Happy October! Halloween is here, and the Dragons are ready. Students were sent a form to get insight into how Halloween is being celebrated at O’Dowd this spooky season. This form contained questions regarding Halloween costumes, trends, and students’ opinions concerning a supposed age limit on the holiday. Let’s get into it.
Wearing costumes for Halloween is a tradition that has existed for hundreds of years. Many have been dressing up for the occasion since infancy, and have continued into teenage years, and even adulthood! Of the 74 students who responded, 97.3% have confirmed that they will also participate in this tradition with costumes ranging from a banana to Freddy Krurger from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Of these students, the majority of their costumes fit into the same category, with 52.1%, or 38 of them, stating that they will be dressing up as either movie or TV show characters. Other popular genres include video game characters, fantasy roles, celebrities and public figures, and generic halloween costumes like ghosts, zombies, and pirates.
When asked why they chose to dress up for Halloween, most students responded with a common answer, stating that they do so for fun. Some students also gave more in-depth answers. Ela Huelsman ‘28 said, “It forces me to step out of my comfort zone and be creative,” and Taylor Partrite ‘25 said, “Because it’s fun, a way to express myself, and a way to connect with my friends.” They, and many other Bishop O’Dowd students, view dressing up for Halloween as an opportunity for self-expression to step out of your comfort zone and bond with others in a way that fitting in with the everyday fashion norms doesn’t typically allow us to. Similarly, other students find that wearing costumes is a way for them to be close with their friends and family, with 41.4% of responders planning to go out in either group or duo costumes. Amilliah Howard ‘28 stated that, “I do it because my friends wanted me to but originally I planned to shake off the tradition this year,” and an anonymous student from ‘28 said that, “I enjoy dressing up with my siblings and for neighborhood kids.” People dress up for themselves, but also for those around them to spread joy and excitement during these holiday seasons. On a contrasting note, some students, including this anonymous 9th grader, said that they dress up because, “you can get a lot of free candy.” There’s nothing wrong with some self-indulgence every now and then! It’s great to know that some people are still enjoying themselves during the holidays, no matter the reason.
Expanding on the topic of costumes, 34.2% of students said that they will be making their costumes this Halloween, with the remaining 65.8% primarily stating that they will be getting theirs from Amazon, Party City, or hand-me-downs.
As for those making their costumes, there were many processes provided as to how students plan on doing so. For instance, Tommy Bell ‘25 plans to “take a plain white tee and write ‘Robert Pattinson’ on it in sharpie,” for a Robert Pattinson costume. While very few are still making costumes traditionally with crafts and sewing, such as Kiandra Wilson-Morrison ‘25, who is sewing her corpse bride costume, many have come up with a new, much more practical method to build their costumes. One example of this is Penelope Dominguez Walton ’26, who said, “I like to go shopping or thrifting for all the pieces of the costume because it’s satisfying to piece everything together and add my own twist on the costume to fit my style more.” She, and many others seem to prefer buying individual items rather than an entire premade costume to incorporate their individual sense of styles and creativity to their costumes. Furthermore, some students such as August Kerley ‘25 prefer to use the clothes they already own or borrow from friends for their costumes for the sake of practicality and saving money. It’s fascinating to see all the different ways people are participating in this Halloween tradition.
Finally, students were asked for their opinion on a supposed age limit on Halloween. Can teenagers like them still participate in the holiday? Should there even be an age limit at all? This seems to be a topic coming up more in recent years during the Halloween season, with parents and children alike being concerned about whether or not it is appropriate or “cringe” for teenagers to join in on the festivities.
Surprisingly, all 73 students who responded to this question did so harmoniously. “Of course not, there shouldn’t be an age limit. I think anyone can dress up if they want to. It’s simply just fun. You wouldn’t put an age limit on having fun,” said an anonymous student from ‘28. Similarly, Margaux Sentz from ‘25 said “Halloween is not a children’s holiday just because children are the ones trick or treating. Whimsy and joy should not be limited to children just because they are the ones that go door to door, everyone should be having fun because that is what the holiday is for.” While many did agree that trick-or-treating should be reserved mostly for the younger kids, students such as this anonymous 9th grader said that, “you shouldn’t go trick-or-treating if you are an adult, but rather you should give out the candy.” Even if you get too old to partake in certain traditions, you can always continue to enjoy the festivities and spread the joy to others as well. Additionally, some parents have even said they’d rather have their teenagers out trick-or-treating or at parties with friends rather than getting into trouble.
Penelope Dominguez Walton ‘26 divulged, “I saw a video of a girl my age saying she can’t dress up as crazy as she would’ve wanted to because she feels like people will judge her or she needs to fit in, but I feel like the people that go all out, dress as a character that may not be popular but is special to you just makes you 10 times cooler and I think Halloween allows people that might be socially awkward or an introvert to express themselves without shame and show their talents.” It’s become common for many people, especially teenagers, to stop doing the things they love or participating in festivities including dressing up out of fear of judgment or criticism. To all those afraid to have fun and express themselves, don’t be. Many students, like Lucy Schwartz ‘28, feel that “teenagers specifically should dress up because it is a fun time to get out of being yourself for a little while, and it’s specifically fun to be able to have fun and hang out with your friends and be able to dress up.” “Teens should be encouraged to dress up because it is fun and wholesome,” said an anonymous senior. As all these students said, there is no age limit on fun, tradition, or festivity, so don’t be afraid to be true to yourself and embrace your inner child this Halloween season.
With all that said, Happy Halloween Bishop O’Dowd! Remember to stay safe, have fun, and eat lots of candy during this scary celebration.
