With Halloween’s approach, many people eagerly anticipate their favorite Halloween activities. Whether it’s watching scary movies, staying at a grandparent’s house or going trick-or-treating, everyone has their own special Halloween traditions.

This holiday wouldn’t be Halloween if it wasn’t for the traditions; no matter how big or small, we do things that make it special to us. It’s these little traditions that make us excited for this holiday and wait for it to come every year.

UWL freshman Lexi Short celebrates Halloween with her family after trick-or-treating. 

Short said, “When I was younger all the kids including my family and cousins would meet at my grandparents’ house and then we would all go trick-or-treating until we couldn’t anymore and then we would all go back to my grandparents house and we’d have pizza and watch Halloween movies.” 

A tradition can be as simple as watching movies or decorating the house and spewing candy corn over the dinner table. Elaborate or not, any effort to get into this spooky fall spirit is a successful one. That’s why, time and time again, Halloween happenings have such a tendency to bring people together.

Some Halloween traditions are what people give out to trick-or-treaters. Another first year student, Emily Ausman, has unique traditions when it comes to trick-or-treating.

Ausman said “My grandma always makes popcorn balls, and we’d always get some while we were trick or treating. There is also this tree outside our house that is always used for our Halloween pictures.”

Holidays are always enjoyable when they can be spent with family and friends. (Cue the newspaper-strewn pumpkin carving production line and roasting pumpkin seeds in the oven.) It’s fun to see people you might not see every day and reconnect during this last week of October. 

Sometimes the most fun memories come from the little traditions someone does around a holiday. This year at UWL, we’ll be sure to see a blend of various traditions and backgrounds that may spark new traditions with new people.