Halloween, better known as “Halloweekend” on college campuses, is the infamous October holiday that has been taken to the next level by schools in the Southeastern Conference.
Dating back to over 2,000 years ago, legend has it that the holiday’s original intent was to ward off ghosts, ghouls and evil spirits. Dressing up and getting to be someone else for the night, or in this case nights plural, is the perfect way to have fun and take a break from all of the business of college life as a student.
The holiday has always primarily appealed to younger children, as they get to go trick-or-treating in their favorite monster, princess or superhero costume and receive candy in return. In recent times, debates on social media and blogs have tried to determine what age is the cut off for partaking in trick-or-treating, and even dressing up in costumes. One blog, The Rocky Roar Newspaper, says that “…the ages 4-12 years old are considered the best time to trick or treat.” Whether this may be the case for trick-or-treating, universally, there is no age limit for celebrating Halloween!
Halloweekend is a slang term for celebrating not just the actual day of Halloween itself, but rather, keeping the festivities going all weekend long. As the 31st of October falls on a Thursday this year, the festivities will roar all the way until Sunday. Bars will be open to those 21 years of age, and even neat places in downtown Knoxville are hosting costume contests. Fraternities are also infamous for hosting some of the most notable Halloween parties, and attending one in your college years is definitely a canon event. SEC schools have proven for the past few years that showing up and out for this holiday is no joke for them, and in fact, they take it very seriously.
In the south, it is no secret that we do things a little extra here, and Halloween is no exception. Many college students have planned out not just one, but up to three or four costumes months in advance for this weekend. Whether it be a meme, a couple-inspired costume or even your favorite movie character, the lengths in planning taken by students have been extraordinary. Hair, makeup, costumes and sometimes even painting your whole body, is all a part of the process to show up and show out this Halloweekend.
When students were younger, the ritual was to just have one costume and go trick or treating with our parents. Oh, how the times have changed. Now, there is much pressure to have the best appearance, pictures and coolest costume. The hype has without a doubt lived up to its expectations.
Whether you may be attending a fraternity party, a bar-hop or even a kick-back with friends, it is always important to remember to be safe.
As Halloween is not just for warding off evil spirits anymore, but rather, partying, tailgating and outdoing your peers for the best costume. Remember that knowing your limits and watching out for your friends this Halloweekend is always key!
Ansley Graves is a junior at UT this year studying journalism. She can be reached at [email protected].
Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.
