It’s that time of year again… my favorite holiday. Mostly it’s because I can dress up and act like a child, but I admit the abundant sugar plays into it a little too.
I decided to throw a Halloween party, and managed to talk enough people into it that it grew into a massive event involving around 200 people. Costumes are always paramount at such an event, and I spent some time considering what to wear. I blew the dust off my old costume box and looked at what I had on hand. There was Doc Brown from a few years back, and an old Waldo costume. I found the components of my Dread Pirate Roberts outfit (probably my favorite costume to date). There were also the makings of a good pirate costume.
Looking through the box reminded me of all those times I wore costumes to work (and again), to seminary (again), and even to the grocery store. I may not be considered a kid, but I can sure act like one.
In the end, I pulled out my trusty old Jedi robe. Although I was wearing a sweet chunky plastic lightsaber I dug up from our storage closet (my boys’ old toy stash), my friend Matthew happened to have a more realistic lightsaber at the party. It glowed, hummed, and even changed color! The result worked out nicely:
Okay, fine, it’s possible I changed the background after Pepper took the photo. But the costume overall was a hit. I kept getting harrassed by some six-year-old dressed as Optimus Prime, asking me to show him my Jedi powers. It was a great time.
On a related note, I happened to stumble across an article by Faith Hill, entitled “Adult Halloween Is Stupid, Embarrassing, and Very Important”. In it, she writes:
When I was a kid, fun felt really fun. Reading a book was completely immersive; chasing the dog around the yard was transcendent; running a fake restaurant with rocks as potatoes was the honor of a lifetime. The absolute peak, though, was Halloween. I can still recall bounding down the sidewalk in the cool October air, chuffed to be out late, drunk on the maniacal power that comes from knocking on strangers’ doors and demanding candy.
It’s not that, as an adult, I don’t do anything that could be called fun; it’s just that fun doesn’t feel quite the same as it used to. Getting dinner with friends is lovely. My little neighborhood stroll is nice. Standing around at a party and shouting over music to catch up with acquaintances is… fine. I just no longer experience the deep, whimsical joy that a rock potato could once bring. Still, I believe in chasing the ghost of my former lighthearted self. And if there’s one day when I might almost catch up, it’s Halloween: the most ridiculous, inherently childish holiday, and perhaps the one grown-ups need most.
I feel the same way! She continues in a more serious tone:
Adults really do require fun. Studies have shown that play– something done purely for enjoyment– is linked to higher life satisfaction, boosted creativity, and improved cognitive health. It can help people cope with stress and facilitate learning, bonding, and communication. Some researchers warn of “play deprivation”, which can leave you tense and grumpy. Human adults have the baggage of grief, of responsibility, of higher priorities, like paying taxes or finding your life’s purpose.
The Halloween holiday presents a fleeting chance to stop taking ourselves so seriously. In order to shed our formal facade, we might need to humble ourselves by putting on a new facade, just for one night.
Preach, sister! I’ll continue looking forward to Halloween every year, and telling myself it’s an important part of my mental health routine.