And What Are You Supposed to Be?

Halloween is the liberating time of the year where dressing and presenting ourselves to society is not nearly as weighed down by social constructs and norms as any other day. October 31st has morphed into an occasion where we can express ourselves in ways that aren’t typically deemed socially acceptable to everyday life. Making it a holiday worth partaking in.

When I think back to childhood memories of Halloween, I picture myself walking down dimly lit suburban streets. The aromatic smell of cheap candle wax, the sound of laughter, and the odd screech of a spooked child. I think back to the unmistakable sound of flesh knocking solid material and the rush of warmth that follows the opening of a door to a home. I hear the voices of the homeowners, the high of giving without receiving lambent across their faces. The one question asked all month long, “what are you going to be for Halloween” was now replaced by “and what are you supposed to be?” 

What are we supposed to be? Perhaps a pirate or a princess, our favorite movie figures or scandalous version of childhood characters. Is there a rubric out there among the many others designed by societies’ set restrictions and obligations when it comes to Halloween costumes? Personally, aside from the obvious set standards - such as respecting people’s cultures - there isn’t a formula. There isn’t a rooted blueprint we have to adhere to. Halloween is the liberating time of the year where dressing and presenting ourselves to society is not nearly as weighed down by social constructs and norms as any other day. October 31st has morphed into an occasion where we can express ourselves in ways that aren’t typically deemed socially acceptable to everyday life. As children, this rule is looser than as adults who dress up. Halloween has become a spectacle where fear and fantasy are embraced, the bizarre and scary are encouraged and the traditional dress rules are disbarred.  

The author Lesley Bannatyne once said in an interview with CNN that October 31st “was seen as a day ‘outside of normal,’ when you act outside of society’s norms” before the contemporary holiday of gory spectacles and offerings of candy that it has become. I believe Bannatyne’s perspective still holds true today in terms of costumes. Dressing up for Halloween can be liberating. It gives cause and reason to dress up as whatever or whomever we want, detached from social judgment and ridicule. It enables an alteration from mundane life and the metaphorical masks we wear every day. For many, we put up a front when faced with others and we wear masks constructed to be most appealing to the people we are within a given moment. We become more cautious of our bodies and actions. Aware of the circumstances and impressions we give, we can modify ourselves to ensure we are liked, sometimes withholding aspects of our true versions. Halloween gives a tangible form to this, enabling us to present ourselves physically in ways we may not normally, while also still wearing these ‘masks’. By wearing the costume of something you connect with, you are expressing a certain side of yourself that may or may not be often shown to others because of the metaphorical masks we wear. 

Whether you walk the streets on Halloween night hunting for sweets or attend a themed party, you are bound to see a wide variety of costumes. For example, costumes that represent the scary and the violent. Going as a murderer doesn’t suggest that the person wishes to become a murderer. Rather, it acts as a channel to profess their dark side without guilt. Women and men can also dress as scandalous as they please with little to no judgement from peers. It’s important to note in this context that ‘sexy’ is a feeling and not an aesthetic. Dressing in a skimpy outfit doesn’t necessarily make it sexy, it’s the way you feel in it and the outward expression of confidence that assembles the sex appeal. 

The notion of dressing slightly scandalous surfaced from the 18th and 19th centuries when certain masquerade balls required guests to wear costumes, many of which little nudity was approved and detached from judgment. People were able to express themselves and their sexuality through their clothing during a time when sexuality was discouraged. Halloween takes a similar form, as it allows us to dress in ways we wouldn’t normally and embrace the certain feelings it arises within us. Those feelings can be liberating and intoxicating, making Halloween so fun for all who choose to partake in the festivities. Ultimately, Halloween is liberating. It gives us a paved route to take and convey parts of ourselves that aren’t typically shown in our day-to-day actions. I ask, what are you supposed to be? Simple, whatever you please, whatever makes you feel liberated, whatever makes you feel expressive of the self that doesn’t often get shown.