Tag Archives: Halloween

A Different Halloween Celebration

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Contemplating keeping your little ghouls and goblins home this year?  It’s hard to imagine simple things like trick-or-treating in a world where we all wear masks outside the front door everyday just to stay healthy. However, that doesn’t mean we still can’t make the most of the holiday.

If you’re planning on staying home for Halloween this year, your family can still enjoy the night with a few simple at-home ideas.

Deck out your space.  If you don’t plan to go outside, bring your carved pumpkins and dangling bats inside.  Dress the room where you plan to spend the evening with candles and black cats, skulls, and anything spooky; either store bought or homemade with the kids.  Turn down the lighting and pull up a playlist of haunting tunes to set the mood.

Let the kids dress up (and join them if you dare.)  Costumes can be fun anytime, and you don’t have to worry about your little princess or pirate being too cold indoors if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

You can make the best of the holiday by spending it together, no matter what you do! Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

Plan a scary menu.  Easy-to-make snacks like these can add to the party atmosphere, and there are countless recipes available with a simple search.  Don’t forget to include candy!

These Cresent Mummy Dogs were always favorites at my house: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/crescent-mummy-dogs/d52a57d7-ab8a-4a1c-8dae-f9f90d03b912

So were these Spider Cookies: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/spooky-spider-cookies/eb21cebc-c130-4715-aa3f-0e607aea3d27

Bring on the entertainment.  When your little goblins are ready to settle down, consider putting on a not-too-scary movie for them to watch.  Here are a few favorites of my family.  (You can always watch something scarier after the little ones are in bed if you wish.)

Ichabod and Mr. Toad-this cartoon classic from 1949 is one I grew up watching every year with my family, and shared with my own children.  This double feature has a group of madcap animals in a grand adventure, followed by a light-hearted but still spooky version of Washington Irving’s classic Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  While there are chilling moments, the animation should not be too scary for children over 7 or 8.  This is currently available on Disney plus.

The Witches.  The original 1990 movie based on a book by Roald Dahl focuses on a young boy who accidentally spies on a convention of witches and overhears plans to turn every child in England into mice.  Angelica Houston plays the head witch in this movie which features Jim Henson monsters and is available on Netflix.

Image from Rotten Tomatoes.

Hocus Pocus.  This movie from 1993, also available on Disney plus, features three witches who are accidentally brought to life in their Salem home, now a museum. They proceed to craft a plot to harvest the life essence out of children to seal their return.  The three who resurrected them must find a way to stop them before dawn following Halloween night.

Monster House.  In this 2006 movie, available on Hulu, three children must battle against disbelieving adults as well as an evil house that is possessed by an evil spirit to save the lives of unwitting trick-or-treaters who dare to knock on its door.

Image from Rotten Tomatoes.

Whatever you choose to do, be safe and have a great night!  Happy Halloween!

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Signs that you’re not ready for Halloween

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I apologize that my posts have come at an erratic pace lately, but life is a bit chaotic at the moment, and I’ve been trying to clear some things up.  I hope I can get back to a regular day of posting soon or at least by the end of the holidays.   Meanwhile, I put together this list of issues that I’ve experienced, (not all at once, thankfully) and hope that some of you will be able to relate.  Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!

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Photo by Александар Цветановић on Pexels.com

Signs that you’re not ready for Halloween:

  • You arrive at work, and discover, in place of your expected coworkers, there is a dragon, a puppy, a kitten angel, and half a dozen assorted cats plus a few adults dressed as Disney characters.  Oops, you forgot that today was the costume contest.
  • Your spouse/kids/dog found your hidden stash of Reese’s Cups that you were saving for trick-or-treaters (honestly!) again.
  • You’ve lost your head, that is, the life-like skull that was part of last year’s graveyard display on your front lawn.  You don’t have time to look for another one, and they’re out of stock on Amazon.  Oh, well, you will just have to scatter the bones further and maybe carve an extra pumpkin?

pumpkin display
Welcome one and all! Wait, I’m not ready yet!  Photo by Artie Siegel on Pexels.com

  • It’s nine p.m. and your teenager informs you that they need a costume for a party they were invited to two weeks ago, which takes place tomorrow.  Also, they need a ride and snacks to satisfy a crowd of ravenous teens.
  • You visit your favorite craft store that had Halloween decorations on sale last week, and find nothing there now but aisle after aisle of Christmas trees, ornaments and decorations.  Really Halloween isn’t over yet!
  • You send your spouse to the store for milk, and he comes back with donuts, more candy, and a giant inflatable coffin, but no milk.
  • You make it to the grocery store and the candy aisle looks like a warzone, or perhaps a tornado blew through.  There are Snickers and Hershey bars on the floor and half of the bins are empty, and you really don’t want to know what that trampled mess on the floor used to be.  Also, they’re all out of Halloween Oreos.
  • You see a group of costumed children going down the street but they bypass your house, then you realize you forgot to turn on the porch lights, and consider chasing after them.  How else are you going to get rid of that ten pound bag of candy you managed to order at the last minute?

 

Here’s hoping that everyone out there has a stress-free and safe Halloween this year!

Amy

Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe While Trick-or-Treating

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One of my favorite things about Halloween is seeing all the children, dressed as their favorite characters from make-believe, excitedly collecting treats as they travel door-to-door.  With a few simple rules and precautions, we can ensure that this holiday tradition is a safe and fun time for our kids.

Take your pick
Tomorrow’s the day, and kids big and small are rare’n to go out!  Photo by DaDaAce on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Before you go:

Do your research.

Many communities will establish a certain time frame for kids to trick-or-treat in, so both residents and law enforcement will be aware of when they may be on the streets, and to protect residents from “tricksters” who may try to take advantage of the night.  It’s a good idea to check your local news source or community webpage to see if there are restrictions in your area.  In my community, for example,children are only permitted to be out on Halloween from 6 to 8pm.

It’s also a good idea to plan the route your kids will take, especially if you are not going with them, and make sure they know to stick in areas you know and consider safe.

Alternatively, a number of local shopping centers and even churches offer “trick-or-treating” events, where kids can walk around a well-lit area, sometimes indoors, and collect candy from participating vendors or parishioners.

Costume adjustments.

You’ve purchased your little ones that costume that they just had to have.  Unfortunately, it’s a dark color that will make it hard for them to be seen by any cars on the street while they’re out.  That’s okay, because you can make a last minute addition of reflective tape, found at any craft or hardware store, to their costumes. Or consider a battery-powered light pack, or a flashlight or other light-up accessory such as a lightsaber to make them more visible when they have to cross the street.

Instead of a mask that can make it hard to see, especially in a relatively dark area, consider using makeup on your kids’ faces.  There are all sorts of specialty kits available for Halloween, or you can make use of normal cosmetics you have around the house.

When you’re ready to head out:

Make sure that your little ones are either with you, an adult or older teen you can trust, or at least with a group of friends.  There really is safety in numbers when they are walking in or near dark, with loads of strangers out.

Encourage your kids to follow the courtesy rule-only visit houses where there is someone  waiting out front or an outdoor light lit.  Not everyone chooses or is able to hand out candy on Halloween, so remind your kids to be respectful.  Also, it never hurts to encourage them to say thank you for the treats they receive.

It’s time to go home:

Unless your route out goes by grandma’s or your sister’s house, make sure that your kids don’t eat any treats until you get home and can check it.  Consider counseling your kids to not eat their entire haul in one sitting, or take charge and ration it out to them.  After all, the last thing anyone wants is for them to end their Halloween with a massive tummy ache!

Above all, have a safe and fun Halloween!

 

My Poetry Contest Entry

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Hello dear readers,

I wanted to share with you the original poem I entered into Aurora Jean Alexander’s annual Halloween contest on her website, Writer’s Treasure Chest It describes the excitement that various characters feel at the approaching spooky holiday.  Please take a moment to stop by and check out the other entries

Happy Halloween!

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Look’s like the gang is ready for trick-or-treating!

Is it Time? – by Amy Caudill

Plastic skeletons of varied size,

Pumpkins of sundry hue, with permanent artificial grins

And lights in their eyes,

Rubber bats on string and flocked ravens perching,

Tinsel cats and wired-sheeted ghosts all implore-

Is it time to come out and play?

Little monsters of every style,

Fairy princesses bedecked in their finest and pirates

Clutching fake swords,

Movie heroes and villains poised for action,

Pint-sized demons and Jedi together plead-

Is today the day?

Werewolves prowling under the moon,

Ghouls howling in the attic and goblins

Lurking under bridges,

Vampires slinking in the shadows and

Boogeymen hiding underneath the bed all beseech-

Is it Halloween yet?

She’s No Damsel in Distress-Laurie Strode Faces Evil in the New Halloween Movie

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Forty years after the release of the original movie, Laurie Strode, played once again by Jamie Lee Curtis, faces a final confrontation with her brother and nemesis, Michael Myers, played by Nick Castle.

 She’s not going to let him get away again!  from screengeek.net

This new version of Halloween begins with Michael escaping from the sanitarium where he has lived for most of his life so he can continue to kill.  Laurie has survived when no one else has, and rather than fearing that Michael will come after her, Laurie actually is prepared and even eager to wage war on the psychopath who murdered their sister among many others.  She will fight with everything she has to protect her family and stop Michael.

Michael Myers began his killing spree as a six year old child in the original theatrical release, Halloween (1978), when he murdered his sister Janet.  Confined to a sanitarium for fifteen years, he escaped with only two goals in mind, to find his sister and to continue his murder spree.  The next few movies weave a mysterious and horrifying mythology around the characters, culminating in a reboot of the series in 2007, with a sequel, Halloween II, in 2009.

This second reboot of the franchise that has sparked eleven movies to date, plus novels, comic books and video games, Halloween (2018), arrives in theatres next weekend.  What a perfect way to get into the spirit of the season-just leave younger children with the sitter because this movie is rated “R” for violence and gore.

Remember When: The Joys of Halloween

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I remember long-ago nights when, accompanied by my siblings and friends, I walked through the streets of our neighborhood, dressed in an outlandish fashion and carrying a plastic jack-o-lantern.  There were usually a few parents along for the trip, but we didn’t fear the night, because surely our large contingent of monsters could handle any truly scary denizens of the dark.

I remember the excitement I felt as a child as I chose a new identity, a new persona I would become, if only for one night. Simply by putting on different clothes, a mask, a wig or a hat, my mind was free to imagine, and I took advantage of the situation to act, to pretend, to become someone new.

Once our baskets were full and we had paid homage to every last house in sight that displayed a lit front porch light, it was time to return home, where our bounty could be inspected before we secreted it away, and removed our costumes and wigs, ready to be ourselves again.

Halloween in Hallow
These kids are ready for some Halloween fun! Photo by muffinn on Foter.com / CC BY

It’s October, and as I wander the aisles of my favorite stores, the displays of colorful seasonal merchandise take me back to those treasured memories of my childhood.  I’m not talking about the bountiful Christmas decorations that are often exhibited side-by-side with the other stuff, but rather those items strictly designed especially for the period that begins with the start of autumn and that we are usually ready to store, or dispose of, by Thanksgiving at the latest.

Halloween has always been one of my favorite times of the year, from the neighborhood camaraderie generated by the descending hordes of costumed children seeking sugar, to the imaginative and eye-catching displays some of our neighbors create to entertain, and to scare.

Halloween is one of the few excuses we adults get when it is socially acceptable (aside from Comic-con or Renaissance Fairs) for children and children at heart of all ages to become someone else for a little while.  One simply needs to don a mask, and live out a fantasy.  Pick up a wand or sword, and become a new character.  Put on a costume, and revisit childhood and the world of let’s pretend.

Who would you choose to be if you could become someone else, temporarily?  Would you choose to be your favorite character from a book, movie or television show?  Would you choose an archetypal character like a generic vampire or pirate?  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wander around or simply answer the door as a zombie, a werewolf, or a fairy godmother?

Let’s take this occasion to fantasize, to remember, to return to when life was filled with the joy of imagination.  If you have the opportunity to attend a work or community event where you can dress up for a night, why not take advantage?  Remember for a little while the joy that comes from such a freeing activity.

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Make Halloween a family affair, so everyone can have fun! Photo by Ric Charlton on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

If you have children you can take door to door, or through the local mall for trick or treating, consider coordinating costumes with them.  I have seen some really cute theme costumes in the past, where every member of a family became a character from The Wizard of Oz, or Star Wars, or Marvel.

Take pleasure in using your imagination.  Even if you don’t go out, you always can dress up to hand out candy this year.  You may find that you enjoy the thrill your guests get from seeing you as you answer the door.  Whatever you choose to do this year, have fun.  After all, that’s what Halloween is really all about.

Is it too Soon to Get into the Autumn Spirit?

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September has arrived, and while the temperatures here are still in the nineties mid-day, school is officially back in session and everywhere I turn, I’m beginning to see signs of the impending autumn season.

I don’t just mean the planter full of mums I just put out front, either.  A visit to nearby Target or Meijer will showcase a clearance rack of back-to-school needs, alongside half-stocked display shelves full of costumes, decorations, and knickknacks styled for the upcoming fall, and sometimes winter seasons.  The local gardening stores have begun to carry planters filled with seasonal foliage, and grocery stores are already stocking decorative pumpkins in the produce aisle.

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This little one is getting into the spirit of the season! Photo on Foter.com

I ask you, is it too early to decorate for fall?  Is it too soon to pull out the orange candles, the colorful silk leaves and plastic spiders?  Is it time yet to think about Halloween costumes, and where to hide the candy so it actually survives long enough to be handed out to trick-or-treaters?

I tend to go a little overboard when it comes to fall.  The drop in temperatures invigorates me, and I absolutely love the colors, the smells, and the foods of the season.  As my family can attest, this is hardly a new phenomenon for me.  I’ve had the habit since I was a child, and I shared the love with my own kids, to the point we have nearly as many boxes of decorations and paraphernalia for fall and Halloween as we do for Christmas.

To me Halloween has always symbolized a freedom of expression- the one time of year (other than Comic-con or Renaissance Fairs) when it’s socially acceptable to become someone else, for just a little while.  It’s okay to live a fantasy, to act out a favorite character, to revisit the childhood joy of make-believe and imaginative play.  That’s why I tend to dress up, even if I’m just handing out candy, because why should the kids have all the fun?

So while I’m going about my daily tasks, I’m also planning the display we’ll set up this year, the costumes I need to get or make, and estimating how much candy to buy.  I’ll be digging through my recipes to make my special pumpkin coffee cake, and choosing between recipes for pecan pie.  Of course, once fall officially arrives later this month, I’ll have planning for Thanksgiving to do, too, and then the winter holidays.  The next few months are going to be busy!