Halloween is a very fun time of the year. There’s no doubt about that. There’s autumnal weather beginning to settle in, lots of orange and brown hues, comfy scarfs and pumpkin-flavoured things galore. One thing that stands out about Halloween though, particularly for students, is the drinking culture that surrounds it.
It can feel like everyone’s wearing a costume and you aren’t – like you’ve spoilt their fun somehow by being sober.
With nights out and house parties rife, it can be a difficult scene to navigate if you don’t want to drink but want to be social. It can feel like everyone’s wearing a costume and you aren’t – like you’ve spoilt their fun somehow by being sober. I think that’s a really tricky part of being sober in the UK, especially around times like Halloween. Unlike other cultures where you are expected to drink, in the UK, drinking is the default. If you choose not to drink, people can begin to ask intrusive questions about why you don’t.
This can be hard – for two reasons. The first being that first and foremost, it is none of their business. It can feel extremely invasive to be asked such a personal question, usually from a complete stranger innocently trying to make conversation.
However there is also the issue of answering the question and making other people feel very awkward. Everyone has different reasons for not drinking – some people may be comfortable sharing, and others may not. In most cases, the person doing the questioning is not be prepared for what could be a very personal answer.
Questioning your own motives for drinking every once in a while can do no harm.
It's important to raise awareness of how normal it is to not drink. You have no idea what is going on in other people’s lives, and questioning your own motives for drinking every once in a while can do no harm.