All Hallows Eve, also known as Halloween, is almost here again. This spooky holiday is a lot of fun. If you need to source out some Halloween items or find ideas on how to celebrate Halloween, here are 5 tips to get you into the Halloween spirit right now.
Origins of Halloween
Have you ever wondered exactly how Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve, came to be? Halloween originated way back when as an offshoot of the Celtic festival of Samhain. There would be bonfires and the people celebrating would wear costumes to ward off scary spirits. Sometime around the eighth century, it was designated that All Saints Day be on November 1st, so the evening before became All Hallows Eve.
Now Halloween is celebrated in different ways all around the world, and in Canada, those celebrations include dressing up, parties, trick or treating, and for many of us, a seriously terrifying movie marathon.
Plan a Halloween party
One of the best parties I ever planned for my kids was a Halloween party. I decorated every inch of my house with cobwebs, black lights, and pumpkins. I covered every photo and mirror with ghoulish faces so the entire space felt like a haunted house, and I made sure all of the food was themed for Halloween. It was, according to all of their friends, the best party they’ve ever been too.
You can throw a Halloween party too, and one of the easiest ways to decorate is by using smart lights. Philips Hue has great indoor and outdoor colour lights you can add to your house and yard. They’ll work with the Hue app or third-party apps, and with the latest Hue bridge, you can sync your music or movies with your lights.
Hue Haunted House is my favourite app for Halloween, but you can also imagine how fun it would be to listen to Monster Mash with your lights flashing along with the tune.
Wear a Halloween costume
Halloween is a time when you can change who you are, so wearing a costume is a must for Halloween parties or just on the big night. There’s classic costumes like clowns or cowboys, trendy costumes like public figures, or themed costumes so you can match your kid’s favourite character. There are so many great adult and kid’s costumes, it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few selections. Just be sure to wear one, because there is no better night of the year to dress up.
Host a Halloween movie marathon
There are scary movies and there are horror movies. I really feel as though they aren’t one and the same. Scary movies tend to involve jump scares are good fun, but horror movies are those movies that tend to stay with you for a lifetime. Case in point? I still remember seeing the Stephen King movie Salem’s Lot one fateful Halloween when I a kid. If you’ve seen it you’ll understand why I still sleep with the covers pulled up around my neck at night.
You can experience that kind of Halloween terror too, and all you have to do is pop some popcorn, turn down the lights, and start a Halloween movie marathon. There are so many great Halloween movies to choose from, and whether you prefer scary to true horror flicks, there’s something for everyone.
A Halloween movie marathon is even better when you have friends over, and if you’ve got a big-screen TV and a Blu-ray player, you’ll be all set for a terrifying night in.
Celebrate Halloween with scary treats
My favourite thing to do on Halloween is make Halloween treats that look gross or scary. I’ve written a few posts on gross Halloween goodies, and I’ve found you can create a plate of eyeballs from boiled eggs, create a plate of worms made jello, and so much more.
Serve it all up on a table themed for Halloween and your Halloween visitors will have a great time sampling your gross spread.
Set up a Halloween coffee or drinks bar
October 1st might kick off Pumpkin Spice season, but it’s also a great time to retheme your home’s coffee bar for Halloween. Add some scary Halloween coffee mugs, dangle a few bats as decorations, or have a small witches cauldron hold your sugar or sweetener.
It’s an easy way to get into the spirit of Halloween. You can also set up a bar with spooky and delicious Halloween beverages for friends who come over.
It’s really easy to get into the spirit and celebrate Halloween all month long. Try these tips, find great Halloween items on Best Buy, and take a look at all of the Halloween articles for even more ideas on how to celebrate Halloween.
