I love Halloween. Almost as much as I love Valentine’s Day. I love the smells, the aesthetics, the food; fall is great, and Halloween encapsulates it better than Thanksgiving could ever.
However, I’m now 21 and I work at a bar. I just bar backed my first Halloween Pub Crawl and I am burnt out on Halloween drunkenness (for the time being) and I didn’t even Crawl! I worked! So, I’ve been thinking of some ways to be festive, but stay cozy in bed and not think about the number of cranberry vodkas a poor bartender would be pouring if I went out partying on Halloween.
Movie Night!
I hate scary movies with a passion, but those classic ABC Family and Disney Halloween specials? Count me in. Just thinking of laying on my couch with a bowl of popcorn with candy corn in it, a mug of warm (maybe even spiked if you are feeling the alcoholic route) apple cider, binge-watching movies till I fall asleep makes me want to skip work and class right now and get a head start.
Movie nights with yourself are something so many people talk about doing, but is poorly practiced. Why not do it on Halloween? Avoid the drunk drivers that will be roaming the streets and stay safe inside. Bonus points if you bring friends and make it a candy potluck!
Haunted Houses
Maybe you’re an extrovert and NEED to be out doing stuff on a historically-social holiday, but have class Friday morning so you don’t want to get drunk. Find a friend to tour a haunted house! You still get to “practice” the scariness of Halloween, be out and about, but in a sober state of mind.
Lyft Drive
Not feeling festive? If your car qualifies, why not make some extra cash getting people home safely? If you get restless staying in, but don't exactly want to go do something, spend an hour or so driving people (or 12am McDonalds) home and get some money out of it.
You'll get to see some cool costumes, and you can “trick or treat" by give out candy to your riders. If you live in a college town, there will definitely be a lot of people requesting back to campuses, so it'll be an easy night for extra cash.
Hand Out Candy
If you live in a fairly large complex—or if you live in an actual house—become an adult and hand out candy to the kiddos knocking at your door. There's something about seeing little kids dressed up so hard, and seeing the effort in their costumes that sparks my little cold heart with joy.
Remember too when you were a kid and what you liked seeing in people's houses giving out candy. Dress up. Have some decorations. Give out the food candy, no loser candy. Go full circle and help give kids a fun holiday experience.