Every country in the world should take an active part in fancy dress occasions like Hallowe'en. Our capital city is a glorious menagerie of bizarre, sublime, ridiculous and sometimes wrong costumes. At the same time the reputation of Hallowe'en has taken a severe downturn in this and countless other countries. In the eyes of many, the event has become an excuse for people to wear as little clothes as possible and engage in anonymous sexual activity under the cover of masquerade.
This masquerade warrants further discussion as it is surely not as simple as donning unusual attire as a protective mechanism. We all engage in disguise on various levels. The idea of self deception and creating alternative personalities and narratives for ourselves has been discussed more than enough and stands as an example of our need to pretend and project. The bottom line however, is that while we are disguised we feel more free to explore our natures. This can range from a simple flailing of the arms on a dance floor, to an arguably dangerous encounter with a stranger.
It is very easy to deride such events as an excuse for debauchery. It becomes a focal point for a certain fear. The fear that we all have about our own naturally created 'disguises'. Underneath these masquerades perhaps we are just the animals that we ethically and spiritually hold ourselves above.
...or perhaps it's just a lot of fun to dress up and pretend to be a super hero!
-The English Student
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