ZOE ROGERS / OPINION EDITOR

The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of  The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.

Halloween has a charm unlike any other holiday. Not only is it associated with the crisp air and colors of the fall, but it also has many attributes that allow it to be the best holiday in comparison to the commonly celebrated holidays  in the United States. These holidays include: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, Easter, New Years and Valentine’s Day. Halloween’s appeal, activities, traditions and seasonal characteristics make Halloween the  best holiday celebrated in  the United  States. 

Halloween takes place in the middle of fall, which is arguably the best season. According to a poll created by Morning Consult, an American business intelligence company, 41% of Americans reported fall as their favorite season. The appeal of Halloween is associated with the many reasons why people love fall — the changing trees, the scented candles, the seasonal flavors (such as general flavors that appear in the fall like pumpkin, maple, cinnamon etc.) and the activities. 

Halloween is also an incredibly festive holiday. During the month of October and the latter half of September  there is a build up of anticipation before Oct. 31. Even in September, I’ve seen Halloween decorations and  Halloween-themed snacks in stores. Not only is the anticipation high, the decorative scene that Halloween brings  is highly entertaining and creative. Halloween allows for homeowners to tap into their Halloween spirit by decorating their houses for the holiday’s  arrival. Spooky decorations, such as cobwebs, grave stones, skeletons, black cats, Jack O’ Lanterns and ghosts begin to take over  the  neighborhoods of cities, lingering around the houses of those who   celebrate  Halloween. 

The festive enthusiasm doesn’t stop at the decorations. Halloween also comes with limitless activities to do with your family and friends. Haunted houses, scary movies, pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating are just a few examples of fall activities associated with Halloween. If you’re ever looking for an excuse to watch a scary movie and feel a burst of adrenaline waiting for the jumpscares, Halloween is the perfect time to do so. As a kid, I was not much of a fan of scary situations, and I’m still not. To still be a part of the Halloween celebration, I carved pumpkins with my friends. Here in San Diego, there are multiple opportunities for students to engage in Halloween activities, such as haunted houses, festivals, pumpkin patches, amusement parks and more. 

A great way to engage in fall and Halloween activities is to go to a pumpkin patch. Shannen Swars/ The USD Vista

The enthusiasm of Halloween is also fueled by our participation, wearing costumes. Halloween costumes are not limited to any age or demographic, and that is the beauty of the holiday. From five-years-old to 50, you can continue to wear  a costume to Halloween celebrations and you will never be shamed for it. Part of Halloween’s spirit lives in our participation in its basic  tradition of wearing a costume. The best part is, there are no rules and you can be anything you want.

While the enthusiasm around Halloween is refreshing, during a long span of time with no holidays or days off, it’s easy to say Halloween is not the best holiday. Christmas, for example, has the same connection with the winter season that Halloween has with fall. Christmas also holds a special association with winter’s seasonal traditions, such as hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree and winter flavors, including peppermint. Even though Christmas is similar to Halloween in regards to its prolonged enthusiasm throughout the month of December — and even the latter part of November — you don’t have to be affiliated with a specific religion to celebrate Halloween. Halloween is  even  celebrated in other countries like All Hallow’s Eve in Europe and Día de los Muertos in Mexico. Christmas, on the other hand, does have a religious association with Christianity. While many individuals who are not religious still celebrate Christmas, there  is still a religious element.

On top of that, Halloween isn’t as expensive as Christmas. Personally, I spend hundreds of dollars on Christmas  decorations and gifts for my friends, family members, roommates, etc. For Halloween, however, I only buy a costume and maybe some candy or decorations. Because there’s less of an aspect of  commercialization associated with Halloween, especially for college students, celebrating Halloween is less expensive than Chritsmas. 

Halloween’s charm is everlasting. You can maintain the same enthusiasm for Halloween at 50-years-old as you did at five. The holiday’s strong association with fall proves it to be the best holiday celebrated in the United States. 

The Halloween spirit lives on through  our traditions, activities, costumes and seasonal flavors. Its presence is like none other and we should continue to nurture it.

Take advantage of the opportunities to dress up on Halloween. Photo courtesy of @Ulziibayar Badamdorj/ Unsplash