By Michelle Espinoza | THE RIDER
It’s that time of the year again. Zombies, witches, vampires and Harley Quinns will be roaming the streets tonight.
What was once a holiday about honoring the undead spirits has now become more about costumes and candy. This holiday, which was once called All Hallows Eve, originated more than 2,000 years ago.
It is believed that Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated annually on Oct. 31 by honoring the dead and celebrating their new year on Nov. 1, marking the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest season, according to History.com.
During this time the Celts believed the souls of the dead wandered the village streets at night. Gifts and treats were left out to please the evil spirits and ensure an overflow of next year’s crops. This custom evolved into what is today trick-or-treating.
In my childhood, I counted down the days on my calendar in excitement for Halloween. This was the one night of the year where we could dress up to be whoever we wanted to be.
I was everything, from the pink Power Ranger to Princess Atta from “A Bug’s Life.” Just like most kids at that age, Halloween was my favorite holiday of the year.
It wouldn’t even be dark outside yet, but I would drag my parents along with me throughout the houses in the neighborhood, in full costume, ready to show off my new identity.
On top of all this, the self-fulfillment of dumping out my hard-earned candy that night on the kitchen table was simply the best feeling.
As I’ve grown older, this holiday has seemed to slip away from me. With school, work, family, friends and volunteer programs, it seems more difficult to find time to enjoy this time of the year.
My childhood memories are some of the greatest memories I have. I keep reminding myself, it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still get that nostalgic feeling and enjoy yourself on your favorite holidays like you once would before.
Now, as you drive around the Valley neighborhoods, you will see cars full of people of all ages dressed up as Elsa from “Frozen,” Michael Myers from the “Halloween” film series or even Miss Fame from “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
It doesn’t matter what you do on this night, whether it’s dressing up to go house-to-house trick-or-treating, attending costume contests at the local clubs, visiting the top Valley haunted houses, or simply cozying up at home to watch a classic Halloween film; whatever you do today is your choice.
The popularity of Halloween continues to grow, with Americans expected to spend more than $8.4 billion this year on the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation website.
If you celebrate this American tradition, one thing is for certain: Be safe this Halloween. We live in a world now where there is danger everywhere.
From checking your candy for potential hazards to avoiding frightening encounters with the infamous terrorizing clowns, make sure you’re safe and aware of your surroundings at all times.
So, if you celebrate this holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition, this long-awaited month is coming to an end.
Enjoy and “brace yourself, winter is coming.”
