When you think of Halloween, the last thing that comes to mind is homework and classes, but that’s the unfortunate reality when Halloween falls on a Tuesday. Celebrating Halloween on a weekday may initially sound disappointing, but it can actually be a lot of fun. I personally enjoy finding unconventional ways to celebrate this spooky holiday. It adds a unique twist to the celebration, requiring some creative planning. I’m here to share with you some ways to celebrate Halloween in untraditional ways.
One annual tradition that my roommate, Science Editor Erin McGee, and I cherish is watching Tim Burton’s, The Nightmare Before Christmas at least once during the last week of October, and if time allows, on Halloween itself. In the lead up to the holiday, we like to host movie nights where we watch spooky movies. Back in 2021, we watched the series, Squid Game, throughout the month of October. This year, we have been watching Bojack Horseman (not exactly a scary series, but it has its eerie moments). Watching Halloween movies while snacking on popcorn and candy is a great way to decompress and have fun, especially if waiting for trick or treaters to come to the door.
Another one of our all time favorite traditions is pumpkin painting. We try to do this every year with a small group of friends, and this year we are doing it the night of Halloween, after we get out of our night classes. We cover the kitchen table with copies of The Stute (not to disrespect my own layout), get snacks, and play a Halloween playlist. Speaking of playlists, Erin and I have a joint Spotify playlist filled with all of our favorite Halloween-centric music.
Also, you can gain a lot of Halloween spirit by simply walking around Hoboken. So many houses are decorated to the max and so walking around past these houses is a really fun activity to do (especially with a pumpkin spice latte in hand). I recommend walking along Bloomfield or Garden, these streets go all out on Halloween decor. Additionally, there are also many halloween themed drinks to find from your favorite local coffee shop. Kai Wong, Sports Writer, recently recommended adding pumpkin spice syrup in an iced chai latte from Jeffersons (which I now have to recommend to you). Jefferson’s offers a wide variety of syrups to add to your chais or coffees to make fall themed drinks. Other fan favorites include Empire Coffee’s apple chai, and bwé’s apple pie cold brew latte.
So while you can petition the government to make Halloween a national holiday so we always have the day off — for right now we have to make the most of our normal Tuesday. So get some pumpkins, curl up with a pumpkin spice latte, and watch Halloween movies in your free moments to celebrate even in the busiest of midterms’ seasons.
