Southern’s Declassified Halloween Survival Guide

Halloween is the one day of the year where everyone goes full out with dressing up, throwing parties, and having fun. Across the country, adults and children dress up into costumes for trick-or-treating or for Halloween costume parties. Aneisha Tyson, a 23-year-old, Mass Communication sophomore, says that her favorite thing about Halloween is “the different costume ideas people would come up with.”
Halloween is celebrated every year on October 31st. The history of Halloween goes back around 2,000 years ago. It was first called All Hallows’ Eve. This day was an ancient Celtic festival to celebrate Samhain, which is a festival to mark the end of the harvesting season. On that day people would light candles on the graves and make bonfires. They’d go to church services and wear costumes to ward off spirits. Now, Halloween is a holiday for fun and games. Most of the activities center around creating jack-o-lanterns for decorations, playing pranks, telling scary ghost stories, going to haunted attractions and watching horror films.
In college, Halloween is when sororities and fraternities throw the best parties. Throughout campus, you will see people walking around dressed up as their favorite characters, icons or something from their imagination. Southern University senior, Lionel Lee Jr., states that in his opinion “the best type of Halloween costume are the Internet meme costumes.” However, when it comes to picking Halloween costumes, there are certain things you should and should not do. When putting together your outfit make sure that it is something that you will be comfortable in, make you look good and BE CREATIVE!!
There are also things that you should not do when making your costume. Do not wear anything unflattering for your body type, do not wear anything offensive to anyone or any specific culture. Most of all don’t have a basic costume or limit yourself. It’s Halloween it is a time for you to go all out and sometimes out of your comfort zone.
When creating your costume make sure you’re not using substances that will irritate your skin or is not too bulky. Don’t have weapons that would have someone fear that you may harm them and that it’s easy for someone to get the reference. Overall, if you remember these tips you will have a horrifying costume that everyone will love.
It is very important to ensure that you are in a safe environment for Halloween. Festivities are fun, but there can be moments that leave you vulnerable and in danger. Here are a few essential tips to remember, not just for Halloween, but in general to ensure your safety. First of all, keep your phone on and make sure it’s charged, so if your feeling like you’re in any danger, you can call the campus police or local authorities to come and make sure things are alright. Keep emergency cash on hand, so if you need a ride home, you can call an Uber to come and pick you up. Travel with friends. A predator is less likely to attack a group. Finally, if you’re alone is to trust your instincts.
On Halloween night, most people are in costumes and masks, so you don’t know who you’re near or who is watching. If your gut is telling you something is wrong, then the best option is to listen to it and to get yourself to a safe place. Now, these tips do not just apply to a person alone they also use to those in a group and going to a costume party.
Though groups on Halloween night still have to obey the laws and regulations, have a buddy system, and that they know who they are around. While you’re at a party you need to know your limits, watch what your drinking and to most of all keep track of your possessions. Do not use this night to drink too much. Southern University Professor Antoinette McDonald-Ellis advises students to “stay together in groups and to have a designated driver.” Though while your partying you may not always be fully aware, but it’s an excellent choice to keep these other tips in the back of your head, so you’re prepared continuously.
Now you got the rules of making your costume, and you know the safety tips for when you’re out on Halloween night. Now it is time for you to go out there and have some fun, take some selfies to remember this moment with your friends and maybe eat some candy. So be safe, don’t drink and drive and have an ever amazingly spooky Halloween!