By Michael McKee
Correspondant
Halloween has long been the one time of year where people are free to dress up in whatever costume they want. It is a holiday where acting and looking differently is not just allowed, but the norm. What if you could wear your Halloween costume in public whenever you wanted? The idea is not as farcical as it first appears.
Costume-related festivities also have a long and widespread history outside of Halloween. There is the month-long pre-Lent Catholic celebration, Carnival, the last day of Carnival, Mardi Gras, the Jewish holiday Purim and the Feast of Fools, and even Masquerade Balls, Renaissance Faires, fan conventions and the hobby of cosplay.
On top of that, December and its holidays are not the only time for festivities and merriment during the year. The autumn season has perfect aesthetics for some fall fun, which would make it a shame to relegate the seasonal fun to a single day.
Another point to keep in mind is that wearing a costume out and about can feel freeing and can serve as a way to authentically express yourself.
It is also important to remember that the right to express yourself is protected in the First Amendment of the Constitution with the freedom of expression. By wearing a Mario outfit to the ice cream parlor, a princess dress to Insomnia Cookies or a Ghostface costume to Jersey Mike’s, you are doing your patriotic duty in supporting constitutionally protected freedoms.
If you want to, you can even wear your costume well into November. It’s still autumn and Thanksgiving brings its own underrated aesthetic flavor to the season, which can work well with a Puritan outfit or a Turkey costume. There’s a reason why the holiday has inspired its own subgenre of horror, with “Thankskilling,” “Home Sweet Home,” “Blood Rage,” “Kristy,” the “Pilgrim” episode of “Into The Dark” and, of course, 2023’s titular “Thanksgiving”.
A counterargument to this is that most other people will find it weird and off-putting, however, this is often not the case. A lot of people will find it interesting and cool because it breaks up the monotony of their routine and adds something unique to their day.
With that being said, it is important to note that some will not take kindly to the wearing of costumes in public places, especially spooky costumes, as they may find it threatening or antisocial. It is also important to know the costume policies of your college, school, township or local community, because it won’t be fun if wearing costumes is against the local rules and you get security or the police called on you. If you do the research and stay informed on these rules, you should most likely be in the clear.
Keeping all of this in mind, wearing Halloween costumes throughout the fall can be a fun and festive way to express yourself and get into the spirit of the season.
After all, it's called spooky season, not spooky day.
