How Students Celebrate Halloween Traditions
By Elysian Alder | Editor-in-Chief
As the leaves begin to change and the fall season settles in, candy, costumes, jack-o’-lanterns, and haunted houses begin to make their comeback—some of the familiar staples of Halloween, celebrated every year on October 31.
The holiday may have its roots in ancient Celtic traditions, particularly the pagan festival of Samhain (pronounced “Sow-in”), which celebrated the transition from the lighter half of the year to the darker half, marking the end of summer and the changing of the seasons, as well as a time when the “veil” between our earthly realm and the spirit world is said to be at its thinnest.
While Halloween today is often a gloriously whimsical time for tricks and treats, scary stories, pumpkin picking, and dressing up, it actually shares some similarities with how ancient celebrants of Samhain may have observed their holiday.
Historians say some Celtic celebrations of Samhain involved villagers dressing in costumes—often made from animal skins—to ward off evil spirits and phantoms. While trickery and mischief were typically blamed on fairies rather than ne’er-do-well children and teens, food and treats still played a significant role in the festivities, much like they do today during Halloween.
One notable tradition believed to have originated from Samhain is called the Dumb Supper—a reverent, silent dinner held in honor of the dead, where the courses are served in reverse, beginning with dessert. During the meal, candles (usually tealights) are placed around the table to represent each spirit being honored.
If starting the supper with dessert isn’t treat enough, later historians also note that “guising” and “mumming” may have become popular ways to celebrate Samhain, especially in Ireland and Scotland, with some stating the practices might’ve led to the earliest forms of trick-or-treating. Guising involves dressing in costumes and going door-to-door for treats—though these treats were not quite like a Kit Kat or a Snickers bar. Instead, they included items like cakes, fruit, nuts, or, rarely, coins. Mumming, on the other hand, features masked performers putting on short skits.
Some believe that the costumes were used to deter evil spirits or scare them away, taking the earlier tradition of dressing in animal skins and bringing it door-to-door. This practice was not just for fun, though; many hoped that visits from costumed individuals would help keep their homes safe from evil spirits and fairies, hoping for a sense of peace for the night.
Today, students at Mount Wachusett Community College are getting ready to celebrate Halloween in their own ways.
Aaliyah Deltoro, a 21-year-old early childhood education major at the Mount was buzzing with excitement for the spooky holiday. “I honestly love Halloween,” she said. “It is one of my favorite holidays of the year. I love watching horror movies, and I’m excited about getting candy, trying to stack as much of it as I can before the night ends—and then downing it while watching more horror movies.”
Although Deltoro mentioned her plan to dress up as the notorious slasher Ghostface from the Scream franchise, she also shared her enthusiasm for a recent horror movie she enjoyed called Abigail. “It’s becoming one of my favorite movies,” she explained. “I just love everything, from the plot development to the horror elements that make the cinematography award-winning. I highly recommend it.”
Chelsea Martin, a 29-year-old nursing major, eagerly shared her enthusiasm for Halloween. “I absolutely love Halloween and all things spooky,” she said. “My four kids and I are dressing up this year. Two of them chose to be scary characters, while the other two picked their favorite cartoon characters.”
Pumpkin carving is a tradition for many, including Martin’s family. According to a 2023 statistic, more than 154 million people in the U.S. planned to carve pumpkins last year, up from about 149 million the previous year. “We make sure to light the jack-o’-lanterns first thing on Halloween and keep them glowing until midnight,” said Martin, adding that they’ll also be watching The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice.
Martin isn’t the only student at the Mount with Halloween traditions. Gerry Garcia, a 41-year-old media arts and technology student, said, “I always decorate my house with skulls and pumpkins, and I always dress as one of my favorite horror characters—either Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger.”
In fact, many students are planning to dress up this year.
Mikaela Techera, a 20-year-old automotive student, attended the annual Scaryoke event at the Mount dressed as Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil: Village and hopes to wear the costume again for Halloween. “I chose her because she’s a popular character. I love wearing sunhats, and it was the perfect opportunity to make myself freakishly tall with my new Demonia platform boots,” Techera said. “I love Halloween. It’s the time of year when everyone can be themselves and feel accepted for being quirky.”
Sam Thomas, a 19-year-old early childhood transfer major, felt similarly. “I’m dressing up as a black cat this year. I’ve loved Halloween since I was a kid; I love being creative with costumes,” they said.
Jay Morris, an 18-year-old science major, shared his love for the holiday as well. “I dressed up as a reindeer with my sister for Scaryoke. Reindeers are cool,” he said, adding that Halloween is his favorite holiday, especially for watching the Halloween films.
Asher Howes-Jensen, a 19-year-old early childhood education major, dresses up every year. “I love Halloween. I love fall, I love dressing up in dark colors, and I love Scaryoke at the school,” they said. “I love the expression that comes with costumes, and I love getting to feel confident in the outfits I choose.”
Scaryoke, the Mount’s annual “scary karaoke” event, offered students a chance to mingle while dressed in costumes, singing karaoke, getting their faces painted, and enjoying spooky food arrangements. Attendees also had the opportunity to win door prizes, participate in a costume contest, and enter raffles. The event took place on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024.
For more highlights from the event, check out the photo spread feature elsewhere in this issue.
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