There are a multitude of reasons as to why I’m not a fan of Halloween, but they only began to be troublesome as I got older. I vividly remember enjoying the dressing up when I was in primary school, going trick or treating with my friends and playing scary games. It’s not that I’m an active hater of it, but rather I can see the problematic elements of the holiday.
I think my main problem is the costumes. When I decide what to go as for Halloween, I follow two rules – do I already own something that would work for a costume, or if I buy something, will I get everyday wear out of it? I have walked past Edinburgh Bargain Store on Halloween weekend, and seen the queues round the corner of people waiting to buy their costume, but you have to ask yourself, will you actually wear it again?
The idea of buying a costume that you can only wear on Halloween is problematic in two senses. One is the inevitable perpetuation of fast fashion, the other is the cost. Just a quick search on Amazon highlights that a lot of the costumes retail at over £20.
Ultimately, if you were to spend £20 on an outfit, but wear it repeatedly then it is less problematic, but to spend it on a one time wear is awful. And for me, my priority would be everyday wear, rather than for a one time costume.
Walking into a store and just seeing mountains of costumes wrapped in plastic is also problematic. The amount of single use plastic created by Halloween is astronomical. Especially if people either have a costume break and have to bin it, or decide to just dump it after use anyway.
Additionally, I feel like we fail to discuss the stress of deciding a costume in general. Last year I went as Maisie the Moonbeam Fairy (namesake from Daisy Meadows) which I thoroughly enjoyed, and was able to wear clothes that I already owned (I did have to buy wings and a wand but have reused them). But there is often a sexual nature to Halloween costumes, with companies selling costumes of school uniforms. These costumes in turn allow for the sexualisation of children’s school uniforms.
Part of the reason I’m not the biggest fan of Halloween is probably because I don’t really drink. In first year I remember people got so drunk that they smashed a fourth floor window. Again, this doesn’t appeal for me.
Sadly, I no longer see the magic of Halloween like I used to when I was younger. But this year, I will look through my wardrobe and make a costume out of something I already own.
Image courtesy of Naomi Wallace.
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There are a multitude of reasons as to why I’m not a fan of Halloween, but they only began to be troublesome as I got older. I vividly remember enjoying the dressing up when I was in primary school, going trick or treating with my friends and playing scary games. It’s not that I’m an active hater of it, but rather I can see the problematic elements of the holiday.
I think my main problem is the costumes. When I decide what to go as for Halloween, I follow two rules – do I already own something that would work for a costume, or if I buy something, will I get everyday wear out of it? I have walked past Edinburgh Bargain Store on Halloween weekend, and seen the queues round the corner of people waiting to buy their costume, but you have to ask yourself, will you actually wear it again?
The idea of buying a costume that you can only wear on Halloween is problematic in two senses. One is the inevitable perpetuation of fast fashion, the other is the cost. Just a quick search on Amazon highlights that a lot of the costumes retail at over £20.
Ultimately, if you were to spend £20 on an outfit, but wear it repeatedly then it is less problematic, but to spend it on a one time wear is awful. And for me, my priority would be everyday wear, rather than for a one time costume.
Walking into a store and just seeing mountains of costumes wrapped in plastic is also problematic. The amount of single use plastic created by Halloween is astronomical. Especially if people either have a costume break and have to bin it, or decide to just dump it after use anyway.
Additionally, I feel like we fail to discuss the stress of deciding a costume in general. Last year I went as Maisie the Moonbeam Fairy (namesake from Daisy Meadows) which I thoroughly enjoyed, and was able to wear clothes that I already owned (I did have to buy wings and a wand but have reused them). But there is often a sexual nature to Halloween costumes, with companies selling costumes of school uniforms. These costumes in turn allow for the sexualisation of children’s school uniforms.
Part of the reason I’m not the biggest fan of Halloween is probably because I don’t really drink. In first year I remember people got so drunk that they smashed a fourth floor window. Again, this doesn’t appeal for me.
Sadly, I no longer see the magic of Halloween like I used to when I was younger. But this year, I will look through my wardrobe and make a costume out of something I already own.
Image courtesy of Naomi Wallace.
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