It’s almost Halloweekend! Are y’all excited? Cause I sure am. Back at home (in Greece) Halloween was not celebrated as intensely as it is here. So, I’m ready to get my scare on and even play some tricks of my own this year (wink). We all know how exciting Halloween is for most college student. It’s one of the wildest nights of the year. Some of us prepare for Halloweekend weeks in advanced, brainstorming dozens of costume, makeup and hairstyle options with out friends. Many anticipate the moment that we will have a complete look — when we look into the mirror and don’t recognize ourselves, or at least, that’s what we hope for.
Without further ado, let’s dive into what truly makes this weekend so special. Do you ever feel trapped in your own body, like you’re on a path you can’t escape — a path that was made by the way others view you and even in the way you view yourself? Don’t get me wrong, we love ourselves, and that’s great, but it doesn’t mean that once in a while the idea of altering your narrative isn’t hella intriguing.
The rush that comes with pretending to be someone you’re not, even for just one night, is, for many, simply indescribable. For one night, you, and only you, get to choose who you want to be. It is in your hands to portray yourself in any way you desire. YOU decide how you want others to view you and not have others decide it for you, which comes with an unshakable sense of power.
You’re given the opportunity to experiment with yourself, play with different parts of your identity or even put on a show that doesn’t reflect you at all in daily life. Another option is to portray exactly who you are: the part of your character that you keep somewhat buried inside and only show internally, but never allow others to see because you are afraid of potential rejection. Well, this is your chance to shine true. During Halloweekend, there is no judgment or criticism; you can be who you want to be, and no one will question it. If you want to be a “slutty nurse”, do it. If you always envied the popular “mean girl” types, become one (just for the night, though :). If your heart desires to dress up as a hero, go for it! This is your time to explore and/or play with your narrative. Just have fun and be spontaneous!
This desire that you may have to imagine yourself in a million different facets is not merely an abstract concept, but it has actually been proven to be a part of many people’s personality. To give a little context, this quarter I took Psychology of Personality, where we discussed Freud’s Big 5 personality traits. One of these Big 5 personality traits is called Openness to Experiences. Some enjoy the idea of dressing up for a night and pretending to be someone more than others, and this is probably because they score higher on the Openness to Experiences scale than others.
People that are higher in Openness to Experiences are idiosyncratic, meaning they’re very imaginative, creative and curious which are all, of course, central to Halloweekend. Individuals with high Openness to Experiences form fantasies and aesthetics about how they imagine themselves. These alter egos can be inspired by a TV series, a movie or a book. Individuals with strong, alternate visions of themselves have the tendency to disappear into an amazing fantasy worlds based on real or imaginative life encounters. So, this theory can, to an extent, explain many individuals’ excitement and eagerness for Halloweekend.
I thought it would be cool to reflect on why Halloweekend is indeed one of the most anticipated weekends of the year. Plus, per my passion for psychology, I couldn’t help but psychoanalyze human tendencies as they related to dressing up.
I hope you all have a wonderful Halloweekend. Explore, experiment and even transform, but more importantly, don’t forget to have fun!