What is Halloween or All Hallow's Eve?
Hallowe'en is derived from the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced SOW-EN). Samhain means "summer's end", it was the Celtic New Year's Eve.
Samhain was both an agricultural and a religious holiday for the early Celts. November 1 is at the midpoint between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice, and it was believed to be a potent time for Magick. The "veil" between this World and the Underworld is at thinnest on this day, so the dead were invited to return to feast with their loved ones.
Communication with the dead was considered by nobles to be the prerogative of witches and sorcerers. With the spread of Christianity, people began to look down on the pagan ways.
The Hallowe'en as we know it today in the US, came over from Ireland in the 1800's.
I love the holiday. There is something exciting about it and it starts off the fun season with holiday celebrations. The kids, Rick and I dress up. Click here for pictures of our costumes a few years ago. Or go to our Halloween photo album here.
Halloween Games
Having a Halloween party with the kids? Or even for adults! The following are some fun games to do!
Mummies
You need at least one roll of (cheap) white toilet paper per guest.
Start Halloween music and pair up the guests. Hand each pair a roll of toiletpaper. Object of the game is to make a mummy out of your partner before the music stops. It's tougher than it sounds!
Musical Graves
Get stiff white paper (8.5 by 11" is fine), one less than the amount of guests (or if you want to give the grave as a souvenir, you can make as many as there are guests and keep one aside). And a black marker. Cut the paper into the shape of a grave and think of funny epitaphs.
If you have trouble thinking of any, here are some to start you off:
- RIP Milkmaid Hilary Pluckett -- unfortunately she kicked the bucket -- October 31, 1666
- Here lies SCARED E. CAT -- He lost 9 lives...And that was that! -- October 31, 1492
- RIP -- Here lies Snowwhite -- She really just took one bite... -- October 31, 1776
- Orga N. Ist -- She was playing at the top, until she came to a stop -- October 31, 1862
- Here lies: Arch E. Ologist -- He thought arsenic was yummy -- And now he's met his mummy October 31, 666
- October 31, 1945 -- B.A.Thers -- He simply waded away -- RIP
- RIP -- Here lies: Wicke D. Witch -- Her life went off without a hitch -- October 31, 1708
- RIP -- L.O.Vers and F.R. Iends -- Their hearts never mended... -- October 31, 1998
Some tasty morsels
Witches
hats
Ingredients:
Chocolate covered cookies
Orange icing
Hershey's kisses
Instructions:
Lie cookies with the chocolate top up (for the hat rim), pipe orange icing in the
middle and stick a Hershey's kiss on top for the "hat", then pipe an
orange bow in the front.
Spooky hands
Ingredients:
Clear plastic gloves (the kind used by food handlers, I got mine from the deli
counter at the grocery store)
Popcorn
Candy Corn
String
Instructions:
Put one candy corn in each glove finger for a "nail", then fill the
rest of the glove with popcorn. Tie with a string.
Crafts even a ghoul can do
Tissue ghosts
You need 2 pieces of tissue (this can also
be done with fabric softener sheets), a rubber band and a black marker.
Make a ball out of one piece of tissue for the head, fold the other piece of tissue over
the top, hold the tissue under the ball and wrap the rubber band under the ball. Fan
out the "skirt" of the ghost. Draw scary ghost faces on the head.
You can use string to hang the ghosts.
A natural Jack-O-Lantern
You need a pumpkin and anything you can
find in nature (twigs, acorns, Indian corn, pine cones etc.) to decorate it, as well as
some wooden toothpicks and white glue.
You can decorate your Jack-O-Lantern any way you like. An example: Use acorns
for eyes, twigs with leaves for hair, glue Indian corn for a mouth, use a big pinecone for
a nose and 2 dried apple halves for the ears. Have fun!
Spooky Links
Visit the following sites for more fun!
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