Halloween: I'm Just Not That Into It
Whenever I hear friends and acquaintances blather on about how much they love fall, one of the most common reasons they state is a love of Halloween. If fall is their favorite time of year, then Halloween is their favorite holiday. What is it about Halloween? Is it the joy we take in artifice? Do we believe costumes can transform us into something or someone else? Do we think decorating with undead characters and murderers and mystical figures puts us in an acceptable place to explore our own dark sides? Do we like to scare ourselves? In the end, is it just an excuse to eat too much and (for adults) drink excessively just like almost any other holiday we celebrate in the US? I don't think any of these things are a bad reason to like Halloween. I just question if celebrating Halloween excessively really accomplishes any of this. Halloween has become a massive commercial enterprise. It is second only to Christmas. Costume shops p...