I changed my mind about Halloween—two lessons I learned the hard way
As a Finn, it’s easy to think Halloween is all about overindulgence and overconsumption. But I’ve realized just how much joy lies behind the costumes, writes executive producer Henna-Kaisa Ranta.
In late summer, my partner suggested a fun idea: each family member ranked the holidays in order of importance, then we compared our lists. Christmas landed in first place for everyone, but after that, the votes diverged. While the adults favored Midsummer, our elementary school-aged children firmly placed Halloween as their second favorite holiday.
About a decade ago, I thought Halloween was the most pointless celebration in the world—just a new fad in Finland and a way to cram more unnecessary stuff into our already overflowing homes. I’m still mindful of Halloween’s consumerist pitfalls, but seeing the excitement of my kids and the neighborhood children has completely melted my heart for this festival of costumes and chills.
“It’s fantastic that during a dark and often rainy fall, kids have something fun to anticipate!”
In our housing association of over one hundred semi-detached homes, Halloween is now a major event. Anyone who wants trick-or-treaters to visit places a lantern at the front door as a signal. Many decorate their entrances with spiderwebs and skeletons. Besides children, plenty of adults dress up in creative costumes. Some even greet trick-or-treaters with terrifying sound and lighting effects.
Yes, there are some disposable items in use, but I notice many of the same decorations reappearing year after year with fresh twists. I also see the same cat, witch, and superhero costumes passed down to younger siblings or neighbors’ children.
Halloween isn’t confined to a single weekend; kids spend weeks getting ready. This year, my son picked up the first parts of his video-game-character costume at the thrift store as early as August. It’s fantastic that during a dark and often rainy fall, they have something fun to anticipate!
Since Halloween lets you dress up as anything you like, teenagers also join the candy rounds—unlike Easter, when Finnish kids typically dress up as witches. Every year, the creativity poured into the costumes makes me smile.
“Kids are ruthless gossips. Skip grandma’s chocolates and steer clear of the produce aisle.”
Over the last few years, hundreds of trick-or-treaters have visited my door. So I feel confident offering two tips for my fellow Finns. Here they are:
1. If you care about your reputation, invest in good candy. Kids are ruthless gossips. Forget grandma’s wrapped chocolates and avoid the produce aisle—you don’t want to be labeled the neighbor who hands out mandarins. Filled licorice sticks, lollipops, and small chocolate bars are always a hit.
The good news is that even if you slipped up last year, kids are short-memoried opportunists. They’ll be back, giving you a chance to rehabilitate your battered Halloween reputation.
2. Know your audience. Halloween may feel like the right time to dress up as your childhood idol, but pause to consider your crowd. The toddlers on our block definitely weren’t ready to meet the guitarist of a certain Norwegian black metal band and Gene Simmons from Kiss (picture related).
