Halloween Has Changed
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What’s the scariest part of Halloween? Maybe it’s how far we’ve strayed from the spirit of the holiday, a night meant to be celebrated with eager trick-or-treaters and over-the-top costumes. A recent gripe about the holiday comes from the writer Kate Lindsay, who notes that “Halloween has been steadily succumbing to the chronically online for years now.” More costumes target niche social-media-savvy audiences, meaning fewer people are experiencing the delight of seeing more traditional getups (think: a grown man dressed as a pumpkin, or a toddler version of the president).
Following the norms on Halloween may seem boring, but give them a chance, Kate argues. The spookiest day of the year is also a day of socialization and joy—one where people can gorge themselves on candy, watch a horror flick, or dress in whatever silly costumes they want, as long as they do it together.
On Halloween
The Chronically Online Have Stolen Halloween
By Kate Lindsay
Obscure meme costumes are sucking the joy from the holiday.
Big Candy Bars Have No Place on Halloween
By Ian Bogost
They ruin the “fun” of the fun-size treat.
Trick-or-Treating Isn’t What It Used to Be
By Julie Beck
Instead of going door-to-door on Halloween night, many parents are taking their kids elsewhere to get candy.
Still Curious?
- The Halloween scare that won’t go away: For 40 years, Joel Best has tried to debunk the unfounded fear that bad actors might tamper with children’s trick-or-treat stashes, Caroline Mimbs Nyce wrote in 2022.
- What to do with that rotting pumpkin corpse: Millions end up rotting in landfills. But Halloween’s leftover pumpkins don’t have to go to waste, Linda Poon and CityLab wrote in 2019.
Other Diversions
- This influencer says you can’t parent too gently.
- Americans are hoarding their friends.
- Six political memoirs worth reading
P.S.
I recently asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. “A few years ago I was stealthily photographing birds at a local park while sitting in my car,” Cynthia Case, 68, from Laguna Woods, California, writes. “The day had turned misty and cold, and just as I was preparing to leave, this bobcat appeared out of nowhere.”
I’ll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks.
— Isabel Fattal