Halloween hasn’t always been about ‘trick or treating’ up and down the street in a scary costume. The festival can actually be traced back to ‘Samhain’ (pronounced Sah-win), an ancient Gaelic-Pagan festival which marked the end of the harvest year. It was also believed, on this night, that the boundaries between the living and the dead were thinned and could even be crossed by spirits.
Known originally as “All Hallows’ Evening”, it is now a fun time for people to get dressed up, visit haunted houses, have parties and trick or treat. If you are stuck for ideas on how to celebrate the night, you could have a small gathering and incorporate some ghoulish fun into your party. There are some ideas listed below which may help to inspire you.
Freaky Food
Obvious Halloween party food includes jelly set in the shape of a severed hand, drinks mixed with red food die, and Haribo Tangfastic. If you want to get a bit more adventurous, why not try miniature brains with cherry blood? Check the recipe out at Hungry Happenings. It is surprisingly easy, and makes up to 38 brains, so it’s perfect for a party.
Horrific Drinks
The food section of the BBC website also gave us some great suggestions for Halloween cocktails, both soft and alcoholic, like this impressive bowl of Zombie Punch. There are lots of drinks ideas online which will look great at any spooky party.
Spooky Decorations
Making your house look fit for a party can be helped with some decorations. Using spooky wallpaper can change the look of the whole room. Make sure it is self-adhesive and removable so it can come off easily after the Halloween celebration. Whether you chose to go with a cemetery, a ghost or black cats, it will change the look of your whole party.
Halloween Music
The monster mash, the entire theme tune to The Rock Horror Picture Show, the intro theme from the Adam’s Family… put on whatever music will help you get a spooky vibe going! If your name isn’t Captain Imagination, check out this handy playlist from The Huffington Post.
Pumpkins!
It wouldn’t be a Halloween party without pumpkins, so don’t even think about going all bah-humbug about it (we know that’s for Christmas, but it’s the best available metaphor). Carving pumpkins isn’t difficult, as you can draw the designs on with marker pen before you get going. Cleaning out afterwards is the messy part though, so make sure that you’ve got plenty of newspaper handy to put down before you start. For pumpkin carving ideas, check out these designs.
The 31st of October can be great fun for everyone, and parents who don’t want to spend an evening trawling around knocking on people’s doors can avoid this by throwing a party at home. Once the kids have gone to bed, the adults can relax with a steaming bowl of zombie punch. Bliss.
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