Hear Me Out: Unironic Trick or Treating

This just in folks - it's Spooky season. In fact, today is the terrifying day in question: October 31st. However, I hope what about I'm about to relay isn't too frightening. I believe that adults should trick or treat again. Make Halloween Great again? Now that is a frightening sentiment...

This very evening, walking up Hanover Street seeing the abundant joy that kids have in our great nation for just one night of the year, I felt equal parts inspired equal parts nostalgic. Yes, I have moved on from the spine-chilling heights of Muesli Mountain. But when I had Halloweens there, it was a blast. I managed to get my friends together, eat great food, but most importantly of all - let creativity run loose! As an adult, there's such a malaise around outfits, that to try hard is often socially chastised. The only people who are celebrated in the costume department are major celebs.

My take is, of course, philosophically grounded. As a young child myself, late teens and young adults who would don black drainpipe jeans or buy coloured contacts on the day, annoyed me. When a group of intimidating looking youths played knock-down-ginger on MY house with little-to-no decorations dressed in day-to-day outfits, that just gave me the creeps. They did; they still do.

So, wherein lies the issue? In my humble opinion, it lies with the cultural acceptance of half-assed attempts. From very-bad-vampires to ghastly-ghosts, somethings afoot. (When did scary outfits become not scary anymore?) I'm not talking about The Thing (1982) styled practical effects here. There are so many fun ways to dress up, but don't half-ass it.

This would be too much. The Thing (Dir. John Carpenter, 1982). Produced and distributed by the Turman-Foster Company & Universal.

A very real and scary threat.

Furthermore, with the doom and gloom of the current climate anxiety - flip it. It is warmer out there now these October nights, whether you are conscious of that, or not. So we might as well enjoy it? I love dressing up, for any social occasion. In fact, I would say this skeletal argument rests largely upon that. People need to outfit in costumes more in general (sustainably, because look, I did mention it is getting warmer).

Encourage dressing up boxes and upcycle old garments! This is all of course, easier said than done. I should also of course mention I'm not talking about being alarmingly unstable around a bunch of kids.

It doesn't have to be drinking focused: adults can get together for movie-themed nights, dance-themed nights or just about any other social event all across the calendar year. A paean to safe and carefree performativity. As is possible to read into this take, large groups of adults going around all witchy and wobbly needs to be done with with class and elegance.

Ignoring the American commercialised model of Halloween - which is essentially the door that this argument hinges open on this time of the year - there are plenty more cultures where 'grownups' dressing up or letting loose is commonplace. Carnival in Brazil involves romp like no other and most important of all - dancing. In Thailand, the famous example is Songkran: as per Buddhist traditions, people go around and indulge in a typically childlike activity - soaking everyone with water balloons. We are too cold in the silly West to do this, naturally, but again, it is getting warmer.

I'm still not convinced my idea has legs, or even arms at this rate. It is spooky season after all. I do know that there's an apathy towards creativity in this country and we must do all we can to shake it.