It's an objective fact that Halloween is the perfect Instagram holiday. When else during the year can you be decked out in sequins, glitter, face paint, a wig, spiderwebs, fake teeth, fake eyelashes, and a pair of wings (uh, yes, I do mean all at once)? And when else can you document it profusely on social media? In honor of this cherished holiday, here are some scary lyrics to post on Instagram for Halloween — so you better start now if you're going to make it through this whole list.
Although its current blend of store-bought costumes and copious amounts of candy feels distinctly ~of the times~, Halloween actually has ancient roots. Samhain, known as All Hallow's Eve, dates back nearly 2,000 years to a pre-Christian Celtic festival that fell around Nov. 1. "Samhain" roughly translates to "summer's end" in Gaelic, and the festival celebrated the final taste of the harvest season through a communal feast. It was also believed to be a time when spirits could re-enter the human realm, according to LiveScience. Though documentation about this festival is a bit sparse (duh), it's believed that people dressed up in costumes in order to confuse the spirits and left food and drink outside their doors to satiate any grumpy ghosts.
The practice of "trick or treat" also has roots in Ireland. On Hallowmas, also Nov. 1, poor people would go from door to door, begging for food in exchange for prayers for the dead. Irish immigrants brought their Samhain and souling traditions to America, although trick or treating in the United States didn't begin until after World War II.
Today, Halloween is a huge, nationwide party on which we spend billions of dollars. Close to two-thirds of the country participate every year. Children and adults alike spend weeks, if not months, planning their costumes. Everything is pumpkin spice-flavored. And Instagrammera from coast to coast start posting themed photos as soon as Sept. 1 rolls around — although, if we're being factual sticklers, autumn doesn't officially start until the fall equinox on Sept. 22.
So get those phones out and start posting, because it definitely is 'tis the season to be spooky.
"Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, spooky scary / Boys becoming men, men becoming wolves"
- "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah," 30 Rock (2010)
"She's a restless spirit on an endless flight / Witchy woman see how high she flies / Witchy woman she got the moon in her eye"
- "Witchy Woman," The Eagles (1972)
"This is Halloween, everybody make a scene/ Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright"
- "This Is Halloween," Marilyn Manson (1993)
"I always feel like somebody's watching me / And I have no privacy / I always feel like somebody's watching me / Tell me, is it just a dream?"
- "Somebody's Watching Me," Rockwell (1984)
"Bonfires burning bright / Pumpkin faces in the night / I remember Halloween / Dead cats hanging from poles / Little dead are out in droves / I remember Halloween"
- "Halloween," Misfits (2001)
"Well I let their teeny minds think / That they're dealing with someone who is over the brink / And I dress this way just to keep them at bay / 'Cause Halloween is everyday / It's everyday"
- "Every Day Is Halloween," Ministry (2015)
"Well, I ain't evil, I'm just good lookin' / Start a little fire, and baby start cookin' / I'm a hungry man / But I don't want pizza / I'll blow down your house / And then I'm gonna eat ya"
- "Feed My Frankenstein," Alice Cooper (1991)
"Beatniks are out to make it rich / Oh no, must be the season of the witch"
- "Season of the Witch," Donovan (1966)
"It's a dead man's party / Who could ask for more? Everybody's comin', leave your body at the door"
- "Dead Man's Party," Oingo Boingo (1985)
"All our times have come / Here but now they're gone / Seasons don't fear the reaper / Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be like they are"
- "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," Blue Oyster Cults (1976)
"Don't get too close / It's dark inside / It's where my demons hide"
- "Demons," Imagine Dragons (2013)
"I want candy / I want candy / I want candy / I want candy"
- "I Want Candy," The Strangeloves (1965)
