Say Goodbye to Trick-or-Treating

For teenagers, Halloween can hold more than trick-or-treating. Photo by Diza Pandey

As Halloween quickly approaches, some high school students may find themselves looking for an alternative to trick-or-treating. This celebration of the mysterious and mystical remains one of the most unique holidays on the mainstream calendar, and therefore calls for some equally distinctive traditions.

A movie night can be as upscale or laid back as desired, and can be a relaxing way to spend an evening. Movie nights can entail festive decorations, full costumes, and themed snacks, or just comfy pajamas and candy with friends. Some popular movie titles for a Halloween movie night include The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Addams Family, or Hocus Pocus.

A pumpkin carving contest can be a creative but messy way to celebrate Halloween with friends and family. Painting or drawing on pumpkins provides a pretty option for indoor decorations. For more intense pumpkin embellishing, carving contests can be a bit chaotic and difficult, but ultimately super fun and exciting.

Another fun way to spend the day on Halloween could be to visit a pumpkin patch. Photoshoots, navigating a corn maze, or even picking out pumpkins for the pumpkin decorating contest might be fun activities to do at the patch. Visit Raleigh has a guide to pumpkin patches and corn mazes on their website.

Although it may be the most time consuming activity on the list, throwing or going to a Halloween party can be lots of fun. In the wake of the pandemic restrictions, a party might be just what the witch doctor ordered. Whether the event stays laid back or goes all out, light and fun or creepy and scary, Halloween parties can be a good way to bring friends and family together for the holiday. Some ideas for a party could include a costume contest, passing out festive treats, or decorating a venue with spooky decorations.

While the exciting nights of skipping around the neighborhood and filling up plastic buckets with lots of candy may be a distant memory for many high schoolers, there may be even more fun ways for teenagers to spend the spooky night of All Hallows Eve.