It’s Alive! Halloween Traditions Thrive at Ramapo

Photo courtesy of Ewan Traveler, Flickr Creative Commons

Ramapo students will be finding themselves on the other side of the door this Halloween season with the costume-toting and candy-hunting season just around the corner. There are plenty of ways to get into the Halloween spirit this year. With the holiday falling on a Friday, many Ramapo students will not be stuck in late night classes or have any Saturday morning obligations.

As we grow older we start to lose the passion we had for Halloween. As college students, we do not get as excited to go out and trick-or-treat. 

Estherline Ledesma, a sophomore, said, “I can’t go trick-or-treating anymore because its weird. I used to like going trick-or-treating, but now I like giving away the treats and watching the little kids run away after getting their candy. It’s so cute.”

While students no longer go out door to door to collect candy, they can stay in the spirit by giving out treats to those still young enough to appreciate the holiday to the fullest extent. 

Besides being frightened and scared, fruit picking is still at its height at local farms. Raspberries, apples and corn are still growing profusely in New Jersey; ready to be picked by eager, hungry college students. Pumpkins are also ready to be painted and carved into made-up characters. 

As time goes on, it is important to keep childhood traditions alive even though some key aspects of what Halloween is to kids changes as people get older. Students are welcome to decorate their dormitories with a variety of Halloween paraphernalia, which is a surefire way to keep up one portion of tradition. In addition, one way to remain spirited is to huddle around a television with friends and partake in a scary movie marathon. 

“I was always going out to get the candy. I was very picky about my candy. If you gave me a little candy bar I didn’t like that. I wanted the big bars so I would go to the nicer neighborhoods," said junior Gary Kelley. "It’s different though, I see the joy in the kid’s faces and that’s how I used to be. I’m going to be at my Aunt’s house giving out candy. It’s for the kids.”

rblake@ramapo.edu