It’s the middle of August. I’m starting to get targeted Halloween ads in my Instagram feed. I am 100% cool with more skeletons. In my ideal world, everyday is Halloween.

Most every holiday is marketed earlier and earlier. The pandemic is making it less annoying. I understand wanting to feel Christmas cheer in the first week of November. When it seems like there’s no hope, forced frivolity is welcome. And no holiday is better than Halloween. 

Halloween isn’t tied to anything religious. Its origin can be traced back to certain Celtic harvests and pagan festivals and a Christian holiday, but in its modern form, it’s far from religious, making it inclusive as possible. 

Halloween isn’t tied to anything patriotic. Regardless of where you align politically, you can celebrate Halloween. 

Halloween is truly democratic. It’s as family friendly or home made or commercial or sexy or scary or creepy or crazy, sexy, cool as you want it to be. 

Halloween is the most Covid friendly holiday. The main activity, trick-or-treating, is outdoors. Masks were encouraged long before indoor mask mandates existed. 

I understand the hesitancy to embrace holidays months before their date. It can lead to disappointment in the actual day of celebration. But unlike most other holidays, Halloween is more a state of mind.

Halloween is not centered on a fireworks display or big meal or religious service. Halloween has evolved into a month long opportunity to embrace what others fear. It’s a chance to wear black clothing with lots of skulls. It’s a chance to watch horror films every night. It’s a chance to eat bags of bite sized candy you originally purchased with a plan to give to kids. It’s a chance to kick yourself for not buying the 12-foot Home Depot skeleton when you saw it for sale in July. (I want that skull. I need that skull.) It’s spooky and scary and shouldn’t be relegated to 31 days and nights. 

Is this essay just a selfish attempt to normalize wearing skulls on stuff so I don’t seem like a guy with a Punisher tattoo on my biceps and Blue Lives Matter sticker on my pick up? Or a plea to Home Depot to send me a free 12-foot skeleton because they’re sold out everywhere? Maybe. But I also really like the holiday too. Boo!

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Feature image from The Home Depot Corporate. If you work in Home Depot Corporate, please consider sending us a 12-foot skeleton.