Anyone else hate Halloween?

[AGXStarseed]

A customer had a huge collection of hallowe'en products in his home. He particularly liked the handcrafted German clay ornaments mostly from the 1920s. I learned that Hallowe'en was considerably different in the US back then- it was mostly adult parties and not for kiddies. Those ornaments were pretty scary looking. Even during my lifetime I've noticed that the ornaments have continuously gotten more cheerful-looking.
As a child, I really dug hallowe'en. When I was 8, my brother who was REALLY into the brand new OS Star Trek, put on a full-out Star Trek bridge replication in our entryway. He was Spock, I was Kirk, and his friends filled out some of the other officers. My mother sewed the shirts. One of my brother's participants had a red shirt, as far as I know he is still alive.
But hallowe'en was great- lot of fun, not knowing who was who, coming home and feasting on the goodies until I passed out in a sugar coma. I feel sad for today's kids with our current environment here.

Yeah, especially with people on the internet whining that you shouldn't be allowed to dress in certain costumes (and I'm not talking about letting kids dress up in costumes that aren't age-appropriate; I mean when you dress up as certain people/things and someone complains about it been "offensive" for one reason or another).
When I see stuff like that, all I can think is "Oh for goodness sake, it's one night of a year and it's not done out of malice; get off your moral high horse for a bit, will you?"

To quote the old witch from Witch's Night Out, "This is what Halloween is all about, my darlings; every day we go about our lives in the same old way, but once a year we can be whatever and whoever we please".

 

[BiCrafter752]

To me, it just feels like a world full of strangers constantly sending my brain signals of danger.

It feels like ugly colors, ugly masks, ugly behavior by people hiding behind ugly masks. And adults acting childish (rather than childlike, which can be wonderful), spending hundreds of dollars each year on front-yard dioramas depicting torture and mass murder. Halloween feels like a culture that no longer celebrates the transcendent and instead settles for cheap thrills from "sexy nurses" and murder houses.

My wife used to take the kids out trick-or-treating while I stayed home with the lights out and pretended to not be home.

And at office parties and the like? How is one even supposed to talk to Harvey from Accounting when he's dressed like a down-on-his-luck Captain Picard?

I've always played along because - fun! But I don't find it fun.

(P.S. - I'm not saying that Halloween should be banned or that you're a bad person if you enjoy Halloween. It just abrades my nerves.)

Where I live in Australia, only one neighbourhood in each suburb really gets into the Halloween spirit, so people drive over there, do their rounds and head home. As a teen, there is so much pressure to dress up and go with people and make plans, which I find really overwhelming. I’d much prefer to stay home and do the Animal Crossing Halloween event, or another online version of the event.

 

[Rodafina]

I’d much prefer to stay home and do the Animal Crossing Halloween event, or another online version of the event.

Do it! That sounds fun. The sooner you release yourself from any pressure to engage in standard social things, the more fun you can start having with things you actually enjoy.

For my part, I enjoy Halloween now, but this feeling didn’t come on until I was an adult and I had finally realized that I I didn’t have to be social about it. Even now, the actual evening of October 31st is not my favorite. It gets chaotic and confusing, and just like every other year for decades, I will choose to stay in a darkened room with my dog watching scary movies.

I understand the pressure you talk about, and I have felt it too, but if you can, let it go and just enjoy being who you are enjoy doing the things that you really like.

 

[Mary Terry]

Honestly I usually just dont care.

I live in the absolute middle of nowhere, there arent going to be any kids trick-or-treating around here, simple as that. So I have no need to interact in any way. And even if some did show up, well... still no reason for me to interact. I dont answer the doorbell on any other day, so I sure wouldnt answer it on that day either.

As for the theme, ehhh. I'm a huge horror fan, so you'd think it'd resonate, but most people's idea of "horror" in media and whatnot can be summed up as "STABBY BLOOD" which just... *sigh*

So there aint much creativity there. It's just the same decorations repeated at each house.

And that's the extent of my thoughts on it really.

I live in the middle of nowhere, too, but enjoy seeing children enjoy Halloween. One of our neighbors has a long asphalt driveway, at least half a mile long, where she hosts a "trunk or treat" for her grandchildren and other kids. I take my grandchildren because they love it. We park our cars and trucks along the driveway and hand out candy from the vehicles. Some people decorate their vehicles for the occasion. No one risks getting run over on the streets and roads.

After the candy has been handed out, my friend's husband takes the kids on a genuine hayride across their farm, a tractor pulling a hay wagon loaded with hay bales to sit on, through the woods and pastures in the dark, and all the kids have their own flashlight. The hayride ends at their lake with a big bonfire. We old folks serve real food at the lake to offset the sugar rush, usually stuff like burgers and hot dogs that kids will eat.

 

[Suzanne]

HATE WITH A PASSION!

And in this climate we live in with hate groups and cival wars and terrorism, even more scary.

The irony for me is that "day one, disgusting. Day two, all glitter and fluff" to denote another pagan festival.

 

[elgat0verde]

Some days, I actually kind of agree.

For me is always, I don't really see the point other than to sell things

The only one I ever celebrate is Xmas but because I have kids... once my kids are old enough I won't celebrate anything ever again.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

It can be fun. It's all in the attitude you have. When my kids were little, it was exciting for them to get dressed up in a costume, then going door-to-door. The houses in the neighborhood all decorated. Whether I took the kids out or stayed home and handed out candy, it was all in good fun. Sometimes it was the only time of the year we actually spoke with the other parents in the neighborhood. It's a big event in our neighborhood. Several hundred children.

I've never been to an adult Halloween party. I think that would be a little strange for me to experience. However, I think if there were some serious effort put forth into a really good costume, I would appreciate that, for what its worth.

 

[Kavigant]

I enjoyed the way we celebrated Samhain back when I was a Wiccan: reflecting upon our beloved dead, holding a dumb supper for those no longer with us, costumes and trick or treating for the kids.

Acknowledging the place of death within the natural cycle of our lives, confronting some of its often frightening imagery, and also celebrating life. Teaching kids about life and death and how we remember others who have passed. There is a meaning to it which I think still speaks deeply to our humanity and our mortality.

 

[ra49]

@Fraxinus
Every dog I have ever had would most heartily agree with you.

And my cats also

 

[stay curious]

I've shed a lot of tears over this time of year in my life and wishing I could make it feel fun for me like it seemed everyone around me feels. But I've been giving myself the liberation of being bravely honest with the life I have left and honoring my truth. My brother's family is hosting a party tomorrow and my youngest might come , bit otherwise, we won't be there. I finally let them all know it may help years ahead to know this about me. I'm giving myself permission to make my own tradition around this personally dreaded holiday from here on out.

I am happiest at home with my snuggle buddy (my partner) and not forcing myself to mask. I save the energy for other times of the year and my heart has been in shreds over world events I'm just going to be real about how this impacts me on top of the rest of life.

I'm happy. I'm healthy and I want to stay feeling that way for my life, family and clients. I enjoy seeing others' pictures and knowing they are happy and I am basically coming out of the closet lol about me and Halloween my kids know all about my dreaded 6th grade librarian costume I felt gross in and fell down the stairs in ‍ it's just not for me y'all! And I'm no longer ashamed to say it I told my family I adore them and will love to see their fun. "We'll find other ways for me to build my relationship with you all. And thanks for honoring me by knowing this will always be where I'm coming from on this and I have finally freed myself from believing I'm not a bad sister if I bow out I love you all!

I don't have a diagnosis but HSP (highly sensitive person) is how I've identified for 15+ years and that's a lot of crossover. This was a Validating read.

https://medium.com/artfullyautistic/im-an-autistic-adult-and-i-hate-halloween-5cc29190407e

 

[Progster]

I don't hate it, I'm just indifferent to it.
People don't really do Halloween where I live, anyway.

 

[Slime_Punk]

I love holidays. Any excuse to hang out with family is a good excuse in my book