With Halloween quickly approaching, I find it appropriate to remind high schoolers of the correct etiquette when celebrating this fun holiday. 

Do:

Go to a haunted house! Haunted houses or attractions such as farms or cornfields are a super fun and safe way to get your adrenaline pumping in order to get into the Halloween spirit. The more common spots are Jaycees Haunted House at the fairgrounds and Terror 29 in Brandon. Lots of “haunted” attractions are also fundraisers that collect canned food in exchange for cheaper admission prices.

Dress in cute costumes. Halloween is one of the few times a year you can dress up as anything. Forget student section themes, Halloween costumes are so much better. Whether you go for the basic black cat or a spooky ghost, every costume is a fun excuse to wear something unique.

Go trick or treating! Although it may sound weird for high school students to go trick or treating, there are still ways to do it. LHS’s National Honor Society is doing a Halloween food drive for Feeding South Dakota. This is a great way to relive the trick-or-treating years while also getting some service hours.

Don’t:
Dress in inappropriate costumes. This doesn’t mean you can’t be a cute nurse or a horrifying zombie but those who are white thinking about dressing as geishas should definitely reconsider. Cultural appropriation is a huge issue on Halloween, just because it is a time to dress up does not mean it is okay to disrespect other cultures. Inappropriate costumes could also be people such as Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer from not even 40 years ago. Families of Dahmer’s victims have asked that no one dresses up as him or glorifies him this Halloween season.

Don’t host a seance. Although Halloween is the time to talk about scary ghost stories, whipping out a Ouija board is probably not the best idea. Opening doors you can’t close and messing with spirits just doesn’t sit right with me.

Don’t forget to look out for little kids on the run. Keep in mind this holiday is usually centered around kids sprinting throughout the neighborhoods gathering as much candy as they can, make sure you keep an eye out for them while driving. 

Don’t forget to have fun! Despite all of these specific rules I just made up, Halloween is definitely one of the best holidays. Make sure to watch some scary movies and eat a ton of candy!