There are many things that children and adults are excited for when this specific day arrives: wearing their costumes, saying the words “trick-or-treat,” and hearing about the legendary monsters such as vampires, werewolves, and zombies. Even though students may be too old for trick-or-treating now, there are still many fun alternatives that people can do in exhange for a fun Halloween.

There are many traditions that people still do in order to have high spirits. It can be as simple as carving pumpkins, throwing Halloween parties, or going to a lot of neighborhoods to get the most candy. Whether going out or not, there are many traditions that some are unwilling to let go.

“I usually just have friends over,” junior Edith Liechty said, “and we watch movies and make food.”

One of the many traditions people enjoy about the holiday is watching the horror movies that make people stay up at night. Whether you are watching “Crimson Peak” in the theaters or “Nightmare on Elm Street” on your sofa, everyone is waiting for the movies that will make them paranoid until the very end. When asked what they thought was the scariest movie, students and staff were willing to give out recommendations of their own.

“I would have to say the original ‘Halloween’ from the 1970’s,” senior Megan Daniels said, “because it’s very eerie and it’s got a twisted backstory.”

Even if you are not into horror movies, there are still plenty of favorites to choose from when you are in the mood to chow down on popcorn.

“‘Halloween Town’ and ‘Hocus Pocus’,” sophomore Shelby Hall said, “because I think they’re good movies and I’ve watched them since I was little.”

Another exhilarating thing people think of when Halloween is around the corner is haunted houses. People like haunted houses for the scare; the darkness surrounding you and the people jumping out from every corner are enough to give everyone goosebumps. Many students and staff had recommendations when it came to picking their favorite one.

“My favorite is probably Erebus,” sophomore Ryan Carrier said, “because it was the biggest one and the most realistic.”

For most students and staff, there was no hesitation when they had stated that Erebus was one of the scariest haunted houses they had ever been to. This four-story house of horrors was even placed in the Guinness Book of World Records for many years as the longest haunted attraction. Anyone who has been there will agree that this place will terrify whoever dares to enter.

“They had a lot of jump scares,” junior Paulina Passalacqua said. “At one point, we were running through it because they were chasing after you.”

Even when people don’t have plans, spending time with family on this dark, creepy night is enough to leave anyone happy.

“Watching my little munchkins get really excited about Halloween is pretty cool,” principal Thomas Lietz said. “It’s very different now as a dad, than as the 35-year-old I was before I was a dad.”

There are many students and staff who have different opinions when it comes to Halloween. Is this holiday about the little kids knocking on the doors and gaining as many sweets as they can or is it about scaring your friends and being proud doing it?

“It’s probably about dressing up and having fun,” sophomore Alexis Adams said, “because the older traditions aren’t carried through and it’s not what it used to be.”

Speaking of dressing up, going to parties while being someone else for a night is one of the many bright spots about Halloween. However, there are some costumes that are more popular than others whether it’s because of the movies or because people have been wearing this costume for many years and it never gets old.

“Probably a cat,” senior Lena Hann said, “because it’s like the basic girl Halloween costume.”

No matter where they find the costume though, many students and staff will do anything to find the perfect costume.

“I want to be Penny Pinglton from Hairspray,” sophomore Julia Aquino said, “because she is a fun character and I love the 60’s style.”

Whether you are going out or not, both students and staff would have to agree that Halloween is one of the many fun perks of fall. If anything, Halloween is a holiday that brings back many childhood memories no matter how big or small.

“I liked carving pumpkins because I did a lot when I was a kid,” senior Calum Clow said. “I’m really into art, so I had fun with it.”