Talon: How much has Halloween been a part of your life? What is most exciting about it for you now?

Julia Farhat: Halloween has been a part of my life since I was a kid. I would always plan weeks ahead what my costume would be. I remember being excited for so long. And the candy…the candy was always the best part because you could get American candy and there was so much of it. #fat

Bobby Civita: Halloween was a big part of my life when I was a small kid; however, now it doesn’t affect me as much. But the best part is all the candy.

Fefa Ferreira: Halloween has always been an event I look forward to because of being able to change your identity for a day and wearing anything you want (anything can become a costume) for a day while still fitting in with everyone else. The day is about individuality and expression. I always love seeing how different people customize their costumes; two are never the same even if it’s the same character.

Isa Chang: In Brazil, Halloween isn’t a tradition that is usually celebrated, but studying in an international school gives us the opportunity of making Halloween part of our lives. Ever since I began going to Graded, I have loved dressing up for Halloween and loved seeing what other people in the school have chosen as their costume.

Michael Kern: Halloween played an interesting role in my life. Even though I was born in Brazil and spent most my life in this country, I spent three years in Florida from the ages one to three, and in those years I kind of learned to really enjoy it. After I came back, I took English classes, and in those classes, every single year we would have a small, simple Halloween party where everybody dressed up, and, now that I think about it, the teachers gave us what seemed to be an unhealthy amount of candy. I guess Halloween just played a role of having a holiday, where I was sure I would always have a good time. Nowadays the most exciting part is, still, the unhealthy amount of candy that seem to “randomly” appear in my hands every year.

Julia Schulman: No matter how many years pass and memories fade, whenever Halloween rolls around it always brings such a nostalgic feeling. Those memories of running around after dark with only the street lights and laughter to guide me through the busy streets, and that overwhelming excitement the very next day when I would dump out all the treats that filled my plastic pumpkin basket, which I would devour entirely in less than a week’s time. Even today, when nights of trick-or-treating morph into hours of  horror-movie marathons, Halloween will always bring back such lively thoughts that inspire us to start planning next year’s costume the minute the night ends and November begins.

Thiago Lima: Since I lived in the States most of my life, it’s always been fun to “trick or treat” with my friends. I think the most exciting part is seeing the really unique costumes by those people who dedicate themselves and get super creative.