Don’t write Halloween off – it’s a scream

Double, double, toil and trouble – Halloween is here and it’s time to get scary.

I must admit I’m pretty spooky all year round, dressed all in black 24/7 and living in a home surrounded by taxidermy and ghoulish paintings, but as the nights become longer and the leaves turn blood red I can’t help but become excited for Halloween.

Halloween is a time to be as weird as you want and no-one can judge you. You can freely walk around the streets dressed as a blood-drenched zombie or a pale and brooding vampire – something that might look a little strange at Christmas, but hey, I’m not here to judge. The haunting holiday inspires creativity, and there seems to be no limits or boundaries to what or whom you can become. This creativity extends beyond costumes, and sees many people grabbing kitchen knives to carve intricate designs into pumpkins.

It’s wonderful to walk down your street during Halloween and see a hoard of jack-o-lanterns outside of people’s homes, as adorable trick-or-treaters excitedly collect sweets.

Many criticise trick-or-treating for being dangerous, but I think it encourages community spirit and creativity among youngsters as they design and put together their costumes, with help from their parents of course. Trick-or-treating promotes generosity, and encourages trust among neighbours who may otherwise not have any interaction.

If you’re an adult, and possibly a little too old to be trick-or-treating, Halloween is the perfect excuse to gather all of your friends and plan a petrifying party. If you want to hit the streets in your costume regardless, various venues put on their own themed nights where you can enjoy bubbling cocktails and dance to the Monster Mash under the full moon.

The holiday sees hordes of spooky homeware hit shop shelves, and an abundance of sweets in every cupboard of your home. There’s no better excuse to gorge on sweets than Halloween, whether you go trick-or-treating, or just like the look of those insect-inspired jelly treats in the supermarket.

Along with gothic homeware taking over every shop on the high street, horror films of all shapes and sizes invade.

The Exorcist, Scream, Poltergeist and other classic horror flicks on every channel. For a lover of creepy cinema, Halloween is perfect to discover a litany of brand new horror films, and fall in love with old classics once more.

Whether you’re big or small, Halloween is something that almost everyone can participate in. There’s an exciting sense of togetherness that comes with seeing your friends, neighbours, family, and even strangers dressed in amazing costumes. It’s certainly a conversation starter, and can provide the foundations for friendships to come.

The search for a costume itself is something that can bring people together, as you eagerly search for integral parts that you can’t seem to find in any craft shop.

Whether you’ll be grabbing a creepy costume and trick-or-treating or curling up for a hair-raising horror marathon – I hope you all have a monstrous Halloween . . . Muahaha.