Maybe it’s time we say it...
Once upon a time, Halloween was about imagination. It was homemade costumes, pillowcases full of candy, and that thrilling feeling of being just a little scared while running through the dark with your friends. Now? It’s corporate cosplay night for adults — an over-priced, over-marketed excuse for another themed party. The spirit of Halloween has been drained by brand collabs, Instagram aesthetics, and sexy versions of everything from firefighters to Freddy Krueger.
Adults ruined Halloween.
The holiday that once belonged to children has been fully co-opted by consumer culture. Candy aisles turn into entire seasonal markets before October even begins. Bars push $20 “spooky cocktails.” Fashion brands roll out their “Halloween drops.” And somehow, what used to be one night of make-believe now stretches into a full month of commercial programming.
But what if we just... stopped?
What if Halloween went back to the people who actually deserve it — kids, and maybe pets?
Think it's possible to make Halloween cute again? Let it be the night when children parade proudly in their handmade costumes, when neighbors actually open their doors, and when communities reconnect. Let’s make it about joy, sugar highs, and wagging tails — not selfies and corporate sponsorships.
Adults already have enough holidays to ruin. Halloween doesn’t need our marketing budgets, our irony, or our “dark glam” outfits. It needs giggling ghosts, tiny superheroes, and dogs in pumpkin sweaters.
So this year, maybe we skip the pop-up nightclub and the influencer photo booth. Hand out candy. Walk with your kids. Compliment a costume. Reinvent Halloween — by growing up and giving it back.
This article was partially written with AI, and partially written with love from a human.