An ode to Halloween: The tradition we’ve lost

What happened to the vampires, fake blood and decaying dead?


Halloween is a time for ghouls and ghosts, for devils and demons. But in recent years, Halloween has been rife with slutty pumpkins, hoards of black cats and abysmal foam costumes. What happened to the vampires, fake blood and decaying dead?!

As a child, Halloween was a time for free sweets, chocolate and sometimes the odd 20p. Knocking on my neighbours doors and shouting “trick or treat!” at the top of my lungs was possibly one of my favourite past times. As the bin liners were ripped and red felt sewn, the house turned from luxury to decrepit mansion; the ultimate Halloween haven.

Since then I’ve taken Halloween seriously.

I am no stranger to the latex, gore part of such a profound tradition.

My childhood go-to devil costume has since been replaced by Harley Quinn (before the basic bitch tag), a demon, a clown and most recently an American Horror Story inspired ripped face vampire child.

But since my childhood, Halloween has lost its spookiness and has turned in to a tasteless occasion where girls find the shortest outfit possible, pair it with fish net tights and some type of animal ears. Boys aren’t any better. They find any excuse of a cheap foam costume a Halloween treat. It’s fair to say Halloween went from terrifying to mundane.

No one sees the appeal in latex and half decapitated limbs but opt for the easy shove on and take off costume allowing for minimal effort. I am no scrooge to the DIY costume, heck I’ve done it myself. I just wish people would take time and think about the true meaning of Halloween like they do Christmas.

I was scary before those Killer Clowns.

Think about the originality and creativity Halloween requires. It is no spur of the moment feat. It takes time and strategic planning. Even a lick of face-paint can have the desired effect if you do it right. It doesn’t have to be something ambitious.

Halloween is a time to frighten those around you. People aren’t meant to look at you and respond with “aww”, they’re meant to respond with a blood-curdling scream and possibly the odd faint. We’re meant to be symbolising the dead walking among the living, not a clowder of cats or a group of fish fingers. It is not a night that allows you to dress like a cheap hooker or gimmick and get away with it. You shouldn’t be using it as an excuse for your horrendous appearance.

I’m begging you, take Halloween back to its Pagan roots. Where the souls of the dead revisit their homes. Where ghosts, goblins and demons roam our streets. Bring back the inference of supernatural powers controlling nature and allowing the dead to claw from their depths and live for one more night. Make Halloween great again, Satan will probably thank you for it.