Halloween plans, Costumes, parties, get-togethers, etc. Options

[Nepenthe]

Does anyone have any exciting plans for Halloween? Are you taking the kids trick-or-treating, and are the kids dressing up? Are YOU dressing up? Going to any Halloween costume parties or other fun get-togethers?

[Genshed]

My eight year old son said (in a typical bit of parent-baiting bravado) "I want to go trick or treating dressed up as an ordinary boy!" (when he had his costume already). I told him, "if you go from door to door asking for candy in street clothes, it's not trick or treating - it's begging."

Toward the end of the evening (after we'd already got home from t 'n' t)
we got a couple of candy-mooching tweeners. He remembered, and told me 'they were begging, weren't they?' Smart boy!

[Nepenthe]

Being that they are showing marathons of horror flicks,I was wondering if anyone was into horror movies and had any favorites? "Nosferatu" the 1922 silent version and from 1972 "Children shouldn't Play with Dead things" are 2 of my FAVORITES.

My spouse loves the marathon of horror flicks, but as we were out of town this year, we didn't really get to follow them on TV. But I agree..."Nosferatu" (the original) is one of my favorites. Another good example from that same era of German expressivism is "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," which is also a fine silent film.

Regarding my Halloween, I'd have to say that it's official...Salem, MA is the single coolest place in America to spend Halloween. Over 100,000 people flooded into the town, and it was a frenzied swarm of people in costumes having fun. Trish, you were right, the police ran a really tight ship, and the atmosphere was friendly fun for families of all ages. There were plenty of young kids out. I was really surprised, because I expected there to be more of a drunk/drugged-up atmosphere, but it was thankfully not so.

We went to the House of Seven Gables on Friday night and had dinner at a Thai restaurant. I wore a kitty-cat outfit that first night. Then on Saturday I wore my gothic-princess outfit, and we went to the Pirate's Museum, the Witch History Museum, and the Witch's Dungeon Museum. It was so mobbed and crazy. There were vendors in the streets, haunted houses, even some street preachers. It felt similar to how I'd picture Mardi Gras, only less drunk.

[trish2]

Regarding my Halloween, I'd have to say that it's official...Salem, MA is the single coolest place in America to spend Halloween.

We went to the House of Seven Gables on Friday night and had dinner at a Thai restaurant. I wore a kitty-cat outfit that first night. Then on Saturday I wore my gothic-princess outfit, and we went to the Pirate's Museum, the Witch History Museum, and the Witch's Dungeon Museum. It was so mobbed and crazy. There were vendors in the streets, haunted houses, even some street preachers. It felt similar to how I'd picture Mardi Gras, only less drunk.

AWWW I'm sooo glad you had a good time!!..I was a kitty too.Not a "sexy" kitty..but a simple black cat. lol
Did you hear that audio recording with the woman being squished? It was in the Witches Museum... They play it after the trial and they get their sentences. I almost got thrown out of the Witches Museums because of that audio tape..LOL I explain it in a previous post. I wished I went to Salem on Saturday night. I had a good time where I was... But I really had a blast last year in Salem. I got drunk on Halloween.Had an awful hangover. I hate that.
Nep..I hope you go back next year. Cuz I'll definitely join you.
Hugs
Trish

This post has been edited by trish2: Nov 2 2009, 09:11 PM

[Nepenthe]

That would be awesome to meet up next year. I don't know if I'll still be living in the area or not, but if I am, I'm definitely planning on going back to Salem.

And I didn't hear the audio of someone being squished. I think it was at one of the Witches Museums that we didn't make it to.

[rory]

It has been interesting and fun to read about how you celebrate this holiday.
We do it in a very different way and here it is a serious celebration of the dead, in honour of all relatives and friends who are no longer with us in this world.

For a few years there has been a bit of conflict between "Halloween" and , as we traditionally call it, "all saints day".
The only things sold here are candles and decorations for the graves. It is no surprise that most shops wants us to celebrate halloween instead to sell things like masks, dresses and candy. Some of them do sell a few of those things but the kids get caught in the middle and this clash between two ways of celebrating doesn't always work out great.
When dressed up kids ring a doorbell to a house full of mourning people sitting around candles in memories of their dead, it becomes strange to ask for candy, and off course many people don't have any candy at hand to give them.

I wish we could settle on one way to celebrate this holiday, don't care if it's Halloween or all saints, just save both kids and adults these embarassing moments.

[Coda]

As soon as I shrink the picture I've got a great one. We got a couple feet of snow last Wed/Thurs. Friends of mine piled snow up and carved out an 8 foot Jack-O-Lantern. They put outdoor lights inside him - pretty freakin' cool!

[trish2]

It has been interesting and fun to read about how you celebrate this holiday.
We do it in a very different way and here it is a serious celebration of the dead, in honour of all relatives and friends who are no longer with us in this world.

For a few years there has been a bit of conflict between "Halloween" and , as we traditionally call it, "all saints day".
The only things sold here are candles and decorations for the graves. It is no surprise that most shops wants us to celebrate halloween instead to sell things like masks, dresses and candy. Some of them do sell a few of those things but the kids get caught in the middle and this clash between two ways of celebrating doesn't always work out great.
When dressed up kids ring a doorbell to a house full of mourning people sitting around candles in memories of their dead, it becomes strange to ask for candy, and off course many people don't have any candy at hand to give them.

I wish we could settle on one way to celebrate this holiday, don't care if it's Halloween or all saints, just save both kids and adults these embarassing moments.

Hi Rory,
You know,I like the idea of honoring our loved ones that have passed away. I know all about the All Saints Day. I was brought up Catholic. But I do not participate in any kind of Catholic or Christian services anymore. I love the way Pagans honor the Earth and the people the love who have passed away.
It's all tied into each other. The Christians stole all the Pagans rituals. Transformed them into Christian ways. But anyway.Halloween is absolutely my most favorite holiday of them all. Where do you live Rory?

[rory]

Totally agree with you Trish about the Pagan belief and rituals, that is also my choice of life-philosophy.
I live in Sweden and I don't participate much in any of the celebrations, just reflecting on a strange situation.
But I think they have solved it cause I read the other day that the different celebrations should get a day of their own, halloween one day and all saints another day so it won't collide in the future.