I heard on the news the other day that Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday. That’s a lot of money and, while I don’t think you need to spend money to celebrate Halloween, it did inspire this week’s Ten on Tuesday topic: 10 Ways to Enjoy Halloween.
- Decorate! Nothing gets you in the Halloween frame of mind like pumpkins and fall leaves and candles.
- Have a party. We haven’t had a Halloween party in ages but we’re having one this year and it’s been really fun planning and prepping for it.
- Eat spooky food. We traditionally have American Chop Suey on Halloween but I have been known to serve dinners near Halloween that include things like maggot casserole, witches fingers and moldy biscuits. It’s really just rice, chicken and biscuits but you can see a photo here.
- Give out candy. We don’t get a lot of trick or treaters in my neighborhood but the ones that come are usually kids we know and I love seeing them all in their costumes.
- Dress in costume. We made costumes mandatory for our party and we are also having a Halloween party at our regular Kiwanis meeting this week. It’s fun to pretend to be someone else for a while.
- Watch scary movies. Halloween is a must for me.
- Carve pumpkins. This is all part of the decorating thing. I’m not very creative with this but Dale is awesome.
- Roast pumpkin seeds. Toss in a bit of oil and roast them and then dowse them in salt. Mmmm.
- Listen to scary music. I still think the Disney sound track “Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House” is the best one out there. Except for the barking dogs. That’s just dumb. Okay, and maybe the alien space ship sounds. Also dumb.
- Be with the people you love. That’s still the best way to celebrate any holiday, in my opinion. And on Halloween you get the chance to scare ’em!
We will be spending Halloween again this year in Salem – the Halloween capital of the world!!! So crazy yet very fun!!
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I loved dressing in costumes,trick or treating and the spooky feeling of walking the streets at night as a child. Even as I began teaching we were able to bring a little Halloween into the day, by wearing costumes and greeting the kiddos as they got off the bus. Then the shoe dropped. Not professional to dress up. Then we moved to a quiet country street with few trick or treaters. Sigh…
I like to go around and look at how people have decorated their houses and to see the costumes on the street. Here in Chelsea in Manhattan, the people who live in townhouses decorate them and sit on their stoops giving out candy. There’s a costume contest at the local playground, and then groups of children, followed closely by their parents, tour the neighborhood collecting their treats. It’s a beautiful neighborhood.
Many years ago the Halloween parade was a charming local affair. But we avoid it now that it’s supersized.
Halloween is more exciting than Christmas. Years ago I would decorate with witches of all sorts and we had tons of kids come by. Things have changed and I’m not so excited about dressing in costumes or buying candy. I’m the Halloween grinch.
That all sounds good! I was asking SB this morning if we were going to get candy or pretend we weren’t home (we have very few children in our neighborhood and usually get teenagers who are driven to our area). If they come on Saturday, we’ll have to be home because SB will be watching football and there’s no being quiet!
I was just thinking back to Halloween when I was little. Do you remember those plastic masks that came with the costumes? I think I had a Snow White or princess one. Those things made it hard to breathe!
I love love LOVE Halloween. I went to a really fun event last Friday at the Molly Brown House in Denver (you know, the “Unsinkable” one…). Every year they have their “Victorian Horrors” presentation where you go from room to room and actors potray the ghosts of authors like Edgar Allen Poe and Bram Stoker and “read” from their works. Most of them have it memorized and are really really good. It was such a fun evening.
Your list and picture are great. The party siounds like fun. Once again I’m wishing that we didn’t live quite so far apart. I’m not sure how out Halloween will go since Lindsey will be away and Daria has an all weekend softball tournament.
Hi Carol! Thank you for sharing pictures of the EB cemetary in fall, I miss the changing leaves on the hill. Decoratingwise, out here they don’t really get the whole cornstalks thing, and we wait til the last minute to get a pumpkin otherwise they rot quick even without being cut. I’ll have to send you a picture of the house after this weekend, halloween with palm trees still weirds me out.
Take care, Lissa
Wonderful list!
I enjoyed the year we had a party. But friends of ours have one annually now so we leave them to it and don’t step on toes. They’re homebrewers so frankly their parties are more fun 🙂
I’m with Hilarie…I wish we lived closer! Your party sounds fun!
I love decorating for Halloween with folk art items….and I love the little trick o’ treaters that knock at our door. 🙂
My sixteen year old has finally tossed in the trick-or-treating towel. Good thing I still have an eleven year old to swipe treats from, eh?
I like those pumpkin seeds, too! I better grab some pumpkins so we can carve them!
Very excellent! Family and food are the two indispensable ingredients for great holidays as far as I’m concerned.
My tradition is to make margarita jello shots for the parents of the trick or treaters. We’ve had a steady increase in visits over the past couple years!
Aw, hated to miss this one. Love the pumpkin seeds! We usually send out for pizza and munch away while we’re passing out candy to the 20-some kids who show up every year.
both my kids are into halloween – but not me. it’s one of those holidays I am glad to wave bye bye to on Nov 1…. not sure why really.. Perhaps I’ve just not spent it with the right friends 😉
I hate to say it but this year I’m hiding in my house with the lights off – not that we get kids here anyway. Not one trick-or-treater in 11 years!