As a kid, I was always excited for Halloween. Who doesn’t like free candy?! However, I never imagined how Southwest would bring Halloween … or HalloWN, as we call it here, to a whole new level.
Days before the big holiday, it was apparent that Southwest Headquarters was going through a transformation. The main entrance looked like a vampire had swept in and made himself a lair, fully equipped with his own piano. I never imagined that would just be the precursor to how intricate the designs and décor get!
As I arrived at work on Halloween morning, it became clear that Employees didn’t take this day lightly. There were so many different costumes that the only people who really stood out were the ones not dressed as anything (and they were few and far between)! That was a relief, considering I was dressed as a can of water—a few of my fellow Interns and I decided to dress as Southwest Inflight snacks. In fact, our group costume was recognized with a 1st place finish for SWA Spirit in the Intern contest.
Even more fascinating was how every department had a theme. Portions of the building were completely decorated; one was meant to look like a scene from The Secret Life of Pets, complete with people dressed as cats and dogs. Our CEO, Gary Kelly, was transformed into George Washington, with many of our executives dressing as the founding fathers—fitting since Southwest gave Americans the freedom to fly.
It was truly amazing to see how an entire Company can come together with such high spirits to keep Halloween a long standing tradition since the Company’s inception in the 1970s. It’s moments like these at Southwest that remind me how lucky I am to be a part of this Culture. To be reminded and see firsthand from top Leadership that this holiday is a fun, family-focused day was the sweetest treat I received this Halloween.
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