It’s October. The weather has turned, midterms have begun, and you are reminded of the person you become as the days get shorter and your readings get longer and longer. Thanksgiving comes and goes, alongside the initial autumnal excitement. The crows sound a bit later in the evening, and something nefarious is a-brewin’…

Halloweekend is perhaps the most anticipated weekend of the school year — however, it is also one of the most dreaded. For seasoned Halloweekend’ers, we understand how quickly your weekend can turn from spooky in a fun way to horrifying in a… well, horror way. As someone who still shudders when memories of past Halloweens resurface, I have made it my personal mission to maximize my 2026 Halloweekend experience, with the following official 2026 Halloweekend Survival Guide: 

The Budget

The idea that Christmas is the most expensive holiday is deceiving — between the costumes, alcohol, decorations and emotional labour, Halloween is by far the priciest holiday. 

Consider putting away some money here and there for  Halloween contingency budgeting. The alcohol you bought for the weekend will be gone after night one. You will need one more costume than you think you do. And no, you won’t be “okay to take the bus.” Go ahead and add to your grocery list for the week: Advil,and immune system shots. You’ll need it.

The Costumes 

Remember being in fourth grade, sobbing your way to school Halloween morning because your princess dress was stuffed under your bright yellow rain jacket, and your kitten heels were in your back pack because you had to wear boots to school? Well, not to be that person, but maybe your parents were onto something. Turns out, a hoe does get cold. She also gets walking pneumonia (it’s a thing. Google it). If your costume involves minimal clothing you  really only have one option (because obviously you didn’t move across the country to adhere to your parents fourth grade rule of jacket-wearing), which is to clear your schedule for the next week and a half — you’ll have a smoker’s cough, a permanently runny nose, and something that ((probably)) isn’t an STI…but you might as well just get tested anyway. 

Intrusive Costume Thoughts You Should Identify Now 

You committed to too many group costumes… everyone bailed on the group costume and you certainly can’t be Baby Spice on your own… no one gets your niche homemade costume referencing a side character from a movie approximately three people have seen… your friend lost the top you were planning on wearing…the last minute costume you ordered isn’t going to arrive on time… everyone had the same idea as you… just because it works on Pinterest, doesn’t mean it will work on campus.

The Parties

The moment you’ve been waiting for! Avoid any party where the lights are on, there is a shoes-off policy, or there is only one washroom. AirTag your friends so you can find them easily. Maybe also AirTag the hottest person you see to ensure your ability to retain non-committal eye contact with them throughout the night. Obviously that’s a joke. But definitely AirTag any possession you wish to still possess once the weekend is over. When you go to the washroom, film yourself recounting what has happened in the night thus far, and consult the video Sunday morning to assemble the puzzle pieces of the weekend, ((The Hangover)) style. 

The Halloween Hookup 

It’s inevitable. Something about the allure of disguise, the wind, the dark, and the copious amount of Cutwater that you ((didn’t)) cut with water. This isn’t an idealistic survival guide, it’s a realistic one. Ideally, you could avoid the haunting Halloweekend hookup altogether. With that being said, keep the following in mind: 1) the clothes you will have to put on the next morning may be your costume… 2) face makeup blends 3) you can always steal bedsheets, cut holes for eyes, and do the walk of shame as an anonymous ghost. 

The Sunday Scaries 

There is no way to avoid them. The Halloweekend Sunday Scaries are the spookiest of them all. When did you wash off your full face of makeup? Who’s wig is that? How did glitter get in your sheets? Is that makeup or blood? Were those handcuffs part of someone’s costume? Here are some affirmations to practice Sunday morning: 

• Your hookup’s unwoke costume doesn’t reflect that badly on you!
• You totally did pull off the costume better than the person who had the same one!

• There is at least one photo in your camera roll you can post!
• That’s not a tickle in your throat, you’re fine!
• You needed that pizza at 3 a.m.! 
• You’ll get that assignment done in ((no)) time!
• You’re glowing! You sound healthy! Your boss won’t notice your sluggish pace!
• Everything you did this weekend was ((entirely)) worth it!

It is imperative to understand that surviving the night does not mean emerging unscathed. May Halloweekend 2026 not haunt you! And if it does, take heart: you have a whole entire year to recover!