When it comes to American holidays, there are four big ones I think of: Valentine’s Day, the Fourth of July, Halloween, and Christmas. Throughout my entire life, my opinions of these holidays have only heightened…except for one. Over the past couple years, my opinion on Halloween has been waning. I’m not into trick-or-treating or dressing up as some figment of pop culture. Nowadays I just stick to handing out candy to babies — but why? Why has my opinion on Halloween worsened but the other three holidays haven’t? Well, let me explain. 

What really kills it for me is that Halloween doesn’t have a definitive identity. Is it about candies and costumes, or spooks and scares? I’ve only seen people define Halloween as either one of those two. I’m not sure exactly what it’s about, and it kills the holiday for me. The Fourth of July is about celebrating independence, Valentine’s Day is about showing your affection for others, and Christmas is about giving back to others. All of those holidays are easily defined, but not Halloween. 

Another thing I hate about Halloween is that it’s geared towards kids, and I’m not talking teens or tweens. I’m talking young kids, ages 4-10. This is made obvious with the abundance of marketing for candy and Halloween costumes, as well as Halloween specials. Not to mention, teens don’t usually go trick or treating. 

I think the biggest reason for me not enjoying Halloween is because there isn’t something significant for me to enjoy. I can go and buy candy at the grocery store, or take some from friends. I’m not big on costumes because I look like a meatball with arms, and unless that’s my costume, I wouldn’t fit many others. Why should I play a horror game on Halloween when I could play it any other day? Maybe I’m just not in the spirit of the season, or maybe I have nobody to hang out with! 

I should note that I’m not out to ruin your fun; I’m just giving my opinion on a holiday I don’t enjoy as much. If you enjoy Halloween for any reason, that’s great, and I hope you can continue to enjoy it again this year.