How to make your Halloween epic
Halloween is the one holiday of the year where you have the ‘immoral’ obligation to think outside the box and commit to a month of scream-inducing movies, foods, costumes and events. This is the time where the dentists cringe as everyone stuffs their faces with cavity-causing sweets, chocolates and treats. It was traditionally believed that souls of the departed were allowed to wander the Earth during All Hallows’ Eve as a last chance for the deceased to gain vengeance on people that had wronged them. To avoid being recognized and to ward away these evil spirits, people would disguise their identities with masks and costumes.
Halloween might have started as a day to ward off evil spirits but today it is less symbolic and has become a tangible theme for escapism. While the children are out trick or treating Halloween doesn’t have to be spent simply tuning in to a Halloween movie; make your October 31st an event with an eerie entrance to welcome the trick or treaters. If you are not ready to commit to a full-on Halloween costume party, have a get-together with friends by creating some ghoulish foods and chilling cocktails. Keep in mind all the contemporary traditions of Halloween, you can try: costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films. Below you’ll find some great ideas to make your All Hallows’ Eve an infamous event.
The best thing about Halloween is that costumes come in a wide range of prices. You can visit your local Halloween Extravaganza to find great costumes and accessories, rent a costume, buy one online or put your creativity to the test by making one. The most important first step is to determine your budget. If you are willing and able to spend big bucks on a replica Batman costume (abs included) go forth and defend the innocent. For the ones with emptier wallets, homemade costumes can be great, check out this fun do-it-yourself pop art character. Decide on your theme and start planning. Look for costumes in shops but if you cannot find one in your price range, take out your scissors, tape and sewing machine and get creative.
Costumes will give guests a shock when you open the door but what about testing their bravado with an eerie entrance? Have trick-or-treaters and guests muster up the courage to walk up your stairs. Decorating the entrance to your home is a great way to create a spooky ambiance for all your guest, especially if you are not going the distance and decorating your whole home. Check out these great ideas to get your juices flowing for your entrance design and watch the video on carving the perfect jack-o-lantern.
Tip: Start the year before, specifically the day after the previous Halloween. Check out all your local stores that stocked up on Halloween decorations, costumes, lights and more. You’ll be able to save more than 50% and have a load of decorations to scare your guest and create a ghastly entrance for the next year.
Put a spin on the food you put on the table and throw in your own caldron for the unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. Lace cupcakes in spider webs, throw gummie worms along the runner of your table and add some dry ice to a caldron for an extra eerie effect. The food you serve at your Halloween party, dinner or give out to your little guests knocking at the door can taste just as yummie and give a ghoulish first impression. Below are 3 eerie and tasty treats that will summon up gasps from your guests.
Try your luck with this Green Caldron Curry, take a risky bite out of this Broken Glass cupcake or grab a fried bat wing before it flies away.
Tip: Check out coupons in your local paper, circulars and search for some online. Halloween is the perfect time to join the couponing craze. You’ll be able to get a lot more candy for your money.
Halloween might be an eventful day for children but adults can join in the celebrations with these chilling cocktails, sure to give you a spook. With some simple everyday ingredients and the addition of some nontraditional cocktail ingredients you can create cocktails for your Halloween dinner or get-together.
The three bone chilling cocktails above are all from HGTV.com. While the Vampire cocktail and the Bloody Brain shooter can only be enjoyed by adults during the festivities, the Cemetery Slime will be a great hit for all party guest as its alcohol free.
Whether you are into Horror films or Sci-fi thrillers, Halloween themed movies and shows can be enjoyed by all family members and friends, from all ages. For adults we recommend taking it back a few years and watching a few episodes of The Twilight Zone or the eeriest episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hush. For the younger crowds and more delicate adults try watching Hocus Pocus and our favorite, The Nightmare Before Christmas, which takes you right through to Christmas.
