Why Halloween is my favorite holiday.

I've realized as I get older that Halloween is steady becoming my favorite holiday. Here's why:

1) It's sexy. When you're an adult, that is. You get to be someone else for an evening, and everyone gets to be someone else too. Flirtation is standard. There's nothing like seeing young women running around in wet leather catwoman costumes or of course the classic kitty cat costume. Halloween becomes a sort of "fantasy fest" where everyone gets to be their sexiest self for an evening.

2) It's non-denominational. Well, in current times at least. You don't hear controversy over whether stores should be selling "halloween costumes" vs "holiday costumes." Everyone celebrates it. It excludes no religion, sect or belief. No matter who you are, you get to get dressed up and run around in guise all night!

3) It's fun. I mean, other holidays are fun too. But the "soul" purpose of Halloween is to have fun! There's no religious iconography involved. You don't have to worry about proper etiquite, putting your eblows on the table, bringing the wrong gift, having bad company, or cooking for 25 people. It's just fun!!

4) It's creative. I mean, what other holiday begs you to be creative?! Other holidays seem to mandate what we wear, what we say, when and how we say it. Halloween lends you the rules, so you may break them! A festival for creative minds!

5) Candy :)

6) It's not hugely commercial or materialistic. Sure, we have to go out and buy costumes (or material to make them), candy, pumpkins, and decorations. But the "spirit" of the holiday is not based in consumerism, though I guess one could easily argue it is becoming more so. No matter. All you need to celebrate is a bunch of funny clothes and a big, orange vegetable!

7) Jack-O-Lanterns. I mean, come on, how cool is this tradition?! :)

8) Haunted hay rides, haunted houses, haunted mazes, corn fields, etc. What other holiday has its basic premise in creating fear?! Most other holidays are busy making you feel warm and fuzzy, cozy, grateful, patriotic, or some other fun feeling. Not Halloween!

9) The kids. I mean, when do the little guys get a holiday for themselves? Other than birthdays, of course. They get to get creative, dress up, and run around asking for candy. Throw in some family time carving pumpkins and hanging decorations, and you got yourself a family holiday!

10) It's cool. I mean, no other holiday is cool. We all love Christmas. We all love stuffing ourselves silly on Thanksgiving. On the 4th of July we always feel patriotic and love America. New Years is fun, reckless, and full of promises and predictions. Other memorial holidays might cause us to stop and take count of what a certain man, woman, or president has done for us and this country. And who doesn't love getting a card from a secret admirer on Valentine's day. But none of them are cool. Halloween wins this one hands down.

So there you have it, my spontaneous list of why Halloween is fast becoming my favorite holiday. For those of you who haven't truly experienced the magic and fun of this holiday, make sure you get in it next year and have fun!

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Originally Posted by walterick

I've realized as I get older that Halloween is steady becoming my favorite holiday. Here's why:

3) It's fun. I mean, other holidays are fun too. But the "soul" purpose of Halloween is to have fun! There's no religious iconography involved. You don't have to worry about proper etiquite, putting your eblows on the table, bringing the wrong gift, having bad company, or cooking for 25 people. It's just fun!!

!

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Speak for yourself! Halloween always involves cooking for at least 25 people, this year closer to 35-40. Although I wimped out and picked up sub tray as well.

Someone here has a Halloween bday. So we do the party on Saturday and then everyone goes trick or treating.

We do have fun, though. Lots of fun, and drinks afterwards....

Rick, I have to say, of all the holidays, Halloween is probably my least favorite. In fact, if it didn't even exist (at least in its mass consumption, totally superficial American mode), I most likely wouldn't care less.

Now, I could counter every one of your positive points with an equally legitimate negative one, but what would be the point of that, other than to make me look like the Halloween equivalent of a Scrooge, which I know I definitely am not... :)

I will have to call you on point #6 though. I'm sure most will agree with me when I tell you that you're flat out wrong here (and man, I hardly ever say that!). For a one-day holiday (with no season like Christmas), Halloween is easily the most over-commercialized and materialistic one on the Western calendar.

We've been conditioned to go out and buy tons and tons of useless stuff, from costumes to decorations to greeting cards to food to beer (jeez, when did Halloween become such a huge beer-drinking holiday??? Should we thank Elvira?!?) to even toys.

We're even suppose to seek out special Halloween entertainment, with horror and slasher movies geared exclusively to this weekend and expected to rake in hundreds of milions of dollars.

That whole side to Halloween (and most other holidays for that matter) just disgusts the hell out of me, and makes me want to hide until it's over. Only problem is, when one holiday marketing blitz ends, the next one begins. But that's America... :mad2:

That being said, in fairness to you, I should point out that I've only been to a couple of adult Halloween parties over the years (and those I had to go to to take photos), so I can't really say I know what that side of the holiday is like. Where I live now I didn't even hear of any adult parties this year. At least free ones (most clubs and bars have theme nights in a lame atempt to generate more money)...

Before moving here, I lived much of my adult life in Miami Beach, and as one who had access to the SoBe nightlife and zaniness 24/7/365, I (like many other "regulars"), usually took Halloween night off because it was so touristy.

The best thing about Halloween on South Beach is that it's traditionally a trial run for emerging drag queens, and many considering the gender illusion lifestyle can safely cross-dress and get a taste for it without being ridiculed (after all, it's just a costume). That I will admit is cool, and always leads to some really fun antics...

My sole enjoyment of Halloween now is seeing kids have a blast. And even that is becoming rarer and rarer, as hardly any go around to houses anymore (we got NO trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood this year!). Most Halloween activity is either at the malls or schools or super markets now, and I understand that, but I find it sad...

Anyway, I'm not one to try and damper enthusiasm or positive energy, so I think it's great that you and many others get such a kick out of the holiday. I just hope everyone had a safe one... :cool:

Rick,

You're a moderator, right? Can I post a link to a joke video that has dirty language? It's very relavent, there's no nudity or anything, and it's just plain funny.

Please? :D I think you'll like it.

Paul

Steve maybe you should come to our Halloween birthday party next year. We get lots of trick or treaters, and usually have a group of at least a dozen who go. The kids have fun, too.

We don't do the slasher movies, and usually make our costumes :) We do have beer though, and Vampire wine (yeah, at a kids birthday, although they are content with juice boxes)

We don't have any drag queens though, but if you were coming I could try and find one :D

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Originally Posted by adina

Steve maybe you should come to our Halloween birthday party next year. We get lots of trick or treaters, and usually have a group of at least a dozen who go. The kids have fun, too.

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Thanks, Adina. I'm actually glad to hear that. That sounds like the kind of Halloween I rememeber growing up, and what I feel it should be...

I think I'm in an "anti-holiday" phase, mostly because I'm just sick and tired of the way Madison Avenue over-markets these events to the American public. I love parties, I love seasonal decorations and holiday spirit, I love giving (and getting) gifts, I love geting together with friends and family.

What I've come to hate is an endless barrage of tv commercials and magazine and newspaper ads telling us on THIS particular day, if you are "normal" you should buy ALL THIS STUFF, go HERE and HERE, and do THIS, THIS and THIS, and spend a ton of money along the way.

And then doing it over and over throughout the year...

Like I said, I enjoy seeing these events through the eyes of kids, and as far as the adult party thing goes, I probably missed out on a lot of outrageously fun stuff because I hardly ever socialized on Halloween.

BTW, that's one of the ironies of South Beach. Two holidays where a lot of locals generally lay low are Halloween and New Years Eve, events that are usually big party nights everywhere else...

It seems like I always wind up working on or near Halloween. Had a wedding this past weekend (suppose I should post one or two of the photos), usually take party pics of children or something for friends at least.

On the other hand,

Theres always:

Tampa Bay
San Francisco (the Castro was a mess and gunfire)
Detroit (more in the past than recently I know)
personal experience with 5 of the BigTen11 university campuses and full fledged riots.

I remember South Beach from before anybody heard of it. No family left now in South Florida.

I could go on.

I am glad for anyone who had a good and safe Halloween. I finally wound up after a hot shower and good dinner going to a Starbucks and hanging with some folks and watching a costumed few parade in and out getting their caffeine fix.

Now Easter, that's my Holiday! :)

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Originally Posted by drg

Now Easter, that's my Holiday! :)

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Well, if I had to pick a favorite American holiday (which, of course would eliminate Bastille Day, darn it!), I'd have to choose Thanksgiving. Probably the only one I look forward to (don't get me wrong, Christmas is usually nice and all, it's just the list of things I need to do to prepare for it is exhausting, and the amount of money I end up spending is frightening).

Thanksgiving truely is the most uniquely American holiday, and IMO the least commercialized. Ours are always very laid back with no pressure to go out and do things just because it's a holiday...

No costumes (except for school pageants!). Any clothes you buy for it, you'd be buying anyway for the autumn and winter season. No decorations, again except those that you'd be putting up anyway for the season. And I don't ever remember having to go out and buy Thanksgiving cards for everyone...

The only thing really shoved down our throats (uh, yes, pun intended) for the weekend is food, and I know of no one who runs out and buys things simply because they're advertised. We're free to buy what we like and make the big meal with all our favorites. Family and friends get together and pitch in, with NO expensive presents to have to worry about.

And best of all, there's lots of FOOTBALL! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Oh, and the green flag drops on the Christmas shopping season, which for some is a plus, but I avoid that chore as long as I can... :D

Does SuperBowl Sunday count as an American holiday?

My favorite holiday of the year has long been Labor Day. You get a 3 day weekend, and there are none of the family obligations that go along with some of the other holidays. Don't get me wrong, I truely enjoy getting together with my family on holidays, and any other time too, but for me, Labor Day weekend, is MY weekend to do anything I choose. There are always tons of things going on in my area that weekend, so I always have lots of options, and NO comercial preasure to do anything, or buy anything.

Thanksgiving is a close 2nd.

plus you get to dress up as ninjas and sneak around campus the entire night, hiding in shadows and infiltraing the campus library at midnight in nothing but silence.

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Originally Posted by adina

We do have fun, though. Lots of fun, and drinks afterwards....

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That sounds like fun to me :) See, you're 1/10 of the way to joining me in making this your favorite holiday!

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Originally Posted by photophorous

Rick,

You're a moderator, right? Can I post a link to a joke video that has dirty language? It's very relavent, there's no nudity or anything, and it's just plain funny.

Please? :D I think you'll like it.

Paul

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Knock yourself out :) Just post a warning with it!

Scrooge :)

Steve, it sounds to me like you've been sitting on the sidelines of Halloween far too long! Strap on some pirate clothes and get out there dude! Just 364 till the next one! :D

Of course there's a commercial aspect to Halloween. But buying stuff at the store for Halloween is not a necessity. You can go dressed up in your grandfather's sailor uniform if you want. The comsumer end just adds more means to creativity. And picking pumpkins is fun! Most of the consummerism around Halloween has to do with costumes, I bet. There's a creative element to it that's lacking in other major holidays. If you wanna pick on an overly-commercialized holiday, try Valentine's Day or Christmas! :wink:

I'll bet one trip to one of Adina's Halloween parties and drinks afterward and you'll be proclaiming the merits of All Hallow's Eve with me!

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Originally Posted by Asylum Steve

What I've come to hate is an endless barrage of tv commercials and magazine and newspaper ads telling us on THIS particular day, if you are "normal" you should buy ALL THIS STUFF, go HERE and HERE, and do THIS, THIS and THIS, and spend a ton of money along the way.

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Dude! Turn off the tv! Get into the spirit of Halloween! It's fun! :D

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Originally Posted by adina

Does SuperBowl Sunday count as an American holiday?

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Not yet :) I'm sure we could petition though...

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Originally Posted by livin4lax09

plus you get to dress up as ninjas and sneak around campus the entire night, hiding in shadows and infiltraing the campus library at midnight in nothing but silence.

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Now you're talking :)

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Originally Posted by walterick

That sounds like fun to me :) See, you're 1/10 of the way to joining me in making this your favorite holiday!

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Any holiday is my favorite holiday. Any excuse we can get here....

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Originally Posted by Asylum Steve

What I've come to hate is an endless barrage of tv commercials and magazine and newspaper ads telling us on THIS particular day, if you are "normal" you should buy ALL THIS STUFF, go HERE and HERE, and do THIS, THIS and THIS, and spend a ton of money along the way.

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Hey, move over and make some room for me on the curmudgeon couch... :)

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Originally Posted by walterick

Knock yourself out :) Just post a warning with it!

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Okay, sorry I'm a couple of days late with this.

This video is quite hilarious and shows the true reason we like Halloween so much, but be warned...It has some offensive language! If you're at work or around kids, you really need headphones for this one. :D

Paul

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1715915

LOL very funny :)

I personally prefer sexy lobster.