With candy, costumes and decorations galore, Halloween is a wonderful time to spend with family and friends. Many of Berkeley’s students and teachers are getting into the spirit this year and preparing for a night full of candy, costumes, pumpkins and adventure.

Signs of Halloween are becoming evident all over Tampa. From fall leaves and Jack-o’-lanterns displayed in convenience stores and supermarkets to the very slight weather change toward winter, the holiday is the epitome of autumn cheer.

Halloween has cast its fall spell over many Berkeley students. Sophomore Annie Uichanco is getting in the spirit and says her favorite part about Halloween is “picking out the costume- although it takes about a month to decide!” In previous years she has dressed up as a cupcake, a crayon, a soccer player and even a moose. Uichanco also loves eating Halloween candy and always gets a “candy hangover” the morning after. She went to Howl-O-Scream the past two years and had a lot of fun both times, but she “closed her eyes for a lot of it and held onto [her] friend because it was a little scary.”

It is a good thing Uichanco did not live back in early Celtic times if she is afraid of Howl-O-Scream. According to Jack Santino from the Library of Congress, early Celts believed that on the night that they called Samhain the souls of the dead would be raised to another world. The Celts dressed up to hide from the angry spirits, and went to neighboring houses to receive food and drink. The holiday kept some of the same practices and customs from these initial beginnings of Halloween but has evolved to have a much more cheerful connotation.

Junior Zoe Schaffel agrees that costumes are the most fun part about Halloween. On Halloween night, she says, “I usually go out with my friends and finish giving out candy to trick-or-treaters when I get home.” She says that she prefers going trick-or-treating more than distributing the candy.

Not only is the spell of Halloween affecting students, but many of Berkeley’s teachers are getting into the spirit as well. UD Academic Counselor Sandrine Guez is very excited for her favorite holiday and has already bought some Halloween candy, although she does not expect it to still be here when October 31 rolls around. Every year she decorates with “window clings, pumpkins (both real and fake), and fake spiders and spider webs.” She really loves every part of Halloween, “from the ridiculous mid- July gear displayed at CVS to trading candies late at night after returning from the quest of trick-or-treating.” As to what she will be dressing up as this year, Guez only said “I have never not dressed up!” She also made sure to clarify that as an English teacher, she was aware “that was a double negative.”

Guez, along with many other Berkeley teachers and students, always enjoys the Berkeley parade each year. The parade involves Berkeley’s Lower Division students walking around the mound to display their costumes to the rest of the school. This is a fun time for the entire school and a prominent way that Berkeley spreads the spirit of Halloween.

Halloween has greatly evolved since its early Celtic beginnings. From dark times to the wonderful fun and cheer we see today, Halloween has ignited a flame within the hearts of many, and Berkeley always celebrates the holiday with candies, costumes and lots of fun!