Junior Andre Young: Halloween
On Halloween, which is celebrated on Oct. 31, many people dress up as monsters, ghosts or other characters as part of the holiday. Originally a religious holiday established to ward off dead souls and apparitions returning to the homes of the living, Halloween was popularized in the U.S. in the late 1850s by a new influx of immigrants, particularly from Ireland. Fast forward to the modern day, Halloween has evolved into a night of trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, eating candy and socializing among the younger generations. Junior Andre Young has participated in Halloween activities since he was a child. 鈥淚 have celebrated Halloween for basically my whole life, ever since elementary school,鈥 he said. Today鈥檚 Halloween has branched out from its religious origins. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 consider myself as a religious person, and I don鈥檛 think that Halloween has the same religious ties as it did centuries ago,鈥 Young said. In line with its roots, Halloween continues to be a time for meeting with old friends, as well as making new ones. 鈥淚 have made dozens of friends of all ages just walking around the neighborhood trick-or-treating,鈥 Young said. 鈥淎s I grew up, the focus shifted from the candy and the costumes to spending valuable time with friends and family.鈥 Halloween is also a chance for families to spend time together decorating their houses and preparing candy to distribute. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 really decorated our house for a while, but we will this year, since we will be moving into a new house,鈥 Young said. 鈥淢y sister is also returning home from college for the first time in four years, so decorating will be a fun family activity.鈥 Young has already made plans for Halloween this year. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited for this Halloween [because] it鈥檒l be the first one post-COVID,鈥 Young said. 鈥淚鈥檒l probably dress up as a Hawaiian tourist this time.鈥