Halloween is just around the corner (!!), and while you’re probably still putting the final touches on your Gaga-getup have you thought about how you’re going to be celebrating? Yes, Halloween may just be another excuse to get drunk (or dress as a drink!) and gorge on candy but there are ways to get a little more into the spirit of Halloween then slapping animal ears over your favorite lingerie and calling yourself a cat.

Remember the fun days when your mom prepared disgusting looking food for your favorite friends? When you had to stick your hand into a box and feel something gross like slimy spaghetti? Just because you’re in college doesn’t mean the childish fun has to stop.

This year add some creativity to your Halloween celebration with a creepy cocktail or a spooky snack. Get your girlfriends together and make Skeleton Sangria – just each chip in an ingredient! Though it might seem kind of lame to bring a homemade snack to a party, maybe just make something to snack upon while you pre-game with your girls as you shimmy into your pantless outfits. Or, if you’re like me and have a midterm November 1 (some cruel joke, I KNOW!), take it easy with a creepy looking meal with some friends to avoid the Halloween hangover.

[Click on each image for the recipe!]

But just because Halloween happens on a weekend – allowing us to go balls to the wall without fear of vomiting in class the next day – it doesn’t mean you should disregard the basic No-No’s of this very religious holiday:

Walk of shaming- Everyone and their sister knows what you did last night when you’re walking (or even worse, biking) down the street in a sexy devil costume at 11am on November 1st.  Not that I’m condemning any Halloween nookie, but the blatantly obvious evidence the next morning ain’t so flattering.

Trying to conjure up spirits in the cemetery: Pretty sure they used to hang people for that, just F.Y.I.

Not dressing up: Don’t be that guy.  Besides, you don’t want to regret not dressing up because you’re a giant party pooper.  Yeah, times are tough; create something!

Dressing like a complete prostitute: To the point of people not knowing what the hell you’re supposed to be.  You don’t want to spend the night hearing, “Oh you didn’t hear? You were supposed to wear a costume.”

If you don’t got it, don’t flaunt it: Nothing makes me want to ralph my candy corn more than chick squeezed into a too-tight Halloween costume and walking around with a giant muffin top.  Look in the mirror and be realistic.  They don’t sell “Sexy Muffin Top” costumes for a reason, girlfriend.

Don’t slut it up too much if you have a boyfriend: Obviously the costume is meant to attract attention, but you don’t want to attract too much male attention if you’re already committed to a special someone. He’s the one who’ll be seeing you without the costume later on, but not if he catches you canoodling with Sponge Bob in the corner.

Dressing with a prop you have to carry: You really want to hold that bow and arrow all night when you know you’d rather be holding a sketchy red cup and that hottie’s hand?

Dressing with a prop you care about: If you really love your Guitar Hero guitar, leave that ish at home. Cuz it won’t be coming home with you at the end of the night.

Smashing pumpkins: Come on, that art takes time! There is smelly seed-goop to scoop, the danger of cutting your hand and some major creativity involved. No matter how tempting, leave the pumpkins alone, bro.

Most importantly: DO EFFING NOT walk around alone, especially in the skank outfit. One word:  Drunk. Predators. Love. Girls. Walking. Alone. In. Slutty. Outfits. At. Night. Okay that’s 11 words, but don’t do it.  No explanation needed. I mean, unless you’re into being attacked/murdered by some Michael Myers lookalike.

We know that most people count down to birthdays and Christmas, but Halloween is our favorite holiday of the year by far. I mean, there are costumes! And candy! And scary movies! And candy!

Oh wait…we said that one already.

Since we love this day so much, this week we asked our writers to weigh in on their favorite Halloween traditions. Some are old, some are new, but all are reasons to make this our #1 holiday.

Olua: Since my family never let me celebrate Halloween, I used to love watching all the cartoon specials they showed Halloween week. They also used to give us candy in class. Good times.

Kathryn S.: Getting wasted in a vinyl dress. Spill all the beer you want on me, it’ll slide right off!

Erica – Kent State: Carving pumpkins. This year my roommates and I did it surrounded by Carlo Rossi, pumpkin shaped cookies and our kittens. Then we baked the seeds. Delicious!

Carly – Grinnell: I love handing out candy to kids at the door. I just think it’s so fun to look at their costumes. Oh, and watching scary movies. Yessss.

Kelly – UMass: Keg stands in a slutty costume

Noa – CU Boulder: Scary movies and a little…er…herbal supplement.

Alex – Cornell: Decorating. I just get some sick rush from covering my house in pumpkins and spiderwebs.

Lauren – University of Michigan: Reese’s pumpkins. The peanut butter to chocolate ratio is perfect.

Suzanne – Tulane: The excuse to dress up in costume for a week straight. Everything is better in costume.

Kari – FSU: Helping my family put together our scarecrow, Upside Down Bob. Bob’s quite the character, he does a headstand in our front yard from Mid October til’ Black Friday and draws a lot of curiosity as to the sanity of our fam from passerby. Ahh, tradition.

Sarabeth – University of Texas: Dressing up! Nothing like being able to wear anything the eff you want for a night with no one to judge.

John – UConn: Predictably, my favorite Halloween tradition is trick-or-treating – but apparently it’s not as traditional as I’d thought. I went trick or treating as a freshman and most of the shrimpy little fifth graders

weren’t even dressed up, the pigs.

S.E. – Fordham: Carving pumpkins is my fave. I like taking all the orange goop out of it before I

put the candle in.

Heather – Penn State: Eating enough candy corn to feed a small country.

Elise – UCLA: Slice and Bake Pillsbury Cookies with those weird witch pictures on them that never turn out looking like witches, but taste sooo damn good.