Halloween Amidst Psychology And Social Significance: Why Is It A Ritual For Kids And Adults?

Experts say halloween is an important social ritual that empowers children and help them learn various things. This may come as a surprise to many people who are not in the know of the psychology behind it and its social significance.

According to Deutsche Welle, anthropologists say halloween is a part of enculturation, which brings children into the cultural fold. The ritual teaches people about fear, aging, and death. They learn about why clowns are terrifying as well.

Known to many, some people think of the ritual as something as important as Christmas. Anthropology associate professor Cindy Dell Clark from Rutgers University said halloween is more than what developmental psychology understands. While developmental psychology focuses at what children would become, the ritual communicates differently. Rituals are sensory experiences that worldly take kids into the culture without the need for instruction.

As for the sensory-motor acts people make, these lead to forming a bond with the values they are becoming a part of; hence the social significance. Clark added that the sensory experience is literally part of the body. For children, halloween challenges the society's power structures. It is when the power struggles between kids and adults are temporarily upended. Also, it equates to temporary empowerment for children and even dogs. This is due to the pleasure of having treats and being able to be as powerful as the characters portrayed.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that scaring oneself actually has good effects. Experts also say that being scared can be healthy provided the person can control it. According to Jeffrey Goldstein from the Utrecht University, being frightened by plays and movies for instance can be a good kind of scared. Goldstein is a psychology professor and violence expert.

Goldstein also stressed the difference between real and fake fright. For example, the scary clown phenomenon is not something people enjoy, whereas the scary clowns seen on the silver screen can provide some entertainment. Apart from having adrenaline rush, fictional images can also lead to the brain being flooded with dopamine, the feel-good chemical that fill the brain when a person is in love.

There are numerous theories and thoughts that explain the psychology of halloween as well as its social significance. Indeed, it is more than just the scary costumes and acts that people see.