You may be a witch, but not a wicked one. You may be an angel, but not the kind with wings. Reading this article about how to respond to “Happy Halloween” greetings as a non-celebrator who isn’t interested in going trick-or-treating or carving pumpkins, or attending haunted house attractions. This is probably the most challenging time of year for people who aren’t interested in celebrating Halloween as much as they are interested in avoiding it like the plague. This blog post covers everything from how to respond to “Happy Halloween” gags as a non-celebrator who isn’t interested in dressing up or eating candy, to why you should never trust anyone who gives you a black cat as a gift during October, no matter how cute it is.
How To Respond To ‘happy Halloween’?
1. Don’t take it at face value
When you hear that catchphrase, don’t take it at face value. Instead, look beyond the words to see what hidden meanings might be lurking in the shadows. Be aware that it’s a common greeting to use at this time of the year. People use it because they’re trying to be cordial since the day is all about celebrating Halloween. It’s a time when people can wear costumes to express themselves, letting their inner child out to play. There’s no need to take the greeting as an actual invitation to engage in a full-blown conversation. Rather, it’s a quick way to acknowledge the person who’s saying it. If you want to be courteous, you can say, “Thanks.” Then, go about your business as if nothing happened. If you want to engage in a little chitchat, but not take it too far, you can respond with, “What are you dressing up as this year?” That lets the other person know that you’re open to conversation, but not a full-blown, in-depth discussion.
2. Be playful and have fun with it
The Halloween greeting is a call for celebration, so why not have some fun with it? If you’re in a playful mood, you might respond with, “What are you going to dress up as?” You’re not being confrontational. Rather, you’re being playful and letting the other person know that you’re open to a bit of lighthearted banter. A playful response is bound to make the other person smile. It might even give them something to talk about in the company of their friends later on. If you want to go even further with this, you can respond with, “What are you going to do?” This is another invitation to lighthearted banter. It’s also an invitation to a full-blown conversation.
3. Acknowledge that you know what they mean
Sometimes, it’s best to acknowledge that you know what the other person means. Say, for instance, you’re on your way to work and you’re dressed in your business attire. Someone says to you, “Happy Halloween!” If you’re in a rush and you don’t have time to stop and engage with the other person, you can acknowledge what they mean by replying, “Thanks.” Then, you can quickly walk away. This way, you acknowledge the other person’s greeting without lingering too long. If you’re in a playful mood, you can respond with, “What are you going to do?” Again, you acknowledge what they meant by their statement, but you’re inviting them to engage in lighthearted banter. If you’re in a more serious mood, you can respond with, “What are you going to dress up as?” This way, you acknowledge that they meant to say “dressing up,” but you don’t invite them to a full-blown conversation. Instead, you can continue with whatever you were doing before you were interrupted.
4. Turn the phrase on its head
If you want to be a bit more confrontational, you can turn the phrase on its head. Let’s say that you’re fed up with being told “Happy Halloween!” You can respond with, “I’m not celebrating Halloween.” There’s nothing confrontational about this at all. Instead, it’s a way to state your feelings. It’s almost like a protest but in a mild, non-confrontational way. Of course, you can also turn the phrase on its head if you aren’t in the mood to celebrate Halloween because you’re too busy working. At that point, you might respond with, “Thanks, but I’m not celebrating Halloween.” This way, you acknowledge that they meant to say “Happy Halloween!” but you turn the phrase on its head by stating how you’re not celebrating it. This can also be a good way for shy people to avoid getting into a full-blown conversation about their feelings about this holiday.
5. Confront the inherent racism in the statement
If you’re feeling daring and if you have the courage to be confrontational, you can confront the inherent racism in the statement. Of course, this would be the last thing on your mind if you are just someone who is going about their daily business and is interrupted by a stranger who says, “Happy Halloween!” Let’s say that you’re dressed in a business suit and someone says to you, “Happy Halloween!” You don’t have to engage with the person and you don’t have to confront them either. Instead, you can just walk away. You don’t have to engage with that person at all. On the other hand, if you feel compelled to confront the person, you can respond with, “Why are you celebrating my death?” This is confrontational and it’s bound to get the person thinking about their actions and words. You can go even further by responding with, “Why are you celebrating my death?” This way, it’s clear that you’re not downplaying the significance of the death of indigenous people. This is a way to confront the person’s underlying racism.
The Problem With “Happy Halloween” Greetings
- Given the various meanings behind the term “Halloween,” you may not even celebrate the holiday when someone sends you “Happy Halloween” greetings. Why? Because the term “Halloween” can refer to any of these three holidays:
- Samhain: A Pagan festival that some modern Pagans still observe today.
- The Celtic New Year: A holiday that marks the end of the harvest season.
- Modern Halloween: A commercial holiday that’s celebrated mostly with costumes, trick-or-treating, and lots of candy. The fact that three different holiday traditions are all called “Halloween” can cause confusion, especially if you don’t celebrate any of these celebrations.
- So if you get “Happy Halloween” greetings around the time of October 31st, you may not know whether the sender is referring to the Samhain festival or the Halloween commercial holiday.
2 More Ways To Respond To ‘happy Halloween’
- Samhain: If you respond to “Happy Halloween” by referencing the Samhain holiday, you can say something like, “Thanks! I’ll be celebrating on October 31st by honoring the Celtic New Year.” You can also say, “I’ll be celebrating by staying indoors, away from the spirits!” Celtic New Year: If you respond to “Happy Halloween” by referencing the Celtic New Year, you can say something like, “Thanks! I’ll be celebrating on October 31st by looking back on all the things I’ve accomplished this year.” You can also say, “I’ll be celebrating by appreciating the harvest I’ve gathered.”
- Modern Halloween: If you respond to “Happy Halloween” by referencing the modern commercial holiday, you can say something like, “Thanks! I’ll be celebrating on October 31st by wearing a scary costume and handing out candy to kids.” You can also say, “I’ll be celebrating by getting dressed up in a costume, eating candy, and going to haunted houses!”
Tips For Avoiding Halloween And Its Celebrations
- If you hate Halloween, you may want to avoid this holiday as much as possible. Fortunately, you can do this by:
- Visiting friends and family who don’t celebrate Halloween.
- Going to alternative Halloween events, like cosplay conventions.
- Enjoying non-Halloween activities, like going to the movies or visiting museums.
- Avoiding social media and news coverage of Halloween events.
- Spending time indoors, away from trick-or-treaters and haunted house attractions. – Keeping your lights off so you don’t get accidentally involved in Halloween.
- Avoiding Halloween decorations, Halloween-themed cookies and candies, and costumes.
- Working from home or taking an online course so you don’t have to go to work or school on October 31st.
- Keeping your house as dark as possible to avoid accidentally celebrating Halloween. Or, if you’re really dedicated to avoiding Halloween, you can travel on October 31st.
- You can also stay indoors and avoid all Halloween-related decorations, events, and decorations.
Conclusion
The term “Happy Halloween” can refer to any of the three-holiday traditions commonly called Halloween. You can respond to “Happy Halloween” greetings by referencing any of these three holidays. If you hate Halloween, you can avoid the commercial holiday by staying indoors, keeping your house dark, and avoiding all Halloween.
