Students at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) have various attitudes towards the infamous spooky holiday, Halloween. Many Dragons have different traditions for the day that make the holiday something to look forward to, while others do not participate in the celebration entirely.
Halloween is a holiday believed to have originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain, which acknowledged the transition between life and death, according to an article by Britannica. It is also the first day of Allhallowtide, a triduum some Christians celebrate over three days to commemorate those who have died. According to a History article, people in the Middle Ages dressed in disguises to go door to door asking for food in exchange for performances and prayers.
According to Britannica Kids, those who celebrate Halloween may have a variety of traditions that stem from those of different places and eras. Popular Halloween traditions include: trick-or-treating, watching seasonal movies, decorating festively or attending themed parties.
“I really enjoy Halloween because it’s a very fun holiday, overall … There’s a lot of activities that you can do,” Sunny Roberts ‘28 said.
Another student who celebrates Halloween, Luciana Franco ‘29, said that her biggest tradition has been, “going out with friends … and then watching a scary movie after.” Franco, along with others, spends the holiday sharing time with friends while participating in activities as a group to create lasting fun memories.
Students may take part in the holiday without celebrating certain festivities, like Eponine Larsen ‘28. “I’m not a huge fan of the whole demonic, scary stuff, but I love dressing up and hanging out with my friends,” Larsen said.
Christopher Tomines ‘28 expressed a different opinion on this topic, explaining his lack of enthusiasm for keeping the holiday going. “I don’t celebrate Halloween anymore. I think I just outgrew it because I just have more responsibilities now with school and other extracurricular stuff,” Tomines said. Similar to him, a fair share of students at Foothill Tech may not take part in traditions of the holiday due to personal obligations and commitments, but still acknowledge the day as a special time for many to connect with others.
“I do really like Halloween, but I don’t really go trick-or-treating that much because my neighborhood is really small,” Gabrielle Woo ‘28 said.
Dragons at Foothill Tech have unique ways to celebrate Halloween, such as trick-or-treating with those they are close to, watching movies found to be emotional or recognizing the day as special to others. Regardless of whether they celebrate the holiday, Halloween is an opportunity for students to spend time with friends and family, acknowledging the day as one to spend however they choose.
