By Ana Zeikidze, Staff Writer
I come from Georgia (the country, not the state), and Halloween was never an important holiday for me as a kid. In fact, my country doesn’t celebrate Halloween at all.
But when I had my first Halloween in the United States, I learned how much fun it could be – an event full of sweets, costumes, and a little spooky excitement. It's like a huge dress-up party where everyone, regardless of age, can feel like a kid again. Who wouldn't want that?
But while it's fun to be involved in the celebrations, I've noticed that Halloween can bring up certain concerns, especially among Christians. Some see Halloween as a day to honor the devil, while others are concerned about the costumes people wear — outfits that are a little provocative or full-on demonic.
If Halloween existed in my country, it would most likely seem weird and even inappropriate to some. Because of our strong religious views, Halloween would make most people in Georgia feel uncomfortable. Many citizens are Orthodox Christians and think that Halloween is a day to honor evil or the devil. Dressing up as ghosts, devils, or witches would seem very inappropriate. Our cultural values are based on honoring religion and staying away from things that seem to praise evil or darkness. For many people, Halloween just wouldn't feel right.
That being said, I don't believe Halloween needs to be a day of controversy. Yes I believe people should think about not wearing devil costumes or sexy outfits. But Halloween can still be fun even without that. It can still be appreciated without stepping into uncomfortable territory. Cute costumes, fun characters, and plenty of candy? That's the kind of Halloween I can get into.
One way to express creativity and comedy without going too far is dressing up as superheroes, cartoon characters, or even wearing T-shirts with jokes on them.
For me, the excitement of Halloween comes from appreciating the fun side of things — hanging out with friends, eating far too much candy, and, of course, dressing up in crazy, adorable costumes. It doesn't need to be more complicated than that.
So even if some people may find Halloween offensive, I believe there's a happy medium where we can enjoy ourselves, be a bit scary, and maintain a healthy balance. After all, life is better with a little candy and some harmless fun.
PHOTO: Courtesy, Newman Today
