OPINION: It’s always time to dress up

We’re halfway through the month of Halloween and I haven’t addressed it in a column yet - that shows how truly busy we’ve been the last few weeks. However, as the newspaper deals with politics galore, from U.S. Senate candidates to local elections, my favorite holiday is here to grant me some relief from the stress.

Here’s the deal - I love everything about Halloween. Bring me the campy, over-the-top movies, both the cheesy and classic decorations and all the types of haunted houses, whether manmade or created by history. And then, of course, there’s the costumes.

I’ve always been a big costume person. Halloween, renaissance fairs, cosplay, theater - make me a different person and I’ll sign up! And no, I don’t want to look at the psychology of that.

Though I’ve always had fun with costumes, I might go a little overboard now that I have my own money to spend as an adult. This year, I have my regular costume and my group costume for Bright Eyes at the Park. A little spoiler for those attending, but the newsroom is dressing up as Care Bears for the Oct. 25 event to hand out candy.

My costume for Halloween day (and any other events I go to) is a mix of bought and homemade elements culminating in Mothman, glowing red eyes and everything.

Brief aside for the uninformed: Mothman is one of the most famous cryptids in American folklore. He was first spotted in 1966 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Apparently he was first spotted on Nov. 12 that year, which just so happens to be my birthday, so I think it was meant to be.

Along with a generally black outfit, my Mothman costume consists of a faux black fur coat, wings and a homemade Mothman head incorporating feathers, fake fur and giant red lights for eyes. It’s going to be ridiculous and I’m so excited.

Between the Care Bears costume and my Mothman getup, I’m afraid to share I’ve spent a little over $100 already. But really, compared to last year, that’s nothing.

For Halloween 2024, I fulfilled my lifelong dream of getting a dramatic, old-fashioned dress. In the more recent years, I’ve been obsessed with the Scottish highlands and that area of the world, so I bought a dress themed 1800s Scotland, complete with a petticoat and everything.

Though this outfit would be a pain to wear everyday, it was truly wonderful to wear the complete costume. It’s a good thing I liked it so much, because cost-wise, it’s a bit of an investment piece. Between all the parts, I spent just under $200. That doesn’t even cover the costume I got for Bright Eyes that year.

While this all is very extra, as someone who’s pretty good at not spending money and loves this time of year, it’s totally worth it for me.

Even when I was young enough for trick-or-treating, I would dress up as much as I could. My parents would be willing to only get so much for my costume, so the rest would have to be done with special effects and makeup. While I not wear normal makeup on a regular basis, I can make a mean-looking wound out of eyeshadow and a little bit of fake blood, something I learned to do pretty young in my costume creation.

There really is something about a costume that makes a person feel more confident. Even when I was in my preteen, too cool to talk to Disney princesses phase during our last family trip to Orlando, as soon as I got my Harry Potter-themed wizard robes, I could talk to anyone. I even wore them on the plane ride home.

What is your plan for Halloween this year? Nothing makes me happier than seeing adults willing to fully embrace the holiday and dress up.