Halloween Check-In and Celebrations 🎃
Hello everyone,
I hope you are all doing well and finding the support you need in our community. As we approach Halloween, I wanted to create a space for us to share our thoughts, experiences, and feelings about this holiday.
Background:
Halloween is a fun, festive holiday filled with costumes, candy, and spooky decorations that is especially popular in the United States and Canada. This holiday originated from an ancient Celtic festival, in which it was believed that on October 31st, the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred, so spirits could return to the earthly realm. As a result, people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off or appease spirits. This is not the entire story of Halloween, as it can be traced back to the Roman Festival of Feralia and other influences, and if you want to learn more, I highly encourage to watch about its history in the History channel.
On another note, for some people, the sudden appearance of costumes, masks, and the overall atmosphere of Halloween can trigger various emotions and memories, and it's important to acknowledge those feelings and seek support in those situations. Moreover, it's essential to be aware that haunted houses can also perpetuate harmful stereotypes of mental illness by using the appearance of abandoned mental health facilities as themes for scares and entertainment.
Questions to Consider:
1) How do you generally feel about Halloween? Does your country or the place you come from celebrate the holiday? Do you dislike it or have fond memories related to it you would like to share?
2) Do you have any plans for celebrating Halloween this year or any tips or ideas for unique activities to make the most of the holiday?
3) What are some examples you have seen of inappropriate or excellent portrayals of mental illness in horror films and Halloween events? What are some ways you think this issue can be tackled?
As you answer the questions, please be respectful of other commenters who may have different beliefs, experiences, and/or ideas than yours. Just because someone thinks differently, it does not mean they are wrong; some people may dislike or adore Halloween, and both sentiments are okay.
Tickled pink,
PeacePink
Let me know if you want to be removed from the tag list.
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@PeacePink hiii ❤ I only learnt Halloween resisted last year. So from now on I'm gonna celebrate every holiday I can😁 All the other residents here at the care home where I live has gone home with their families for halloween 🎃 a carer is here with me. And when my other carer comes she's going to bring us pumpkins to decorate😁 and she got a spooky game ready for us. Yaaaay! Then @Mya000 is hosting a escape room in the positivity room later 😋 it's gonna be a great halloween 🎃🎃 merry pumpkin day everyone ❤
@Tinywhisper11
Hello, it's so nice to hear that you enjoyed the holiday this year with your other residents in the care home. Decorating pumpkins and playing a spooky game sounds incredibly fun, and I'm glad to hear that you had a good time. I wasn't able to celebrate the holiday myself due to work obligations, but I did get a nice meal for myself later that Halloween day. Thanks again for sharing your fun holiday plans!
@PeacePink
Thank you for this amazing check-in!
1) How do you generally feel about Halloween? Does your country or the place you come from celebrate the holiday? Do you dislike it or have fond memories related to it you would like to share?
I personally don't like Halloween. It's not as greatly celebrated in Switzerland as in the US, but there are still people walking around in costumes, knocking on doors, etc. I've always been really afraid of these people in costumes and the felt invasion into my home.
2) Do you have any plans for celebrating Halloween this year or any tips or ideas for unique activities to make the most of the holiday?
No, I don't celebrate it.
3) What are some examples you have seen of inappropriate or excellent portrayals of mental illness in horror films and Halloween events? What are some ways you think this issue can be tackled?
I'm not sure as I don't watch horror films or celebrate Halloween.
@audienta
I understand your reasoning for not liking Halloween; for one, it's not as common in your country, and additionally, the people wearing costumes feel invasive and could be potentially dangerous. I personally like horror movies, but I respect your lack of interest in them. They can make people feel frightened or uncomfortable and can be very gruesome or ***--they're horror movies after all.
@PeacePink
Absolutely! I have enough anxiety without horror movies...
@PeacePink
1) How do you generally feel about Halloween? It used to be alright, but now people do to much to hurt the children.
Does your country or the place you come from celebrate the holiday? My country does celebrate, but most children don't go out on the streets for candy. They go to businesses or churches.
Do you dislike it or have fond memories related to it you would like to share? I had a few fun memories of Halloween.
2) Do you have any plans for celebrating Halloween this year or any tips or ideas for unique activities to make the most of the holiday? None
3) What are some examples you have seen of inappropriate or excellent portrayals of mental illness in horror films and Halloween events? What are some ways you think this issue can be tackled? I have not seen any horror movies and I only watch comedy shows.
@WorkingitThrough2
I agree with you that a holiday where many children may be running off from their parents or guardian and getting near stranger's house can be a massive issue and has potential to put children in dangerous situations. I suppose that is why it is so important that children are appropriately supervised in holidays like these to make sure that they are safe. I'm glad to hear that you have some fun memories of Halloween though, and I'm not surprised that you don't celebrate Halloween anymore, as we are both adults. I also really love comedy shows by the way!
@PeacePink - Happy Halloweenmas
1) How do you generally feel about Halloween? Does your country or the place you come from celebrate the holiday? Do you dislike it or have fond memories related to it you would like to share?
I really wasn't allowed to celebrate it or any holidays. I celebrated once when I was a toddler with my dad, I think I was a little bat. But since I've been an adult, I am bringing the magic back. I'm reclaiming holiday stuff for me and what it means to me.
2) Do you have any plans for celebrating Halloween this year or any tips or ideas for unique activities to make the most of the holiday?
The past few years, I've painted landscapes on pumpkins. It's fun. It's a good time to watch a silly spooky movie. It can be a time to share stories of the past and the things we've overcome. I also like all the colored lights and some of the cute decorations that come out.
Stay safe everyone!
@wontwakewontsleep
You have been on my mind lately, I could not remember your username the right way, so glad to see you here. Hope all is going well❤️
@WorkingitThrough2 - Aw that is quite sweet, thank you. Sending good beams to you in return ✨
@wontwakewontsleep
I'm sorry to hear that you didn't have time to celebrate holidays growing up, but I'm happy to hear that you have been reclaiming these moments for yourself and developing a personal meaning with them. I also am an artist and painter, so I respect your ability to be able to paint landscapes on pumpkins--what type of paints do you use? Do you have a preference for certain scenery--like mountains, forest, ocean, desert, or others? I would love to hear more about your impressive hobby. And it's nice that you also watch movies and think of Halloween as potentially reflective time. Stay safe as well!
@PeacePink
1) How do you generally feel about Halloween? Does your country or the place you come from celebrate the holiday? Do you dislike it or have fond memories related to it you would like to share?
I have mixed feelings about it. I don't like the gore and extremely dark parts associated with it, but I like the cutesy spooky, or "spoopy" parts, like cute carved pumpkins, or a ghosting drawing. For the most part I have fond memories of dressing up to go "trick-or-treating" and getting candy from the neighbors. The US where I come from celebrates it.
2) Do you have any plans for celebrating Halloween this year or any tips or ideas for unique activities to make the most of the holiday?
If it's available near you I would recommend going to a corn maze, or carving pumpkins if you want to get artistic. I also have been playing classic Halloween tunes to dance to.
3) What are some examples you have seen of inappropriate or excellent portrayals of mental illness in horror films and Halloween events? What are some ways you think this issue can be tackled?
Well, a big one to me is "Split" which does a huge disservice to people who have DID. I think it can be tackled by having disclaimers at the start of the movie, and by showing more accurate portrayals of mental illness. It's not going to be perfect, but we can do a lot better.
Thanks for the Halloween check-in! :)
@WriteToHeal42
I agree with what you are saying; Halloween can be both scary yet fun depending on what aspect you look at. I've personally never been to a corn maze before, but I have carved pumpkins in the past for the holiday; what is the experience of going through a corn maze like?
Moreover, I have never watched the movie "Split," but I have heard of it and have watched the trailer for it in relation to a university psychology class. I absolutely support the idea of having new movies with more accurate portrayals of mental illness. Almost every movie that seems to be out there about DID has the character with DID as an antagonist or criminal, but those with DID are the ones most likely to be victims of crimes and abuse themselves.
1) How do you generally feel about Halloween? Does your country or the place you come from celebrate the holiday? Do you dislike it or have fond memories related to it you would like to share?
I like the holiday, but there isn't any way for me to celebrate it anymore. I believe that trick-or-treat is for children, and I'm 62 years old. I like to watch a horror movie on Halloween, but I had a different movie to watch today. I'll watch a horror movie in a few days or so.
2) Do you have any plans for celebrating Halloween this year or any tips or ideas for unique activities to make the most of the holiday?
No
3) What are some examples you have seen of inappropriate or excellent portrayals of mental illness in horror films and Halloween events? What are some ways you think this issue can be tackled?
They often make the monsters be mentally ill people, as in the slasher films, which I don't watch. From the few I've seen, they seem to be sadistic, sick people who just want to hurt others.
@WharfRat
Hi, good to see you too ❤️
@WharfRat
I agree with you that Halloween tends to be age-related and generally a kid's thing, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can't celebrate it in your own way. I think it's cool that you watch a horror movie around Halloween-time! What are your favorite horror movies?
Also, it is sad that mentally ill people are often turned into monsters in horror films, and a lot more work can be done in the movie industry to improve this problem.
@PeacePin
Thank you for making me part of this beautiful activity , i am J S from India and and yes , we Indian also celebrate Halloween by enjoying good food and horror theme but in a fun way , we do dance and wear costume of famous ghost character.
i like joker movie a lot the way the character did justice with the role and was struggling with his loneliness. it gives message that everyone need awareness about mental health and its absolutely healthy to choose to go to
counselor and take therapy.
@JSGaur
I think it's really cool that you enjoy good food and fun horror-themed stuff on Halloween. The Joker movie is pretty complicated because they did show a lot of his struggles with loneliness and mental illness and troubles with gaining appropriate support and help. It is true though that the Joker movie also showed a very violent depiction of mental illness and might have also produced stigma that people with mental health problems are very likely to hurt others. I did enjoy the movie too though because the pacing, the cinema, and storyline were well-crafted.
