Halloween is one of the most exhilarating holidays of the year, where everyone expresses themselves in different and unique ways. Halloween is a holiday that gives people the freedom to dress how they want to and not be judged for it. People think that Halloween is just about candy, parties, and costumes, but it’s an opportunity for people and students here to express parts of themselves that they like to keep hidden.
Usually, in high school, you have to live up to certain expectations and are supposed to know who you are. Students are still trying to find out who they are, and this puts a lot of pressure and stress on them. For example, some students see others with labels such as: nerds, jocks, quiet kids, etc. Halloween is an escape for every student to be who they think they are or who they want to be. Halloween allows students to express themselves (to a certain extent) and helps them find people with similar interests.
Though everyone is allowed to express themselves, BCCHS does have Halloween dress code rules that some people find fair and others find unfair. Most students here at Birmingham find the dress code rules for Halloween fair. Other students find them unfair, but the rules are there and in place to protect all students, their beliefs, and their cultures.
When interviewing students on campus, I found that most students celebrate Halloween, while others do not due to religion and family beliefs. Marie Pinto (12) said, “I believe that Birmingham’s rules are fair, though, but because I’m Christian, I can’t dress up, but I enjoy watching people express themselves, and it’s fun to see people dress up even though I can’t.”
Therefore, this means that, though some Christians can’t celebrate Halloween, it doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy observing the costumes or events that they cannot partake in. Nyah Regis (12) also said, “The rules are partially reasonable because the rules limit certain clothing on teenage girls, which would be reasonable, but some costumes that they wear aren’t violating the dress code and wind up getting dress-coded either way. I will be dressing for Halloween as Clawdenne Wolf.”
Halloween in high school is a big deal, not just the candy or parties, but it’s about the freedom, a day and night of collective silliness, and a reminder to high school students that they’re all still just kids. After all, everyone should enjoy being a teen while it lasts and not take it for granted.
