by: Michelle Barnhart
Halloween is a time of year where people celebrate everything spooky. From haunted houses, to Halloween parties and dressing up as supernatural beings, residents of Champaign-Urbana find ways to keep the holiday eerie.
Dylan Taylor, a current Parkland College student, is a huge fan of Halloween. Taylor celebrates the holiday through different festivities.
“My one thing that I typically do on Halloween is to gather friends, get food and play games together,” he said. “Generally party games and group video games are the most popular.”
Taylor explains that a good portion of his love for Halloween stems from his love for fall.
“The weather is beautiful, the colors of the leaves falling from the trees are gorgeous, the sound the leaves make is satisfying,” he said.
Taylor’s favorite thing about Halloween, however, is the time he gets to spend with his friends. “It’s a night to dress up and be whoever I want to be while having fun and connecting with the people around me,” Taylor told the Prospectus.
Additionally, Taylor has had positive experiences associated with Halloween.
“The first time I met my current girlfriend was at a Halloween get-together,” he said. “I had invited one of my best friends, whom I’ve known since second grade, to a movie. He returned the favor by inviting me to his friend’s Halloween party. It was here that I met my girlfriend, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Sophia Koester, a student at Brigham Young University Idaho who grew up in Champaign, also cites Halloween as one of her favorite holidays.
“My favorite thing about Halloween is honestly just the aesthetic,” she said. “I love all the spooky décor and watching Halloween movies. It’s a time where I can be more macabre than usual and it’s more socially acceptable.”
Koester also participates in various Halloween activities.
“When I was younger, I went trick or treating with my brothers as well as participated in my church’s trunk or treat,” she said. “But now that I’m at college, my roommates and I like to decorate our apartment door, watch scary movies and go to haunted houses.”
Koester also offered a fun fact about Halloween. “Illinois produces up to five times more pumpkins than any other state each year,” she said. “Who knew?” Attending pumpkin patches and carving pumpkins is often a favorite Halloween tradition.
Aside from the festivities, Halloween is also known for its scary undertones. Ghosts, vampires, zombies, etc. are common costumes and decorations. Many Halloween activities, such as haunted houses and horror movies, exist for the sole purpose of scaring people.
Many fear-provoking elements of Halloween come from common superstitions. The number 13, for example, is believed by many to be unlucky. Hotels do not even have a 13th floor because of this fear, which is otherwise known as triskaidekaphobia.
“A common superstition involves black cats. Many believe that black cats bring bad luck, due to their association with witches during the Middle Ages”
Similarly, many consider Friday the 13 to be an unlucky date. The popular Friday the 13th horror franchise, a common Halloween watch, plays off of this superstition.
Another common superstition involves black cats. Many believe that black cats bring bad luck, due to their association with witches during the Middle Ages. Black cat decorations and costumes are very popular for Halloween.
Taylor says he is not superstitious but has had a bad experience on Friday the 13. “One year, my archery team went to the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky. We shot on Friday, May 13,” he said. “I’m not superstitious, but I certainly didn’t perform very well that day!”
Koester also shares her feelings about Halloween superstitions and figures. “I’m not incredibly superstitious,” she said. “But I’d say I believe in some supernatural things like ghosts and whatnot.”
Halloween is often a fun time for students and community members, but some of the superstitions and age-old traditions can be quite macabre.