Halloween begins with the simplest of joys: dress-up.
A box of old clothes, a splash of face paint, a mask pulled from the dollar store rack—suddenly we become someone else. A pirate. A witch. A glittering skeleton with bones that glow in the dark.
Costumes are invitations. They let us step out of our everyday roles and into something more playful, dramatic, or mischievous. The mail carrier becomes a zombie; the quiet kid from class turns into a roaring dragon; the exhausted parent transforms into a rock star or superhero. On Halloween, no explanation is needed—we understand the language of make-believe.
And not only in our world. In the lantern-lit town of Evernight, October never really ends, and every night is an invitation to play.
The Magic of Masks
Masks are perhaps the most powerful piece of the costume puzzle. With one slip of elastic, we hide our faces and discover new freedom. Shyness softens; boldness blooms. A mask can give us permission to exaggerate, to play, to laugh at ourselves.
Even history agrees: masks have been used for centuries in theater, ritual, and festival. They give us a chance to hold multiple truths at once—to be ourselves and not ourselves, to hide and to reveal, to shield and to shine.
The Joy of Pretending
Pretend-play isn’t just for kids. In fact, psychologists often remind us that imagination and role-play help adults relieve stress, explore identity, and connect with others. When we put on a costume, we loosen the grip of “shoulds” and “musts.” We get to ask: What would it feel like to walk the world in different shoes, or claws, or wings?
Halloween, then, is less about “hiding who we are” and more about expanding who we can be. It reminds us that identity itself has room for play.
A Tiny Tale: The Night of a Thousand Faces
On the first night of October, the town of Evernight awoke to a strange discovery: every mirror had vanished. In their place hung masks—wolves with sly grins, pumpkins with hollow smiles, moths with golden wings.
At first, the townsfolk panicked. “Where have our faces gone?” they cried. But then the children began to laugh, parents began to twirl, and the cobbled streets filled with parades of play. For one night, no one had to explain themselves. They simply became.
When the sun rose, the mirrors returned. Yet each villager carried a secret: their faces were not prisons but doorways, and behind every doorway, another self waited to be known.
And so, in Evernight, October never really ends. Each night reveals a new story, waiting for those who dare to wander its lantern-lit streets.
A Gentle Invitation
As this Halloween season unfolds, maybe you’ll try a costume that feels a little bolder, sillier, or stranger than usual. Maybe you’ll swap the safe witch hat for rainbow fairy wings, or trade the plastic vampire teeth for a homemade robot helmet.
Because every mask is also a mirror. Every costume gives us a chance to ask: What parts of me am I ready to reveal, explore, or laugh with?
So here’s to the freedom to play, to dress up, to try on new faces and new stories. In the end, Halloween costumes remind us that we’re never as fixed or rigid as we sometimes believe. There is always space for a little magic, a little mischief, and a little more of ourselves.
Coming Next in the Series: Shadows are stirring in Evernight. What happens when they begin to wander on their own?
