At the end of October, the air gets a little foggier, shadows seem a little larger, and the Monmouth campus finally becomes enveloped in the season of scaring.
Halloween is a unique holiday in that it has a way of bringing students together in ways that Thanksgiving or the Winter Holidays cannot. While students go home to visit their families during their Thanksgiving or winter breaks, Halloween is spent on campus, allowing the students and faculty to partake in festivities together.
Much of Halloween is based on traditions, from dressing in costume to carving pumpkins, which creates a common ground for everyone to participate. From Monmouth’s own haunted Wilson Hall tour to students dressing in costumes, there is a piece of the holiday for everyone. But what about particular students’ own traditions? Do upperclassmen get as involved or “into” the holiday as freshman, or vice versa?
“I really like the theme of the day, the ‘scariness’ of it. I just like the atmosphere of it all,” said Joseph Schuld, a junior biology major.
There is definitely a different atmosphere around the holiday. Halloween has a unique presence that can be felt in the air itself, and helps everyone get into the holiday spirit. Some students spend all month decorating their rooms and getting their costumes ready. The environment the holiday creates can be sensed by everyone.
Students don’t enjoy Halloween just because of the atmosphere, it’s the scariness and the products of the holiday that make it fun. Halloween is most known for the candy, costumes, and of course, scary movies.
The effect the holiday has on people is what makes it so timeless, whether its being scared, trick or treating together, or pairing up in matching costumes, Halloween can create a feeling of togetherness amidst all the terror. But what activities do student like best? Are there any long-held traditions of partaking in movies or other games practiced by the student body?
“I also watch a lot of horror movies, they’re my favorite,” continued Schuld.
Students can get together in a dorm and huddle up for a midnight scare. Halloween can bring people together, either through shared interests or just to have someone to hold on to in the middle of a horror movie. The appeal of horror movies and love of the overall atmosphere isn’t limited to just upperclassmen; two freshman brought their own Halloween traditions with them to college.
“I always carved pumpkins and watched HalloweenTown with my sister every Halloween. This year I’m planning on just hanging out with friends and enjoying the spirit of the holiday,” said Liz Roderick, a freshman psychology major.
The tradition of pumpkin carving, or the carving of “jack-o-lanterns” orginally came from Irish immigrants. The Irish brought the tradition over to America, where pumpkins grew. According to history.com, the name jack-o-lantern “comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack, originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas.” Carving pumpkins has been a holiday tradition ever since.
Roderick’s roommate shares the same enthusiasm, and is happy to participate in the holiday with her. Perhaps the most important part of a holiday spent on campus is finding a buddy to share all the holiday cheer (or rather, scares in this case) and enjoy it all together.
“I don’t really have any traditions, I really just hang out with friends and what we do carries form year to year. This year I’m just hanging out with my friends, eating candy, and watching movies,” said Katharine Dix, a freshman political science major, and Liz’s roommate. The two have already settled in and are ready to celebrate. The fact that Halloween can connect students young and old is a testament to its long-held celebration.
“Mischief night is kind of a regional tradition,” said Michael Gray, an adjunct English professor.
Mischief night is always on Oct. 30, the night before Halloween. According to holidayinsights.com, historically the people who participate in this night are usually teens and cause mischief like toilet papering houses, smashing pumpkins, and egging or soaping cars.
Halloween is unique in that it is one of the few holidays most students will be spending on campus with their fellow students. It gives students a chance to connect and enjoy themselves, share traditions from home and create new ones at school. That is the whole point of traditions: to be shared and spread to others. It’s funny to think that ghosts, ghouls and being scared out of your mind by movies or haunted houses can bring people together.
IMAGE TAKEN from radacutlery.com
