Featured image: Need ideas for what to do this Halloween? Nostalgic about Halloweens of years gone by? Read on. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Matt Dionne | Editor-in-Chief
Halloween is definitely one of those holidays that grew on me more as I got older. I was never a big fan of trick-or-treating, but now that I am old enough to experience the adult side of Halloween, I’d have to say that it’s now one of my favourite holidays.
There’s nothing quite like a Halloween party. Everyone is dressed up—usually in a costume that attempts to show off their assets—the weather tends to be at the perfect temperature—not too hot, but not too cold (there’s no such thing as too cold when you have alcohol), and people seem more willing to come out of their shell—perhaps because of the extra security a costume provides.
Emilie Miranda | Executive Editor, Online
If you feel odd about trick-or-treating into your 20s or are discouraged by the fact that Halloween is on a Tuesday this year, then it’s time to turn to your T.V. or favourite streaming service for an annual lineup of spooky movies and shows.
Potentially the most anticipated Halloween show is Stranger Things’ second season, with all episodes scheduled for release on Netflix on October 27. Not only are there the usual creepy movie marathons courtesy of channels like AMC, but Netflix has gifted us access to blockbusters such as Paranormal Activity, The Grudge, and Silent Hill, not to mention past Halloween episodes of shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Friends, and The Office—or you can binge the first two seasons of comedy-slasher remake Scream. So grab some friends, some food, and settle in for a night—or weekend binge—of some terror.
Rowan Campbell | Creative Director
What I enjoy most about the Halloween season is the weather and the aesthetics—in particular, the Halloween decorations that people put up all over their houses. In all honesty, I could spend forever hanging out in a Spirit Halloween store!
Munirul-Haq Raza | News Editor
My friend’s birthday just so happens to fall on Halloween, so a few friends and I tend to hang out together for it. A few of us take the opportunity to cosplay, as opposed to donning your standard Halloween-type costumes, and our parties tend to include cosplay performances. They also tend to include art, as I have recently gotten more into visual art, so I take every opportunity I can to build on my craft.
Dennis Bayazitov | Assistant News Editor
To quote an astute and beloved cult classic on malicious females: “In the real world, Halloween is when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut, and no other girls can say anything else about it.” Amen.
For many children, Halloween is a spooky time of outrageous costumes, dark rooms with flashing bright lights, smoke machines, and people jumping and screaming. Now, fast-forward 15 years and replace that haunted house with a club, and you’ll find that not all that much has changed for the typical college student.
So if you’re looking to bust out your most provocative outfit and tear up the dance floor, Toronto’s vibrant nightlife will have everything you’re looking for this Halloween.
Angelica Babiera | Arts Editor
For me, Halloween means going to Canada’s Wonderland’s Halloween Haunt with my sisters and friends—it’s the perfect combination of fear and adrenaline. There’s the thrill of not knowing when the actors are going to pop out and terrify you. It’s also fun to laugh at your loved ones when you see them scared out of their minds, since you know they’ll soon return the favour.
Jodie Vanderslot | Health Editor
I love scary movies. As a child, I used to wake up in the middle of the night and sneak downstairs to watch them with my dad. I would be terrified, but that never deterred me from doing it. I continuously watched them, even once I had entered my teens, more so than I had Disney movies.
I also love recruiting people to watch them, as well as the suspense; the anticipation of waiting for something to jump out, or a revolutionary plot twist that may or may not have been obvious from the start. Good or bad, I adore watching them. My favourites are always changing, and while I can appreciate the classics such as The Shining, The Blair Witch Project, and Poltergeist, the one I will always recommend is The Conjuring.
Alexander Colle | Sports Editor
I haven’t done this in years, but I absolutely love scaring the living daylights out of unsuspecting children who expect treats, but end up getting tricked. One time, I even got a friend of mine to tie me to a chair beside the front door on Halloween, wrapping duct tape over my mouth. I would be playing dead, until a trick-or-treater showed up to grab some candy. This is when I’d ‘wake up,’ holler at the top of my lungs, and shake in my seat. Let’s just say we did not give out as much candy as we had originally planned that night.
Anna Voskuil | Copy Editor
There’s one story that haunted me in childhood, which still continues to do so today: a boy asks his lover why she won’t take off the ribbon around her neck. She repeats, year after year: “One day, you will see why”—and once they grew old and grey, she finally removes the ribbon—only for her head to fall clean off.
Being a writer, naturally I love telling and listening to bone-chilling stories—whether it be reading through Creepypastas, or when my young cousin eagerly listens to my retellings of favourite urban legends, such as Japan’s infamous “Kuchisake Onna” (or “Slit-Mouth Woman,” in English) tale. There’s something truly relishing about these stories—how they fix themselves into the deepest, darkest corners of your mind, keeping you wide awake, just so you’re sure you didn’t see a tall, dark figure looming over your bed. Who knows—perhaps you just weren’t looking hard enough.
Basma Elbahnasawy | Multimedia Editor
When I think of Halloween, I think about candy. Halloween is the only time during the year where it is acceptable for strangers to offer free candy to children. Considering I’m now 21, going trick-or-treating would be slightly questionable. However, when I was a child, October 31 was one of the most exciting nights of my life. Let’s be honest—what other time during the year do you get to dress up as someone other than yourself and ask strangers for free candy? Despite the fact there are there are countless amusing events for adults during Halloween, in all honesty, nothing beats the feeling of dressing up and going on a quest for candy on Halloween night.
