Halloween is upon us, and I can say I am thoroughly excited. I have already been enjoying some Halloween festivities, but there are many more coming up as well. Here are some ways you can celebrate Halloween this year. Whatever you decide to do, remember to have a fun time!
Mocktails
One of Chatham’s traditions, Mocktails, will be happening this Monday, October 31st at 6 pm in Anderson. Various student organizations will have their own original mocktail for you to try, and you get to vote for the winners. On top of that, there will be a costume contest with multiple categories; each winner will receive a gift card. You have to eat dinner anyways, why not stop by Mocktails as well?
Halloween Parties
Many people on and off campus are hosting Halloween parties, which you or one of your friends may have received an invite to already. If haven’t been invited to a Halloween party yet, throw one of your own! There may be a lot of people who were hoping to go to a Halloween party, but just didn’t have the means to host one themselves.
Make a Halloween playlist
Some classic Halloween songs to add to your Halloween playlist include “Monster Mash,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and most of the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. However, there are plenty of inadvertent Halloween songs and soundtracks as well, including the Phantom of the Opera, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and even classical music pieces such as “Danse Macabre.” If you’re feeling extra excited, you can even watch the visual components for these songs and sountracks, such as the epic music video for “Thriller:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA
You can even do the Time Warp, which I highly recommend.
‘Tis the season for spoopy jams too, like Panic! at the Disco’s “It’s Almost Halloween:”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iTFnNU3AYg
Watch some classic scary or spooky movies or TV shows
Depending on how easily you get freaked out and how many friends will be there to comfort you if you do, you can decide how scary of a movie or show you want to watch. Some great animated films and shows include Corpse Bride, Coraline, Paranorman, and It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Some fun, spooky movies and shows include Disney Channel original Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, Casper, Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters – check out the remake as well as the classic – and Scream Queens. Some slashers include Scream, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and the entire Saw series. If you really want to have your skin crawl, watch some classic Alfred Hitchcock films like Psycho or Rear Window, or any season of American Horror Story.
Carve or decorate a pumpkin
Every year since I was young, I have decorated a pumpkin for Halloween. It is a fairly inexpensive and fun activity, and there are so many options on what you can do. Get some carving tools or craft items and have at it. I usually paint my pumpkins – this year I’m attempting to do Jack Skellington – but last year I carved some pumpkins too. There are even official Hamilton carving templates if you are tired of the typical Jack O’ Lantern look.
Hamilton: An American Musical logo Jack O’ Lantern template,
via the musical’s official Facebook page.
And most importantly, don’t forget to dress up!