Since the 8th century onward, Halloween has been a major tradition of celebration and spirituality while also acknowledging ancient customs. According to history.com, “The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.” What we call Halloween today has evolved from this festival into one that people of all ages recognize and celebrate. However, I believe that the spirit has begun to lack within the past few years.
For centuries, Halloween, despite not being an exclusively American holiday, has been especially prominent in the United States. Every year, students and sometimes parents dress up to participate in costume contests, Halloween parties, trick-or-treating, and other related celebrations. Homes, schools, and stores are decorated, so much so that it is hard not to miss the warm, fall spirit of Halloween.
However, it is evident that local shops, our community, and MHS, have failed to reach their potential in terms of that spirit. Decorations have not been put up to their full extent, and Halloween events are not being organized or prioritized. In other instances, homes in Milpitas have competed to make their homes the most well decorated while schools had themes and events directed toward the Halloween spirit, a tradition that seems to have come up short.
Last year, events such as a Halloween spirit day along with other events were held at MHS, this was also complemented with decorations across campus that represented the festivities of October. However, this year nothing special was held or done on Halloween day, except for students dressing up in their costumes.
“Great America’s Halloween Haunt fails to leave attendees spooked,” says Scotscoop.com in an article written last year. This has further progressed into the park canceling its yearly tradition of Halloween Haunt. In previous years, guests have experienced a transformed park that hosts jump scares, haunted houses, trick-or-treating, and various other activities that all take place in an eerie, chilling atmosphere. However, the disappearance of this event goes to show that the Halloween spirit has not been prioritized, in general terms, people have always looked forward to events like Halloween Haunt to relieve stress and plunge into the yearly Halloween tradition.
Similarly, it is customary to see shopping centers, outlet malls, and grocery stores add seasonal and spooky decorations. That level is evidently not present this year, the usual Halloween themed foods, props, and other related objects are either completely lacking or available in much less stock. For example, Walmart, Target, Safeway, and other stores alike did not showcase Halloween themed decorations in a large part.
It is important that our community, students, and families alike take it upon themselves to renew Halloween spirit and make it so that everyone can feel the October spirit. We can decorate homes, stores, and schools, while also setting up events involving fall foods or contests targeted toward students and adults. This provides something to look forward to and cherish despite being drowned in work, stress, or other commitments. Our community would greatly benefit from fostering Halloween spirit growing ever closer and maintaining a healthy spirit while staying true to age-old traditions.