Written By: Chiara Perkins

As October 31st creeps closer, students prepare for a night of costumes, candy, and chaos. This sparks some questions: How do high schoolers celebrate Halloween today? Are childhood traditions fading? 

For many, Halloween still revolves around candy. “I’m not really sure if chocolate counts as a candy,” said Sierra Harris ‘28, “but I would probably say Snickers or Kit-Kats are my favorite.” Izzy Bernie ‘28 agreed, naming Milky Way and Swedish Fish as her top picks, while Eva Juarez-Lace ‘28 admitted she’ll take “anything chocolate,” especially M&M’s and Snickers. Clearly, chocolate isn’t going anywhere, but some students still opt for fruity or sour candies, notably Twizzlers and Sour Patch Kids.

Instead of frightening costumes, many students are opting for fashion-forward, or “cute,” looks. This year, costumes are less about scaring people and more about pulling off something creative, stylish, or trendy. Twists on classic characters like mermaids, pirates, and cowgirls are everywhere, alongside angels, ballerinas, and fairies. Some students are even taking inspiration from viral moments on social media and TV; Juarez-Lace commented, “My friend and I are being Sophia Grace and Rosie from the Ellen show.”

For many high school students, the days of trick-or-treating are a thing of the past. Harris said she’ll most likely “hang out with friends or go to a Halloween party,” noting that “not a lot of people trick or treat anymore.” Bernie agreed that while the door-to-door tradition has faded, the spirit of dressing up has not. “Even if people don’t go trick or treating,” she noted, “they still dress up and celebrate in other ways.”

The question of whether Halloween itself is fading depends on who you ask. Some feel the excitement around costumes and school festivities has lessened slightly over time. “I think it’s slowly fading as far as people dressing up in school,” Harris reflected. 

Others, however, insist the holiday is thriving. Juarez-Lace disagrees with the idea that Halloween is losing momentum. “It’s very popular!” she said. “I hear a lot of people talking about costumes and shopping for them weeks, sometimes months, in advance.” 

Whether students are spending Halloween at parties, watching movies, or just showing off creative costumes, the spirit of the holiday is far from gone. It may look different than it did in Lower or Middle School, but for Upper Schoolers, Halloween continues to be a night for fun, nostalgia, and self-expression.