Halloween is a special time of year for many people. Many kids go out trick or treating with their friends. Others party with their friends or watch horror movies. But what makes this holiday so special?

There’s something about Halloween that the other holidays just don’t have. Perhaps it’s the spooky atmosphere. Maybe it’s the creepy decorations and haunted houses. Maybe it’s the fact that you have to go out to receive gifts (in this case candy), instead of getting it handed to you. Whatever it is, people seem to enjoy Halloween more than other holidays. I interviewed several people to find out what they do to celebrate this night of spooks and scares.

One person with some more traditional Halloween experiences is senior Andrew Eubanks. When it comes to traditions, Andrew stated, “In grade school I used to go out. I stopped going out eighth grade year. Now, since I live in a cul-de-sac, my neighbors and I hand out candy around a fire. It’s different every year.”

That’s a more typical response from a high schooler than you would think. Reminiscing on his favorite costume, Eubanks responded, “When I was really little, I dressed up as a pumpkin because I have red hair. I peaked then. That was me at my best.”

He told me that he didn’t really go to any parties this year. “I went to a few parties freshman year for Halloween, but I don’t really go out to costume parties anymore. [I’m] not a big ‘dress up in a costume guy anymore.’” Eubanks ended the interview with his opinion on the day. “Halloween’s not my holiday, Thanksgiving is.”

Next up was Hockey Captain Matt Mahon. On this Halloween night, Mahon told me that “I’ll probably finish up my homework and watch the Red Wings play. I don’t pass out candy, I leave that up to my mom and sister to do.”

His favorite costume was something to be expected. “I was a hockey player. I had every pad they wear, except the skates (for obvious reasons).” Many people watch a scary movie to accentuate the fear in the night, but not Mahon.“Not really a big scary movie guy. Around Halloween time, ABC puts up some good shows like ‘The Middle’ and ‘The Goldbergs’. I usually watch those.” Not really a typical night of fright, but something unique for the “Paladin of the Puck”.

I then talked to Joseph Monahan, a senior who dressed up as a biker today. I asked if he had any traditions for Halloween, to which he replied, “No, I do not, because (the people on) my street is very old, so a majority of the people don’t have kids and those that do have kids take them somewhere else because it’s too spaced out. If there’s any tradition, it’s going somewhere else.”

When asked about his plans for tonight, Joe said, “Tonight, I’ll go home. If I’m invited somewhere I’ll go. If not, I’ll just stay home and watch Nightmare before Christmas.” Joe’s favorite costume, in his words, was “Slash from Guns and Roses in fifth grade.” Since a lot of people watch scary stuff around this time, I figured Joe might do the same. He surprised me, saying “I don’t really watch anything special.”

My final perspective into Halloween came from junior Cole Hicks. Talking about his traditions, Cole said “I do not have any Halloween traditions. This Halloween, I’m gonna go home and do homework” Everybody’s got a favorite costume, and Cole is no exception. “My favorite costume would have to be when I was 8 years old. I was Buzz Lightyear.” It turned out that Cole has one tradition, he just never considered it a tradition until now. “I watch Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin every year.” Cole walked away with a spooky look, trying to be intimidating before he left with his girlfriend.

My own Halloween activities vary from year to year. Last year I hung out at my neighbor’s house and we partied hard. This year, I’m passing out candy with some friends. My favorite Halloween costume was a dinosaur that I wore when I was 1-3 years old. I wore that thing all the time, even when it wasn’t anywhere near Halloween. Like Mahon, I’m not really a horror movie guy, but I like to watch a lot of Halloween TV. The annual Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror always delights, and the typical Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin and Family Guy Halloween specials are my all-time favorites.

Halloween is a special time of year for many people for a multitude of reasons. Whether your 7 or 77, everyone can get behind a good scare. So this year, start your bonfires, get out your candy, play a scary movie, and enjoy this night of fright before it gives way to Thanksgiving and Christmas.