Only when the weather begins to stir and the branches are rid of their leaves, causing eerie silhouettes to appear in the windows late at nights, does the season really start. Leading into fall, we are surrounded by pumpkin spice and everything nice, stores and houses alike lined with pumpkins and adorned in orange and yellow leaves. Yet, around the corner is Halloween, the real star of the show and the – in my totally obvious unbiased opinion – best holiday of the year. People begin to put their spooky skin on, people dressed as different characters from different shows begin to appear in my feed, and I start to feel the inspiration in the air. Haunted houses open their doors to anyone brave enough to enter, and horror movies fill the theaters.

For everyone during fall, they may define the season differently then I have, each with their own activities and festivities planned ahead. That could include binging on their favorite Halloween movies, horror movies, or shows filled with supernatural and the beyond. For MHS senior student Jett Boyland, he agrees with the joy of watching scary movies as Halloween creeps closer. His personal favorite horror movie he has ever watched was The Lighthouse. “The Lighthouse explores the mind of humans and how wants and desires can bring the worst of us out. It also has a lot of homosexual topics on it and is very much like HP lovecraft works and folk tales.” 

There are many horror and Halloween movie enthusiasts that like to rewatch and reminisce on their favorite series, and this can also show in the way people dress up near and on Halloween. This can be done by all ages for fun, many older people finding joy in cosplaying and going out or to cons and fairs, usually those younger dressing up to go trick or treating. Teachers in MHS often dress up on Halloween. Mrs. Cioffi had recalled dressing up as a witch the year she had taught freshmen. Mrs. Preisse, for Halloween growing up, remembered multiple different costumes she had worn: A M&M, Mighty Mouse, Tweety Bird, and a cat in a pumpkin.

Many families experience the holiday differently. The most common event people partake in is trick or treating when they have younger children and family members. Many MHS students can probably recall walking in their neighborhood door to door and trading candy between family and friends. For my mom, she always recalled me happily picking out costumes, enjoying the dress up more than the candy. My brother, Shahan, always went out with friends to Halloween parties and get-togethers. As he got older, he went to different haunted houses and movies.

Personally, I have always found this season freeing, with almost all kinds of activities for all kinds of people. It spans from the creepiest and spookiest things to warm and cozy feelings accompanied by hot chocolate and pumpkin flavored treats. That’s why it is important to delve into what people believe make this season great for them, to show all the great things that follow the nice breeze in the air, before the chill hits.