By Uttkarsh Kumar Singh, Junior Reporter
Last October was my first Halloween in Brandon, and I genuinely thought everyone had collectively lost it.
I'm walking to Brodie Building for my 8 AM class, half-asleep, and there's a guy dressed as a giant banana. In the library. Studying. Nobody even blinked!!! Back in Delhi where I have spent most of my life till now, this would've broken the internet. Here? Just a normal Tuesday before Halloween. The first thing I noticed was:
The Costume Crisis
My Canadian roommate asked in September, "What are you going to be as for Halloween?"
"...Myself?" I replied, confused.
He looked horrified. Apparently, that's not an option. So, I panicked and hit Walmart, where costumes were either $60 (I'm a broke student, so kinda everything is out of my reach right now) or required understanding GenZ pop culture I definitely don't have. I ended up going as a "tired international student" – regular clothes, extra coffee, visible dark circles. Surprisingly accurate. And to be honest I had a
Cultural Shock, Literally
The whole trick-or-treat concept still baffles me. In Delhi, if kids knocked on random doors demanding candy, their parents would get calls. Here, it's adorable? Though I respect the hustle – it's basically extortion with exceptional value marketing.
And everyone keeps trying to scare me with ghost stories. Guys, I'm from India. We have an entire fort in Delhi where people leave letters for ghosts. My grandmother’s ghost stories would make your Netflix horror shows look like Peppa Pig. We literally have a whole fortnight dedicated to honouring dead ancestors. We invented spooky season. And let's not the forget
The Manitoba Reality
Here's what shocked me most: Halloween in Manitoba is FREEZING like the creatures that used to live in Game of Thrones. October in Delhi is still 25°C and pleasant. Here? I saw kids trick-or-treating in winter jackets OVER their costumes. One kid was supposed to be Spider-Man but looked like a marshmallow with a mask.
Also, carving pumpkins when your hands are already numb from walking across campus? No thanks.
What I've Learned
After surviving my first BU Halloween, I finally get it. It's not really about costumes or candy (okay, maybe a little about candy – those mini-Snickers hit different when you're broke). It's about everyone collectively deciding that being weird and being you is not just acceptable but encouraged. As an international student constantly worried about fitting in, that's kind of beautiful.
Next year, I'm going full desi-Canadian fusion: handing out samosas with candy, dressing as a Bollywood ghost in a white kurta, and teaching my friends about (evil eye) – way scarier than any haunted house.
To my fellow international students at BU: embrace the chaos. After surviving Canadian winters, visa paperwork, and Brandon's wind chill, we're already living in a horror movie. Might as well get some free chocolate out of it.
Happy Halloween, BU! Or as my grandmother says, "Watch out for ghosts!"
P.S. – The day-after Halloween candy sales? That's universal student culture right there.