Celebrating Halloween in the Workplace
Celebrated each year on October 31, Halloween is a spooktacular holiday filled with tricks and treats. Children, teenagers and adults dress up, engage in mischievous tricks, distribute and consume large amounts of candy and look forward to a truly frightening experience.
Halloween is celebrated by a number of countries around the world including USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia, Germany and Spain. Each country has their own method of celebration, however, some traditions are universal.
Before we delve into the ins and outs of Halloween and how to celebrate appropriately, let’s take a look at its origin.
These pumpkins are a DEI approved symbol for Halloween.
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The Origin of Halloween
The history of Halloween is quite complex, but for the sake of this article let’s simplify it. It all began with the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marks the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter. The holiday is celebrated on November 1 each year, but festivities begin the night before (October 31).
All Saints Day is another holiday celebrated on the first of November, but it came into existence much later. All Saints Day honors the saints of the Christian church, known or unknown. The night before is known as All Hallows Eve.
Eventually, the traditions of the two holidays merged to form Halloween.
How Is Halloween Celebrated?
Ghost Stories
Telling ghost stories is a practice as old as time itself. However, the rise of gothic fiction in the late 18th century inspired popular horror stories such as Frankenstein. It could be argued that gothic fiction paved the way for authors such as Stephen King and directors such as Jordan Peele, who captivate audiences in the horror genre. In fact, ghosts are no longer the focus of these stories; sometimes they are not even a part of the storyline.
Trick-or-Treat
This centuries old tradition has Celtic, Roman and British roots. “Trick-or-Treat” can even be traced back to medieval times! Today, trick-or-treating is common practice among children and teenagers.
How does one trick-or-treat? Walk up to a home and knock on the door or ring the doorbell. When the homeowner answers, say “trick-or-treat”. The homeowner must choose between a mischievous trick or providing a treat. Most homeowners opt for the treat. On the night of Halloween, children and teenagers roam neighborhoods in groups with baskets to collect their treats.
Costumes
Everyone knows Halloween would not be complete without costumes. Costumes originate from the Scottish and Irish practice of “guising” circa late 19th century. Some choose to wear the same costume several years in a row while others opt to change it up from year-to-year.
There are hundreds of costume ideas waiting to be worn. In recent years, you may have noticed that pet owners have decided to dress up their cats and dogs in honor of Halloween.
Parties and Games
Halloween parties are widely celebrated. Guests are invited to themed parties where they are encouraged to wear costumes, play games and consume treats.
Perhaps one of the most beloved Halloween party games is murder mystery. This game requires multiple players and one organizer. Each player is assigned a character and everyone must work together to determine who among them is the murderer.
Spooky Movies
Watching themed movies and/or horror movies is an integral part of the modern Halloween celebration. Popular scary movie franchises include “Halloween”, “Scream”, “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, and “Friday the 13th”.
Family-friendly movies include “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Hocus Pocus”, “Spooky Buddies”, “Halloweentown” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”.
Grab your popcorn and check out these iconic films.
Haunted Attractions
In the spirit of being scared, many people travel to haunted attractions during the month of October. Perhaps the most popular haunted attraction is the haunted house.
Complete with ghosts and ghouls (often portrayed by actors), haunted houses are quite terrifying. Some are straightforward in their design while others resemble a maze. Despite their acclaim, some argue that haunted houses did not become a cultural phenomena until Walt Disney built the Haunted Mansion in 1969.
Pumpkin Carving
Carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns is a long-standing Irish tradition. In order to carve a pumpkin, remove the top to create a lid. Take a spoon, preferably a large one, and scoop out the flesh. Once the flesh has been removed, carve a design into the rind of the pumpkin. Insert a candle or tealight to give it a spooky glow.
How To Celebrate Halloween Inclusively
Perhaps the largest barriers to an inclusive Halloween celebration are costumes and activities that engage in the mockery of others. Take a look around your office. There are people of various ethnicities, abilities, genders and they are a diverse group of people with diverse experiences.
If you would refrain from making an inappropriate remark about them, why wear a costume or participate in an activity that mocks a part of them? Furthermore, it’s important to ensure that all employees are accommodated when planning a Halloween activity and/or event.
Do any of your employees have dietary restrictions, mental or physical disabilities that would impede their ability to participate? If so, adjust the specifications accordingly so that all employees feel included.
Choose to celebrate Halloween in a respectful manner while still having fun. It can be done!
Appropriate Halloween Costumes for the Workplace
There are hundreds of costumes that are appropriate for the workplace. There are also plenty of “costumes” that are not workplace appropriate (or appropriate in general).
Costumes should not mock ethnicity and culture, mental and physical ability, general appearance, eating disorders, mental illness, sexuality and gender identity, Indigenous peoples, animal cruelty, homelessness, tragedy or death.
These costumes are not appropriate and they are not amusing. In fact, they are harmful to individuals and groups alike. When picking out a costume, keep the aforementioned in mind.
If you’re having trouble perfecting your costume, here are several attire ideas that are suitable for the workplace:
Characters
Detective
Magician
Scientist
Artist
Judge
Clown
Athlete
Adventurer
Astronaut
Superhero
Doctor
The Classics
Vampire
Skeleton
Witch
Ghost
Bat
Werewolf
General Categories
Animals
Fruits
Vegetables
Condiments
Non-alcoholic Drinks
Utensils
Halloween Fun for All
Halloween is a time for delicious treats, silly tricks, spooktacular activities and overall excitement.
In order to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy Halloween, refrain from wearing costumes or engaging in activities that mock others. It is highly inappropriate, unprofessional and disrespectful, particularly in the workplace.
Cultivate an inclusive atmosphere this Halloween season, the celebration will be better than ever before!
