Tori Lu
On the evening of Halloween, during usual trick-or-treat hours, my dad — an empty nester — sent a text to my brother and me.
The text was twofold. The first part of the message was an image of a blue bowl filled with peanut M&Ms. He knows these are our favorites. The second part read, “Miss those days with you guys here.” I have to admit, it was bittersweet. Bitter because of the nostalgia associated with Halloween. Sweet because, well, it’s candy.
Halloween has always held a special place in my heart.
Every year when I was younger … I mean, who am I kidding? Every year, period, I look forward to Halloween. While a large part of it may have to do with the fact that my birthday is the next day, I love to dress up and eat candy for no obviously apparent reason.
Growing up, Halloween was always rooted in tradition and followed a specific ritual for me: picking out a costume, participating in a Halloween parade or costume contest at school, trick-or-treating with friends, eating too much candy and watching scary movies. Let’s just say, for all of my elementary school years, I had my Halloween Routine (whoah, that rhymed) down pat. Although predictable, it was never dull.
Though my Halloween Routine may have changed throughout the years, the essence and spirit of the holiday never did. I knew exactly what to expect. There was always the fun of dressing up at school, carving pumpkins and passing out candy to trick-or-treaters (and perhaps sneaking a few pieces for myself).
However, this year, I spent my first Halloween away from home. As someone who has been so accustomed to celebrating this holiday in a specific way, I was worried that celebrating the holiday any other way would be a letdown.
Nevertheless, it turned out to be a spooktacular time (I’m sorry. I had to. I’m cringing at myself for writing that, so as for the Halloween puns in this article, this is it).
Despite all of the Yale traditions, I actually think I’ll begin in an unexpected place: the streets. Yes, while it may sound odd, the streets and the sidewalks captured the true essence of Halloween. The hustle and bustle. The costumes. The laughter. The photoshoots. It was so much fun seeing everyone have so much fun.
Suddenly, I saw everyone in a different light. As we all just got to know each other, Halloween revealed a whole new side to everyone that I didn’t know before. Some people dressed as their favorite movie characters, and others showed their funny side with clever group costumes. Unexpectedly, peoples’ costumes gave me a glimpse into their personalities.
While events like Hallowoads and YSO are Halloween staples at Yale (for those who can snag a ticket), I found the most joy in the in between. Getting ready with friends. Taking pictures. Scraping together a last minute costume. Eating candy at 2 a.m. Seeing everyone dressed up. For me, it was all about the little moments.
This may not have been the Halloween I expected. It wasn’t what I planned in my head. But with all of the fun traditions here, I think I just found my new Halloween Routine. I found it in the in between.