It’s that long awaited time of year again. Candy goes on sale in local grocery stores and little kids start obsessing over their unique and creative Halloween costume ideas. With this change in season comes a lot of new activities people decide to do with their friends and family to celebrate the time of year. What do you think of when you first hear the word “Halloween”? When most people answer this question, haunted houses and nail-biting horror movies come to mind. The rush of adrenaline that comes from a jumpscare by a clown or doll is addicting for many people—not just teenagers. 

You may be asking yourself, what is it about these scary activities that people love? Getting scared to death and being on the edge of your seat may not be appealing to some. 

However, Leslie Nordman, 9, is an avid haunted house lover and said her favorite parts of these houses are “the jump scares and adrenaline” because it gives her “a rush of excitement”. 

Although this Halloween season revolves around the theme of fear, many people are not as enthusiastic about being scared. Ashlyn Thomas, 10, is not a fan of scary movies. “They’re just creepy, like the random jump scares and how dead everyone looks. Plus there is always that creepy background music that makes you paranoid that something bad is going to happen”, said Thomas. Not only do people fear the actual movie or haunted house, but they are also terrified of the gory and creepy images staying in their head long after they want. After having a bad experience with a horror movie, Thomas said, “I just thought about the movie a lot and I’d go sleepless for a night just thinking about it”.

But all the horror-movie lovers and haters can both come to an agreement—Halloween should be enjoyable for everyone. Just because you are not in the mood for a fright does not mean that you shouldn’t be able to have a good time. There are so many Halloween-related things to do that aren’t as gory or terrifying. Whether it be pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, or apple picking, there are endless activities for everyone to enjoy, so get excited for this Halloween season!