The man chuckled at us, the two college young adults, begging for candies, or maybe he just got a kick out of the female secret agent escorting President Richard Nixon outside their door. He gave us a handful of chocolate candies anyway.

I was a junior (3rd year) when I went out with a friend for my very first trick-or-treat. I might be pushing the age limit for going out door to door in costume asking for candies on Halloween night, but I’ve never done it before in my entire life. It’s never too late for a first time, and there’s a first time for everything!

I think I caught the Halloween fever as a freshman in college. I went to local party with my dormmates as Michael Jackson—completed with the signature gloves, white socks, and black loafers. After that Halloween, October 31st will never be the same again without costumes. Last year my boyfriend Brandon and I went to work at HSX.com as a wizard and an elf. Of all the crazy people in the office, we were the only two dressed up that day. But we didn’t feel so along. Outside the office, several citizens of West Hollywood already dressed up for the big local event, the Annual Costume Carnival.

For over 13 years, a long stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood is closed down for the festivities, which include music stages, drag pageant, costume contests, food and booze, dance areas, laser shows, and much more. Some folks come to watch and to party. Some people dress up just for fun, but majority dons the most outrageous costumes anywhere in Los Angeles. I was out there with a bunch of friends in 1999 as Leeloo, the orange-haired heroine from “The Fifth Element”. (No, not the tape! I made the orange suspender, silly!) There were all sorts of costumes out there—the dead JFK Junior and his wife (kind of sad), boy band imitators, several “prettier than the real thing” men in drag, Disney’s characters like Winnie the Pooh and Snow White, and one too many jumbo walking penises.

Halloween maybe just another occasion for most Americans to party and to dress up as someone—or something—they want to be. What we know as Halloween today is influenced by different religions and cultures. Centuries ago in Britain, the Celts—who believe in gods, spirits, and magic—marked the end of the “season of the sun and harvest” and beginning of “season of cold and darkness” in the night of October 31. November 1st, or Somhain (pronounced “sow-en”), was their new year, and they would celebrate for 3 days, dressed in costumes made out of animal hides. In the first century, the Romans invaded Britain, and brought with them the festival of Pomona, the festival honoring goddess of fruits and gardens, which was on the same days as Somhain. Later on in 835 AD, the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed November 1st All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows, to honor all the saints, and the day after All Souls Day to honor the dead. It was celebrated with bonfires and people dressing up as angels, saints, and devils. The spread of Christianity didn’t banish the old ways of things, so people clumped all 3 fall holidays together and celebrate, starting from October 31st, All Hallows Eve.

There are people today who still follow the traditions established by the Celts and celebrate Halloween like Christians celebrating Christmas. Some of them are Wiccans, the practitioners of the Old Religion, Wicca, or better known to the Christian world as witchcraft or pagan religion.

Another group of people that take Halloween seriously are people from Mexico. Los Dias De Los Muertos, Days of the Dead, are celebrated alongside Halloween, or more traditionally All Saints and All Souls Days. It’s Halloween with an Aztec flare. The Aztecs believe in an afterlife when the spirits of their dead would return as hummingbirds or Monarch butterflies. Every autumn, these butterflies migrate from Canada and America into Mexico for a warmer winter. The locals consider the migration as the return of the spirits, and therefore the season should be celebrated. These are the days to honor the Dead, to rejoice and remember those who passed. Townspeople dress up as ghosts and ghouls and parade through town. At home, families set up altars for dead family members. This is also the time to clean up the graves of those they loved. Some people would spend all day and even all night at the cemetery. Now you understand why some of the Hispanic/Latino households go all out with their decorations for Halloween (especially if you live in Los Angeles County where 44% are Hispanics or Latinos).

I know we Thai people are the shy type. Some of you are probably not going anywhere all dressed up. Come on now. What have I been telling you all these times? Do it all. Experience everything. So please, for All Saints’ sakes, do consider getting in a costume. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy. All of my costumes were invented out of the clothes I already have. Your Thai costume would do just fine. That’s fancy enough for going out trick-or-treating, partying down with your crew, or staying at home giving candies to the kids (and probably some college students too!)

As for me, after years of playing it safe as a cowgirl, a farm girl, and a space girl, I decided to cross over to the horror side. I will be the freshly-bitten disciple of Brandon’s debonair vampire. I will be at work and in class in my costume, and party long into the night like the nocturnal creature that I will portrait. [Insert evil laugh here.] Happy Halloween to you all!

Oakley and Brandon ready to trick-or-treat!