Halloween in Aberdeen

Nia Lewis (’25) is a Communication major studying at the University of Aberdeen for Fall 2024. 

Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of Halloween. Growing up, I participated in the typical Halloween festivities and customs, but it’s not necessarily my favorite time of year. However, since I am on a mission to step out of my comfort zone a bit while I am in Aberdeen, I decided to embrace the holiday spirit. I participated in everything Halloween-related that I was invited to, and I am glad that I did! Here are a few of the things that I did during Halloweekend:

Pumpkin Carving: 

My dorm frequently hosts activities for all the exchange students, and to celebrate Halloween, they hosted a pumpkin carving contest. I had never carved a pumpkin, so my roommates and I signed up. I copied a design from Pinterest and did a Coraline-themed pumpkin, which ended up looking a little crazy, but it’s the effort that counts. In addition to learning more about my roommates, who are from Australia, Chile, Spain, and Great Britain, I’ve made a lot of friends through attending various events hosted by my dorm’s resident assistants, so when studying abroad I recommend attending as many dorm events as possible if you can. 

The Babadook and The Substance: 

I love going to the movie theater, and luckily there is a theater that is not too far from campus. All month long, the local theater here had special discounts on horror and thriller movies, so one of my roommates and I decided to go see The Babadook and The Substance. Both were quite good, but I loved The Substance and the Stanley Kubrick references! It was so gross but so good, and I immediately wanted to buy a sparkly pink leotard and eyeshadow after watching it. 

Ceilidh: 

My favorite part of Halloween was attending a costume-themed Ceilidh! A Ceilidh is a traditional Scottish gathering that features live music and traditional Scottish dancing, which I would say is similar to line dancing in the U.S. The atmosphere of the Ceilidh that I went to was very relaxed, you did not have to know any of the dances beforehand, and everyone had fun learning the dances together. I had to dress up in costume for the event and I was Ariel (Halle’s version) from The Little Mermaid. I even met someone who came as Ursula which was completely coincidental! 

Beach Sunset: 

To end the Halloween festivities, a few of my friends and I watched the sunrise on the beach near campus. The beach is only about a ten-minute walk away, so it is nice to relax by the water whenever I want. Since I was Ariel, it was only fitting that I took some pictures by the beach in costume, fork and all! 

For the first time in a while, I was excited for Halloween, and after experiencing my first holiday here, I am excited to celebrate even more within the next few months.