[TheSamhainGhoul]

Hello! I recently found this website in searching for a Halloween based forum, and to my delight I found this great site! As my first thread, I would like to ask, what do you like about Halloween?

Here are some things that come to mind for me.

The atmosphere

Halloween Night

The build up

The origins of the holiday

The tradition

What about you? I would love to hear all of your reasons

 

[Kenneth]

For me, it's sort of all encompassing.

I was sort of reared on Halloween and even horror movies. My mother really nurtured my love for horror and Halloween because
she loved it as well so it was always a big deal. One of the earliest pictures of me as a newborn were on top of bales
of hay and pumpkins. And we would always snuggle up on the couch, me as a 5 year old and watch stuff like Child's Play and
Carrie, The Shining, Halloween. So I guess you could say my love for Halloween and the dark and macabre is mostly nurture.

But I do believe my mother created a monster, so to speak, because i've definitely surpassed her in the Halloween department
over the years hahaha. It's just something about that time of year that's almost religious for me, honestly. I eat, sleep, breath,
DREAM Halloween. It's the art, the creativity, the chill in the air, the glow of the jack-o-lantern, the crunching of the leaves, the
haunted houses, the sounds of "trick or treat!" filling the air. It's the decor....it's the spirit. It's just magical.

And it's why i'm thankful for places like this forum that I can express all of the aforementioned emotions without fear of being
looked at like a crazy person. So, with that being said, WELCOME to the forum! haha

 

[Gym Whourlfeld]

What I love about Halloween is the... FREEDOM!

Any kind of costume, any kind of effect,any sort of demeanor . Halloween is BIG enough for an unlimited venue of personality s.
If some somebody tells you that you are doing it wrong, they obviously don't have the proverbial "Clue".
Halloween may run allover the non-listed list of types of emotions.
Scare somebody? You don't have to do that if you don't want to, make them wonder or laugh or just befuddle them with your own strange, obscure ideas and concepts.
Don't have any ideas to call your own? No problem, use someone else's,, put your own "spin" on it,invert it turn it inside-out! Now it's "Yours"!
Halloween is the only Holiday specializing in Rudeness! (But you don't HAVE to be RUDE!)
I mean it is not polite to scare someone, now is it? Actually it is rather rude, but then, if they laugh,.. it's OK.

 

[Tconahaunter]

I love the fact that Halloween can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age. Halloween can be what you make it, from mild to down right terrifying. I started out as most people do, some small decorations and handing out candy. We have now graduated to a very large, complex haunt encompassing hundreds of square feet, and help design and run our local community haunt. We are into the "haunt" aspect of Halloween, but others may take interest in costumes, make up or other avenues.

There's a place for EVERYONE in holiday that is Halloween. That' s what I love about it.

 

[22606]

Haunts and shopping are a given. Embracing the darkness, being able to get creative, and not having to pretend that I am normal. Halloween is truly the only holiday that can be bent to fit the sensibilities of all who choose to celebrate, regardless of their reasons/background, which makes it fantastic.

 

[TheSamhainGhoul]

I must agree with you on the whole 'almost religious' aspect of it, I think about the holiday almost all year and start talking about it to other people as early as July! Unlike your story however, I mainly got into Halloween on my own, my folks are immigrants so they really never got into the holiday, but I do thank my mothers close friend for inspiring them to actually try it, going to a pumpkin patch, carving a jack o lantern, trick or treating etc. But my obsession mainly came from me sitting in front of the TV in October and watching all the specials and reruns that were on at the time, channels they would show The Munsters, The Addams Family, old Scooby Doo episodes, old Universal monster movies, and any other Halloween themed specials episodes they could find, and since I was just naturally into the creepy it clicked with me like no other holiday, combined with the fall atmosphere and the smell of the air it was just the perfect time in my opinion. And thank you for the welcome

 

[ooojen]

I love autumn, creative expression, and hosting parties. I'm the sort of person who always has to have projects going. Halloween fills a lot of niches for me. I'm not emotionally dark by nature, but I've always enjoyed a bit of harmless creepy fun. (Even as a kid I'd chose Creepy Crawlers over Barbie and Poe over "Anne of Green Gables".)

While I enjoy the variety of various holidays' decor, Halloween decorating is the most fun to me. The themes are nearly limitless, and wide open to interpretation. There are classically creepy monsters and spooky tales, frightening bits of history, ethnic tales and styles of celebration, and even non-scary things that can be given a dark twist for Halloween. Walk into a thrift shop and grab the first random thing you see-- I bet there would be a good way to work the item into some aspect of Halloween decor. The holiday is just brim-full of possibilities.

I could add-- It's not like some destiny-connection for me. I just enjoy the chance to play act and release a bit of inner child with people whose company I enjoy.

 

[TheSamhainGhoul]

I love autumn, creative expression, and hosting parties. I'm the sort of person who always has to have projects going. Halloween fills a lot of niches for me. I'm not emotionally dark by nature, but I've always enjoyed a bit of harmless creepy fun. (Even as kid I'd chose Creepy Crawlers over Barbie and Poe over "Anne of Green Gables".)

While I enjoy the variety of various holidays' decor, Halloween is the most fun to me. The themes are nearly limitless, and wide open to interpretation. There are classically creepy monsters and spooky tales, frightening bits of history, ethnic tales and styles of celebration, and even non-scary things that can be given a dark twist for Halloween. Walk into a thrift shop and grab the first random thing you see-- I bet there would be a good way to work the item into some aspect of Halloween decor. The holiday is just brim-full of possibilities.

I have to agree with you on that!

 

[xxScorpion64xx]

Building props, watching people enjoying your work, watching them having fun getting scared or creeped out

 

[nosefuratyou]

I hate Halloween. I'm just an internet troll!HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Actually it allows you to use all kinds of creative skills ,carpentry,painting,sculpting.electrics.electronics,imagineering the list is endless. What other holiday offers that.

 

[Scatterbrains]

The challenge that comes from building props and getting a haunt set up on time.

 

[Rigormortor]

I love the Atmosphere and time of year we have at Halloween. Then the decorating as most of the houses decorate. My neighbor and I
decorate the same time so it's like a Pre-Halloween party. I have the music going as we set up all day long. That part is just as fun
as the haunt. Everyone walks and drives up and down the street checking out each others yards.... wait till they see mine this year.
I have been working on props since November.....

 

[HalloGeekHalfrican]

It's just kind of "meant to be" for me. I was born the day before. My favorite color is orange. I love the weather (not too hot or too cold). All the leaves are beautifully colored. I love pumpkins, as well as pumpkin-foods. Horror moves are my bread and butter (or should I say pumpkin, haha); and I love scary environments (like haunted houses). It's hard to explain, but I feel like I belong in it. All of my happiest memories are during Halloween. I can't imagine a world without costume parties and ToT-ing

 

[Grey Lady]

"It's hard to explain, but I feel like I belong in it. All of my happiest memories are during Halloween"- HalloGeekHalfrican

I feel this way too.
I love the freedom of being what I want to be, the way the night itself feels different than any other, the crisp leaves, the long shadows, even the dark feels darker but in a most comforting way.

 

[McBernes]

I agree with Nosefuratyou. I don't get all the time I want to sculpt, Halloween gives me the opportunity to work in a way I have missed. I'm lucky to have a spouse who is into it too. That makes it a lot easier. And too, there is a feeling in the air that is ineffable. It must be what Christmas fans feel around that holiday.

 

[TheSamhainGhoul]

It's just kind of "meant to be" for me. I was born the day before. My favorite color is orange. I love the weather (not too hot or too cold). All the leaves are beautifully colored. I love pumpkins, as well as pumpkin-foods. Horror moves are my bread and butter (or should I say pumpkin, haha); and I love scary environments (like haunted houses). It's hard to explain, but I feel like I belong in it. All of my happiest memories are during Halloween. I can't imagine a world without costume parties and ToT-ing

I couldn't say it any better myself! The weather, atmosphere everything about it makes me feel "at home" per say, It also helps that I was born in the fall season and I have a natural interest in the macabre and classic horror flicks. Something about the holiday is very 'comforting' for me, probably since I have find memories of trick or treating on Halloween night, seeing the sun slowly go down as the jack o lanterns lit the night, all while the sounds of laughter and screaming filled the air.

 

[TheSamhainGhoul]

"It's hard to explain, but I feel like I belong in it. All of my happiest memories are during Halloween"- HalloGeekHalfrican

I feel this way too.
I love the freedom of being what I want to be, the way the night itself feels different than any other, the crisp leaves, the long shadows, even the dark feels darker but in a most comforting way.

I agree, especially with "the way the night itself feels different than any other," something about is very different then any other night, maybe because the line between the real and the supernatural is blurred on Samhain night

 

[AtmosFX_Jen]

I love the opportunity for everyone to embrace their weirdness in a way that for at least one night is socially acceptable. I'm also a big fan of ghosts and the paranormal and all that stuff so the season just really lends a great atmosphere for it. I love dressing up and I love parties and I'm partial to the Pagan holiday Samhain since it's also kind of like a new year celebration. Seeing little kids in costume is always fun too.

 

[TheSamhainGhoul]

I love the opportunity for everyone to embrace their weirdness in a way that for at least one night is socially acceptable. I'm also a big fan of ghosts and the paranormal and all that stuff so the season just really lends a great atmosphere for it. I love dressing up and I love parties and I'm partial to the Pagan holiday Samhain since it's also kind of like a new year celebration. Seeing little kids in costume is always fun too.

The freedom and Samhain aspect play a big part for me when it comes to Halloween as well,

 

[halloween71]

I love everything about it...its fun its exciting its creepy.