What is Halloween to you?

A time for snacks, candy and Trick or Treating?

Certainly this is part of the fun.  As a child, I certainly enjoyed going from door to door, asking people for treats.  There was a lot of fun involved in seeing all of my friends dressed up in costumes as we figured out how to build our candy stashes and make them last for months (well, weeks anyway).

A time to put on scary masks, and act like someone different for a night?

I’ve done this as well…dressing up in a costume as a character, trying on a different persona for a night.  Of all the characters I’ve tried, I think I love my own wizard persona the most–it’s the one that’s most true to my personality.

I enjoy wearing a wizard costume to parties and performing simple magic tricks for my friends’ children.  The kids seem to like it too…as I pull out components for my spells, like ground-up werewolf, pixie dust, and the eyeballs I carry around for snacking!

A time to watch scary (or at least Halloweenish) movies at home with friends and family?

This is my favorite way to spend a Halloween night (or any night in October).  Put in a spooky movie, some popcorn, and relax, enjoying the time together.  This is a way to build memories, making Halloween a shared experience, rather than an individual seeking out candy.  Experiences are what make life interesting, in my opinion, so I like to change Halloween from an event to an experience.

After all, if the holiday is there anyway, you may as well make it memorable.

Perhaps something else altogether?

Tonight, my wife and I will take a trip to a haunted dinner and haunted house tour.  This is something outside our norm, but I expect we’ll have an exciting journey.  I’m especially looking forward to the dinner–there’s something exciting about having a story unfold as you eat a meal.

What are you planning to do this Halloween? Share your plans in the comments below.