I'm a Brit who spent Halloween in America, and the US does spooky season better for one major reason

• I have spent Halloween in the UK and the US, and the latter does it better in my opinion.
• In the UK, it seems that most adults partake in Halloween activities if drinking is involved.

Two years ago, on Halloween weekend 2021, my partner and I walked into a London theme park wearing matching zombie face paint.

The fake blood that dripped from my eyes and lips matched the red-and-white cheerleader costume I was wearing. My partner, meanwhile, had planned on going as an American football player-turned-zombie — but his Letterman jacket hadn't arrived on time.

We thought our joint costume looked great, even with part of it missing. But when we arrived, other park-goers stared at us in confusion.

We were surprised by the reaction, especially as the theme park had advertised that particular date as "fright night," with spooky games and attractions set up among the roller coasters. We assumed everyone was there for this event, however, hardly anyone else was dressed up.

The experience made me reflect on the completely different experience I had celebrating Halloween in the US five years prior in 2016. I was studying abroad at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and I can recall Halloween being a major highlight on the college calendar.

The US does spooky season better

Before I share my experiences in the US, it's worth noting that I have fond memories of Halloween during my childhood in the UK; I often went trick-or-treating with friends and my school held Halloween parties.

But as an adult, it feels like most of my peers use the holiday merely as an excuse to go out drinking or partying, and after a while, it can get boring. For example, I've never been to a pumpkin patch; I didn't even know that pumpkin picking was an activity in the UK until earlier this year, as it has become more common in recent years.

Meanwhile, people in the US aren't afraid to embrace more wholesome activities.

During my time at Millersville, I got to experience Halloween-themed activities held across campus, such as a pumpkin carving and decorating class and a Halloween-themed candle-holder painting workshop. I also tried pumpkin pie for the first time and loved it.

The college campus and local businesses such as grocery stores were decorated for Halloween and for fall in a far more exaggerated manner than I'd witnessed at home.

For example, on campus, someone had dressed up a mannequin with regular clothes and added a pumpkin in place of its head, alongside a sign playfully warning students not to end up as a "drunk pumpkin" during the celebrations.

My classmates and I dressed up for a Halloween party at an apartment off-campus. Most of us were under 21, so going to the bars wasn't an option, but nobody seemed to care.

The following day, the international students visited Hersheypark, the largest amusement park in Pennsylvania. While not everyone in our group dressed up for the outing, some people did, and nobody made them feel like it was strange or unusual to do so.

It seems to me that people across the pond are less afraid to embrace their inner child when it comes to spooky season, and that's something I believe we could all learn from.