The sun is going down, lights go out one by one and kids begin flooding the streets. There are ghosts and vampires, pirates and princesses, cardboard boxes and carefully crafted paper mache masks.
The wind feels crisper, the moon brighter. It’s so close you can smell it. It’s Halloween night.
So why do we love All Hallows’ Eve? While on the surface it may appear to be merely a love of candy and scary movies, Amanda Giles, an organizer of the Portsmouth Halloween Parade, thinks it stems from much more.
“Halloween gives us a chance to dress up and take on a different persona, pretend to be something that we might not be or let out a piece of ourselves that we don’t always feel safe with,” Giles says. “I think this time of year there is so much mystery and magic and a little unknown. We get to play with that, we get to dance with that mystery.”
Another view on this topic was given by Rachel Pozzetti, the teacher in charge of the scary movie club here at PHS.
“I think Halloween forces the other things out that people are usually uncomfortable with. Like fear and sadness and darkness,” Pozzetti states. “I think it’s interesting because I think people push happiness but Halloween makes you feel all these other things.”
A USA Today article “The psychology of fear, and why some people love being scared on Halloween” by Jennifer Borresen and Karina Zaiets, explores that fear and darkness aspect of Halloween.
Getting scared releases dopamine and endorphins making the experience of fear enjoyable. According to USA Today, we enjoy Halloween and scary movies because we know that, though it is scary, we are safe.
When questioned about Halloween memories, many adults went into full detail of memories they remember from their childhood: Handmade costumes, trick or treating alone for the first time, collecting as much candy as possible.
Sam Trotter, a dad in the Portsmouth area, said “Even when you’re in high school you should definitely enjoy [Halloween]. Don’t be too cool for Halloween. One day you’re going to be old, you’re going to be like man, I could’ve used those extra four years of Halloween.”
Many parents may feel the same way, believing a big part of Halloween ends when childhood does, but Halloween never ends.
The Portsmouth area is a great place to be for Halloween with many different activities and events for all ages. If you are looking for Halloween related events check out: Halloween happenings in 2025 around Seacoast and Halloween Events Go Portsmouth.
