Letter from the Mint editor: Loving life in decay of fall in October

More to Halloween than dressing up, eating candy; purgatory sucks

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PAIGE CAMPBELL | EVERGREEN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Ghosts want to party when they escape purgatory for a day, so don’t be rude to them.

LAUREN ELLENBECKER, Evergreen reporter

The most wonderful time of the year is here and it hasn’t even been two weeks, but I’m thrilled to see what the rest of the month will bring. I strongly believe October is the superior month among its 11 friends, but I (don’t) understand why others would disagree.

Some people prefer months in summer so they can eat their weight in ice cream, literally cook their bodies in the sun and run through cold sprinklers. Those who love winter may prefer always having a runny nose, making sh-tty snowmen and drinking watery homemade hot chocolate. Then there’s people who like spring for whatever reason.

However, October is the king of all months because it has a perfect mix of hot and cold temperatures where you can finally dig into your pile of groovy sweaters and it’s beautiful due to the decaying fall foliage. Additionally, this month features the best holiday ever: Halloween.

The history of Halloween, the Devil’s Night, All Hallows’ Evening or what have you, is a dark and unsavory one but it’s fun nevertheless. Pagan ancestors may be disappointed in the way we approach celebrating this holiday with our sexy Ebola costumes, literally toxic alcohol mixtures and our copious consumption of candy. However, we can manage their judgmental eyes just like we do with our parents.

The general consensus in our society is that Halloween is only one day. Those in the Greek Life subculture refer to it as Halloweek, but I see the whole month of October as a time to celebrate the horror. The joy of watching scary movies and eating treats is amplified by 10 when these activities occur in the holy spooky month.

Halloween has roots in ancient beliefs, be it religious or cultural and their relevance has disappeared from our memories throughout the centuries. Yet some superstitions are still talk­ed about and have the potential to influence our actions. These cautionary tales are fascinating to hear about and I’m always curious about why they even exist.

Firstly, how did black cats become the enemy? Despite their adorable qualities, black cats have a reputation that implies they are indications of evil or bad luck.

However, if this was true, I don’t care. Yeah, yeah, they might be animals of Satan and every­thing, but you only live once. Why not have a cute companion to accompany you in your journey to hell?

There’s also the idea that put­ting jack-o’-lanterns in front of your house will ward off all of the evil spirits. Do you know what I say to that? The more the merrier — all the spirits who escaped from purgatory for a day are welcome in my house. Plus, who thinks some ugly pumpkins are going to scare the reaper away?

In reality, if you want to escape the ghosts (who probably just want someone to talk to, by the way), it’s probably wise to dress up like one. However, I’d stay away from the sexy side of things if your interest is to not be skele-boned. But you do you.

To all of my spooky brothers and sisters out there, turn on “This Is Halloween” and enjoy this month as the creepiness intensi­fies by the day.