It’s Halloween!
It’s okay to use today as an excuse to express yourself.
Halloween has a lot of meaning and history. As many people know, Halloween started as the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. It was believed that this was the day that the veil between the living and the dead was thinnest so the spirits could more easily move between the worlds. It was a day to have festivals and offerings for welcome spirits like recently deceased loved ones while some traditions (like wearing costumes) were meant to ward off evil spirits.
The original traditions can be glimpsed in our modern traditions but the holiday has been morphed into a focus on candy and frolic instead of the crossing of spirits. Depending on who you ask, this can be considered a good change or a bad change or maybe a little of both. I am not here to debate whether the holiday traditions were better then or now, I am here to say I love that it has become a day that celebrates quirky self-expression.
Obviously, I don’t believe that people are dressing like zombies or the Mario Brothers because they actually believe they are those characters. But it is important to realize that the costume or alter ego chosen by a person says something about their personality, feelings, fears, beliefs, etc. For example, someone wearing a specific character costume from a video game is showing their passion for that game. Maybe they just love to play video games or maybe they relate to that particular character’s personality. Someone who dresses as a vampire may secretly wish for immortality due to fears of dying. A witch or superhero costume may come from feelings of powerlessness and a desire to have more control over the world around us.
We are allowed to explore and embrace these parts of ourselves and show the world our inner values and fears. Being vulnerable is scary but it is the only way to find true connection to those around us (see my That Thief Named Fear post for more on vulnerability). What better and safer way to show more of ourselves than through a costume on Halloween, when so many others are doing the same?!
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