This opinion was written by Matthew Brown, Annalexis Davis, Kelsie Horner, Janson McNair, Audrey Trevarthan and Anthony Zacharyasz from KentWired’s editorial board. After reading this article and its companion article, be sure to vote in the poll below so we can settle this debate once and for all. 

With Halloween here, it’s only appropriate to celebrate the season with a good scare.

As the moon illuminates throughout the darkness of the night, it is only appropriate to partake in the craze of festivities before the holiday is gone – and not to return for another 364 days. 

The scary season accentuates the creepiest, most frightening characters Halloween has to offer. From Michael Myers to Freddy Krueger and Pennywise to Chucky, these characters depict Halloween and put an eerie feeling in the air.

It is tradition to stress-eat buttery popcorn and sip on a fall-inspired drink while binge watching the marathons of Halloween sequels starring the most chilling characters from above.

Another fun part to the season is complemented by the fun scary costumes and haunted houses bring. Without the spookiness of the holiday, nothing sets it apart from a costume party. Without the scary pumpkins and spiderwebs, there would be no point in having a distinguished holiday to play dress up. 

Anybody can be anything they want and forget about the problems and stressors behind the scary mask or makeup that changes one’s appearance completely. 

Even wearing scary costumes originates from the Celtic celebration of Samhain. In order for the Celts to avoid being terrorized by evil spirits, they would disguise themselves as spirits. History even points in the direction that Halloween should involve the big jump scare.

All the extraordinary and creative costumes inspired from the most notoriously haunting figures fuel the spirit to bring the scariest and daunting characters to life. 

On top of that, the best of the season can be found at Halloween shops, such as Spirit Halloween, where they put on a display of realistic-looking lawn decorations and animatronics. Anyone can receive a little scare when pressing the step-pad or button to ignite the scream or nightmare laugh stored within. 

Without a frightful experience to get your blood pumping, October would be just another month. It’s almost disrespectful to wear costumes and partake in all the risk-free festivities without supporting the adrenaline rush for which the holiday is known for.

Speaking of an adrenaline rush, that sparks a good haunted hayride where the crunch of a leaf makes someone second guess what is out in the dark forest. At times, that crunch may be nothing, but others can lead to a giant wearing a hair-raising mask and sprinting at everyone with a chainsaw.

If that does not get the heart rate up, another frightening activity can be a haunted maze where through the tall corn stalks, a lurker sits patiently to give the next passing person a scare. 

So instead of sitting around at home, check the closet and underneath the bed for monsters or demons, get into the spirit and become a ghoul or goblin for the night or find a haunting activity around town to face the fears of the night.

Matthew Brown, Annalexis Davis, Kelsie Horner, Janson McNair, Audrey Trevarthan and Anthony Zacharyasz contributed to this editorial. Contact the editorial team at [email protected].