. Watching scary movies with plenty of sweet treats.
I would roam the neighborhood with my friends and siblings gathering candy. Walking up and down the road, house to house. I was lucky to have so many neighbors nearby with as many nearby doors as I could knock on. My closest friend and I would try to scare kids as they walked past his childhood home. Sometimes a few of the neighbors in the neighborhood would set up little haunted houses in their yard, garage or on their front porch. There was always something fascinating about the unusual and the frightening.
As I moved on from trick-or-treating, I still find any excuse to celebrate Halloween. I see it as a chance to open up and let loose a little bit. I always seem to find myself at a party or concert every year. A few years after high school, I lost one of my best friends on Halloween. They were into all of the spooky things and darker music and artists that I was into. They were what most people would refer to as Gothic. They wore dark understated clothing and were mostly only out at night. Their energy seemed exude the sounds of eerie organ and cello music. They were very quiet and only opened up in rare company. As I got to know them, I asked why they loved Halloween so much. I knew why it was my favorite holiday, but I wanted to hear it from them, too. They told me because it is the time when everyone is accepted.
While other holidays may focus on gratitude, family, remembrance or unbridled patriotism, this one celebrates acceptance. It’s the one time of year when you may see a T-Rex dancing with a vampire and a Transformer. Come as you are; all are welcome. A day where there is no pressure to compete. No pressure to appear a certain way. No one to impress. A day that encourages people to really open up and push themselves to be judgment free. It’s the one time of year that remind us that no matter who we are under our mask, we are worthy of being invited in.
It’s a time when the freaks come out (and freaks are my kind of people). Where being weird is not only acceptable, but encouraged. And when I think about what being weird means, I guess it just means being unique. To show your creativity and individuality. Where your darker side can be seen as OK because it makes up part of someone greater. A celebration of individuality and non-conformity.
So as someone who is unabashedly myself, my vibe surprisingly (sarcasm) does not always go over well with everyone. So when I am feeling a little down about my sometimes prickly personality and my affinity for laying down cold facts, I can always count on All Hallow’s Eve to remind me that all ghouls are good ghouls.
Have a wonderful Halloween this year and enjoy your chance to be unapologetically and fully you! And if you’re looking for a place to get rid of any extra Reese’s, I know a guy. Happy spooky season.
