Why has Halloween become so popular among adults? – Rogers County Blue Star Mothers
Some blame Millennials’ refusal to grow up and enter the “real world”.
But this is too simplistic an explanation. I have studied how young adults celebrate Halloween and what kind of relationship it might have with the changing standards and expectations of adulthood.
The Halloween embrace by young adults might have something to do with the fact that adulthood itself has changed.
If Halloween has become more popular with adults, it’s because the traditional markers of adulthood have become less clear and less attainable.
Sociologists tell us if you want to understand a culture, look at its holidays. Christmas gift rituals shed light on the way we deal with social relationships. Thanksgiving holidays depend on a shared understanding of family and national histories.
In recent years, psychologists and sociologists have coined a term for this transitional stage of life, which typically spans the twenties and thirties: “emerging into adulthood.”
According to these experts, characteristics of emerging adulthood can include exploration of identity, self-focus and feeling caught between two worlds. There is also a sense of wonder and possibility.
Obviously, Halloween costumes allow them to experiment and explore themselves and their identity. The possibilities are limitless. Witch? Couple of robots? Sexy robot? Emoji? Banksy’s shredded art?
Young adults I’ve spoken to often identify this as their favorite part of a vacation – the chance to be, at least for one night, what they wish they were.
Costumes are a job of identity, but they are also quite simply a job. This is important in a world where many young adults are stuck in unsatisfying jobs.
Culture critic Malcolm Harris argues that young adults – despite being highly educated and hardworking compared to older cohorts – rarely find jobs that match their educational qualifications and abilities.
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