The lowdown on an Americanised Halloween

Halloween is one of the most anticipated days in the student calendar, when even the most reserved people find themselves dressed as all manner of creatures. Having originated just across the way in Ireland, the festive tradition spread to the British mainland centuries ago, and is a staple of autumnal calendar. But like most things that begin in Britain, at some point our cousins across the pond decided they wanted to give it a go. They did it with The Office, The Inbetweeners and even The IT Crowd, but before all that, even Halloween was unable to escape the American spin.

In America, Halloween still retains its ‘spooky’ theming and ghoulish symbols, but the American Halloween is a lot less centralised on this, with dressing up as anything being the norm, and scary costumes a simple subdivision. The trend has since become a staple of the British Halloween experience too – you get people who go as a traditional Halloween creature (think your vampires, zombies and ghosts), those who dress as someone (looking at the Star Wars cosplayers and celebrity impersonators), and then the people who just generally dress up.

A pair of wings or cat ears here, devil horns or a magic wand there, every Halloween party has an unusual mix of these three groups, in the most ambitious crossover since Avengers: Endgame, yet an annual tradition, nonetheless. I went to two Halloween get-togethers this year, with my strikingly-red Heather Chandler met with a sexy Snow White, Persephone, a cowboy, a zombie and a sparkly cat, with so many random and obscure costumes blending together in the largest organised disorganised cosplay of the year!

But the question remains – should Halloween stay scary and resist the Americanisation of another British staple? Honestly, I don’t really care either way.

Walking around the city in the run-up to Halloween, you see the creativity and vibrance of our communities, both student and local, flourish like no other time of year at Halloween, and its this variety that makes Halloween so fantastic – the rulebook is out of the window! You can put in as much or as little effort as you want to, and still hit the spot. It’s a perfect chance for those who may feel insecure on a usual night out to push the boat out and be their truly authentic selves and dress how they want to.

My first Halloween at university was the first time I had ever presented as femme publicly. And it was something which helped me explore who I was truly meant to be and truly am.

I love that Halloween has its frightening and scary roots. But I love the vibrance and diversity it ushers in so much more. If this makes Halloween a more Americanised thing, then so be it, because the fun of seeing so many genuinely enjoying dressing up, even just for one night, makes Halloween one of the best nights of the year, particularly for students.

Edited by Marianne Hamilton