Why We Need Halloween (and the Switch Witch)
Once a year, society gives us permission to be absolutely ridiculous — and somehow, it’s part silly, and part holy. We call it Halloween, but what it really is, dear bright ones, is collective therapy through sugar and fear.
For one night, we shrug off the weight of being reasonable adults and return to that delightful, sticky-fingered chaos of childhood. We paint our faces, don polyester capes, and chase the high of miniature Snickers. It’s the only day of the year when being someone else — a vampire, a pirate, or a sexy traffic cone — is celebrated rather than questioned.
And oh, what freedom there is in that masquerade.
🦇 Joyful Escapism: The Candy-Coated Catharsis
Psychologists will tell you that play and role-reversal have deep emotional benefits. Jung called it shadow integration; we just call it fun. Every costume is a tiny rebellion against the mundane — a way to try on courage, chaos, or camp without lasting consequences.
So when we — the allegedly enlightened adults of the Cult of Brighter Days — don our inflatable dinosaur suits or crocheted witch hats, we’re not avoiding reality. We’re tuning it to a different frequency.
Halloween is the annual reminder that fear can be safe, play can be profound, and joy can be as simple as a candy bar in a plastic pumpkin.
🔥 Samhain: When the Veil Is Thin, but the Humor Is Thick
Our ancient ancestors gathered around bonfires on Samhain, marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of the darker months. They told ghost stories, honored their dead, and acknowledged that life and death dance hand in hand — sometimes in matching skeleton pajamas.
For the Cult of Brighter Days, that’s a profound truth wrapped in whimsy: even in the dark, we celebrate. Even in endings, we find laughter. Samhain reminds us that awe, fear, and joy often share the same bonfire.
So light a candle. Pour one out for your ancestors. But also — maybe double-check your smoke alarms.
🍭 The Switch Witch and the Boundaries of Sugar-Coated Love
And now, a word from our unofficial patron saint of emotional regulation: the Switch Witch.
You know her — she’s the mythical figure parents summon when it’s time to trade excessive candy for slightly fewer dental bills. But she’s also a stand-in for something more profound: boundaries.
Setting limits on sugar (or social media, or doomscrolling, or existential dread) isn’t about denial. It’s about discernment. The Switch Witch doesn’t take your candy to punish you — she’s helping you make room for the good stuff. Like rest. Hydration. Maybe an apple, without the caramel.
Boundaries, after all, are just grown-up magic spells that keep your joy sustainable.
So, as you hand over half your Reese’s Cups to the mysterious nocturnal candy economist, remember: she’s part of your self-care team.
🌕 A Blessing for the Bright and the Bewitched
May your costume be ridiculous,
Your laughter unrestrained,
Your fear safely theatrical,
And your candy portioned with wisdom (or at least shared fairly).
May you remember that even the silliest rituals can sanctify the soul —
And that sometimes the most philosophical thing you can do
Is put on fake fangs,
Laugh with your friends,
And thank the Switch Witch for helping you make it to November
Without a sugar hangover or an existential crisis.
Most of the Cult of Brighter Days Executive Board can be found haunting a local trunk-or-treat in mismatched costumes, handing out half-eaten candy bars and unsolicited advice and memes.
Spot us in our absurdity, if you dare.
Happy Halloween, my ghoulish philosophers.
Now go be spooky and sensible.
Trick or treat!
