It isn't Halloween unless you see people dressed in scary costumes. Sure, some parents won't let their children go out dressed as the reaper or any popular horror movie villain. But, there are plenty who do. Scary costumes are a fun way to get into the spirit of Halloween.

Halloween is usually associated with all things horrifying and scary. Some dress to confront their own fears. Others want to scare people. No matter the reasons, it is mostly done in a spirit of good fun.

If you do decide to dress in scary costumes you have a choice as to how elaborate you want to be. Do you want to simply don a mask and go from door to door or do you want to make your look as realistic as possible, complete with theater makeup and authentic clothes?

Here are some tips that will help you find or put together perfect scary costumes.

Decide on a Theme

Before you get started, you need to do some preplanning and make some decisions. Do you want to model your costume after a familiar character or do you want to create something on your own? You also have a lot of choices. Scary costumes come in all different forms such as ghosts, monsters, and villains from popular horror movies.

Find Your Costume

If you do decide to go with a familiar character you can either purchase the costume, borrow it, rent it, or put it together yourself using theater makeup and a little creativity. Check local costume shops, department stores, and ask around. If you are on a budget you may consider making the scary costumes yourself with items found around the house.

Make Your Costume

You have two main choices when it comes to making your own scary costumes. First, you can model the costume after a popular character. Second, you can create your own character based on your own imagination. If you do decide to model the character after something, make sure you get it is accurately as possible.

The Character

You'll also want to give some thought to creating the character. Think about the mannerisms, what they'll eat, they way they talk. Pretend you are that character for an evening. But only you can decide how far you want it to go. For example, if you are at a party, it might get tiring pretending to be the character the whole time.

In the first article, we learned the basics of choosing a layout for Halloween. The points we discussed were mainly the weight of the page. If the profile is heavy, the page will not get downloaded fast and your friends will move away. What factors make the page heavy?

Any thing on the profile page adds to the weight. To begin with the - layout. Then any other widget that you add. Contact tables, countdowns, music, videos, surveys, and any such widget that we add to our profile adds to the beauty of the profile. But it also adds to the weight of the profile. Therefore it is important that we think about weight right from the day we select the layout.

The next important consideration is color of the layout. The choice is between different colors and the darkness of the colors. Which color should you be looking for Halloween? Black and red are most popular colors. Red signifies blood and black signifies dark night. The layouts are not commonly made in mono colors. You will find many colors in the layout. Choose a color that satisfies one criterion. The text is readable or not. I have seen hundreds of profiles where nothing can be read. Because the font color and the background color are so similar that it is impossible to read the texts. Chose a color that allows the font to be read.

Should the color be shining or mat. This can be tricky because it also depends upon the settings of your friends. You may choose something very bright and your friend may have a monitor with high contrast and low brightness. So you cannot control what they view. Best is to chose what looks good to you. In the next part we will discuss more about the colors and other widgets.

For a successful Halloween costume, you really need to start with the end in mind. What is it you want to be... Scary? Sexy? Glamorous? Just plain weird? If you've been invited to more than one party, you might even need more than one costume. After all, you might want to be a little more conservative at the office party than you would at your best friend's.

Once you have your goal in mind, a good costume shop will be able to help you get it together. You can buy your costume, but it can be a little too predictable if you wear the same one year after year. For that reason, a rental may be your best choice.

Of course, you can always opt for one of the pre-packaged costumes you'll find at your local store but honestly, they don't usually do it justice. If you spend the same money on a rental, you'll come out a lot further ahead.

A great costume really comes down to the little details. If you want to be unrecognizable on Halloween, these details can be critical. For example, a scary mask will hide your identity but it's far more effective to work with a costume shop that can use some theatrical makeup to completely transform you.

When your costume search is underway, be sure that you find a costume shop that offers everything you need. Some really don't have much of a selection so you'll have a much smaller chance of finding what you want.

Look for a shop that not only has the costume you want, but all the accessories you might need to personalize it and make it your own. Wigs, makeup, fake blood, fake cigarettes (complete with fake smoke) and other little things can make all the difference.

Halloween is coming nearer. As the day approaches, everybody who wants to celebrate Halloween is thinking of ideas about dresses, parties, cards, celebration, and myspace comments. Believe me, for those who are active on myspace there is nothing more precious than to look for good comments to send to their friends. Let me tell you how to chose the myspace comments for Halloween.

Myspace Halloween Comment Selection-

Do not choose any comment that looks ordinary. Look for well made comment with proper color and font. If the design does not look scary, no use chhoosing that coomment. The colors, the graphics and the text all three should cause a heartbeat to skip because of some fear. After all this is Halloween. Try to choose a design that will be liked by your Friends. If they do not like a particular color, avoid that. The choice of design should be one, which is appreciated by your friends. After all you want to scare them.

Size of Comment-

I have noticed people sending large sized comments. When such comments are added in the profile, they distort the whole profile. They may also slow down the downloading of profile. This will one-day get your comment deleted. Send a comment of decent size, not exceeding three inches either way. The comment should not be very small otherwise it will get lost amongst other comments. Think of your comment as one amongst many. Will the profile owner notice it? If yes, send that comment.

Graphic or flash comment?

Most of the websites are offering JPG graphics as comments. Only one or two sites offer flash comments. Flash comments look better because of clearer color definition. Graphics may be little lighter in weight, but they have become common. Select flash comments and send. Remember that flash comments weigh more, so if weight is a criterion it is better to choose a graphic comment or graphic for Halloween.

Halloween brings great fun and festivity. Every popular holiday does that, but Halloween is different. During Halloween, your mood is totally different. Your heart is full of joy and your mind is full of ideas. There are no stresses and no body thinks about work. Its only fun and joy. Halloween changes every mind and heart. There is joy all around. Halloween Desktop wallpapers help you enjoy that mood all through the year. Let me tell you more.

Halloween is a festival for people of all the age groups and all the people love the fear and the fun. What about bearing the joy of Halloween on your desktop all the year? You can do that with Halloween Desktop wallpapers. You can download and enjoy the wallpapers, share them with your friends and enjoy. Getting good wallpapers for Halloween is a matter of good search. Some websites offer downloads with malicious attachments; therefore search for a site of good reputation.

Halloween is to be enjoyed. One should forget work for that day and have fun. Looking at Halloween Wallpapers you can fight with your stress and enjoy a new freshness. Halloween is one such festival. Wallpapers for Halloween will not only scare you but also others who dare to watch the wallpaper.

Desktop wallpapers for Halloween are a great treat for the eyes all through the day. These wallpapers add color and festive spirit not only to the computer screen but also your mind and heart. Whenever you will look at the wallpaper, you will feel joyous, because it will remind of the fun during Halloween. Download few good Halloween Wallpapers and keep them on your screen all through the year. Enjoy with Halloween wallpapers. Have fun and have joy.

If there is ever a time of year when the ghosts and goblins roam the streets of the modern world, that time would be Halloween. Today's ghost and goblins are probably a little more frightening than at any other time in history but they are often tempered by a princess seeking frogs and a few witches and wizards along the way. Halloween is a great day to be a kid but can also be a great day for grown ups as well. Decorating for Halloween can be almost as fun as going out and begging for candy any day of the week.

Besides, having a well decorated home for this holiday gives you the perfect excuse to scare the evil out of some young ghoul or vampire that thinks he or she has the market cornered on frightening. The really cool thing about decorating for Halloween is that it is not one size fits all. You are perfectly free to find some very scary home decorations for this delightful holiday or take on a kinder, gentler, more kid friendly style of decorating. Either decision is yours and yours alone and should carefully monitor the scare-ability of your own children when deciding. You certainly don't want them afraid to come home.

For a more frightening Halloween scene you will probably want to use some strobe lights, frightening music and sound effects, dry ice in order to incorporate spooky fog, and plenty of spider web type netting in order to give those who dare approach your door bells a complete and thorough case of the willies. Doesn't this sound like so much fun? Coffins with headless straw men are also a great addition as well as skittering spiders and the occasional chainsaw or two. A glow in the dark hockey mask may also be a good choice. Bodiless heads suspended by fishing wire are also quite the highlight for a true and robust fright.

If your goal is to create a kid friendly Halloween atmosphere there are cheerful pumpkin decorations that can be found in many shapes and sizes as well as Casper the friendly ghost, Frankenstein piñatas, and countless other fun party favors that are designed to bring entertainment and delight rather than terror and far. String pumpkin lights around the porch for added lighting and another friendly face in addition to keeping plenty of candles and lanterns lit nearby. Not all trick or treaters are older kids who appreciate a good scare so keep this in mind as the little ghosts, goblins, princesses, and super heroes arrive.

For adult gatherings all bets are off when it comes to home decorating for Halloween. There are all kinds of themes that can be followed from the incredibly zany and outrageous to the frightening or flamboyant. The biggest suggestion in these matters is to have fun at all times and bring the be the life of the party rather than having the decorations upstage your efforts. Far too many people spend more time concerned with how they will decorate their homes rather than wondering how they will decorate themselves for the festivities. If you find the perfect costumes all eyes will be on you and not your decorations.

Favorite suggestions for adult parties would include strobe lights, much like the frightening scene described above, low additional lights, perhaps black lights near the food and drink area of the party. More dry ice (if tolerable some people have difficulties with the smell particularly those with allergies or asthma so you may want to avoid this inside your home and leave it for the exterior). Bales of hay in the corner make excellent additional seating and can contribute to the harvest/autumn/Halloween atmosphere you are attempting to create. Just remember that the underlying goal is for you and your guests to have a great time. Have good food, good music, and good friends, and the decorations really and truly should be a secondary concern.

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With the current popularity of Renaissance fairs, it's no wonder that traditional Renaissance costumes are equally popular. Not only reserved for the fair workers and those who attend them, Renaissance costumes also make charming additions to Halloween and costume parties.

So, what are the basics that encompass the Renaissance period? Well, it all depends. The era spanned over a long period of time and the costumes largely depended on the specific year, social standing, and the country.

So it is one thing to decide that you want to dress in traditional Renaissance costumes and another to understand exactly which type of costume you would like. In addition, you have a few options in obtaining a costume.

If your main purpose is to attend a Renaissance fair, you may want to contact the fair itself to see where they suggest you get the costumes. Some have a booth where they sell the costumes or if you want to rent, you may be able to do it at the fair or they can suggest a shop nearby that will accommodate. If you are a frequent attendee of the fair, you may want to consider obtaining your own Renaissance costumes.

If you want to wear your Renaissance costumes to a costume party or for Halloween, you may not need to worry so much about authenticity. At the fairs, more people will probably scrutinize your outfit. At a costume party, you are probably just looking for something that is fun and will look great. In this case, you can take dressing up in a Renaissance costume as far as you want it.

You can find Renaissance costumes at Renaissance fairs, and at costume shops. You can also find them at online auction sites or at online costume stores. Of course, there is also the possibility of making your own from a pattern you design or purchase.

Keep in mind that if you do decide to purchase your own costume they can get expensive. Some people specialize in making authentic, home sewn Renaissance costumes. If you choose to purchase one of these, you will certainly end up with a striking outfit. The only drawback is that it may cost a lot more than you were expecting to pay.

Halloween and fly fishing may seem like an odd mix, but not for true anglers. Yep, I’m talking about the ultimate test of your abilities and nerve.

Dracula’s River

Okay, everyone knows the story of Count Dracula. The book is huge and has been turned into more than a few scary movies. The one the frightened me the most was the recent edition in which Keanu Reaves attempted to speak with an English accent. Truly scary. Anyway, the interesting thing about Dracula is that it is based on a real person.

Vlad the Impaler was a nasty man by any definition. By Vlad, I mean the Romanian Prince, not the Angels outfielder that blasts home runs…except in the playoffs to my dismay. With a nickname like “Impaler”, I shouldn’t have to recite his resume, but will mention that he had a thing for long sticks with one end buried in the ground and the other end sharpened to a point. It was very wise to stay on his good side - “Vlad, did you lose some weight?” and so on.

Vlad ruled Romania during his reign and was such an enthusiast for impaling that those in the lumber business look back upon him with sighs of happiness. As anyone knows from the book, Vlad had his home office at Bran Castle in the Carpathian Mountains although he maintained branch offices in London. In fact, the castle stands today and you can spend your hard earned tourist money strolling about the grounds, buying fake fangs, garlic and so on. What isn’t widely known, of course, is Bran Castle was never the home of Vlad, who apparently didn’t care for the overly religious décor and garlic garden in the backyard.

The true home of Vlad the Impaler is Dracula Castle, which sits on the Arges River. The castle is not a hot tourist destination. Perhaps this is because the only things left are a few stones sticking out of the ground. Nonetheless, below the castle runs the Arges River.

Known in antiquity as the Ordessus, this is the spot where Vlad did some of his top-notch impaling and supposedly tied a unique fly or two. Even after all these years, the fish remain influenced and it takes a brave angler to hit the spot.

Body armor, garlic and a shield are not typical equipment for fly fishing. If you’re going to fish with Vlad, however, each is a must. The fish are odd. The locals with missing fingers and hands will fill you in. The “Impaler Pike” is known to react to being hooked by accelerating towards the angler and leaping from the water in the direction of one’s nether region. The Arges Cutthroat, of course, needs no description, but the Big Macks definitely give rise to the need for garlic. Finally, the Vlad Muskie can be caught, but an older gentlemen with only one ear suggested this isn’t necessarily a good thing. All and all, one doesn’t so much catch a fish below Vlad’s castle as survive the experience.

You may be wondering about the best flies to use in such circumstances. The old stand by Woolly Bugger? Perhaps a Clauser’s Minnow? Nope. According to locals, just nip a finger, rub the blood on a hook and off you go!

Happy Halloween From Nomad Journals!

By the way, you really can fly fish on the Arges below Vlad’s true castle. No armor needed, but garlic keeps the mosquitoes off.

Little blood suckers.

The only bad Halloween craft project is the Halloween craft project that takes too long. You know the ones. The craft projects that have so many steps that you’ve lost the attention of your kids before step 2. Give these easy Halloween craft ideas a try. They’re short; they’re sweet; they’re fun and the end results are spooktacular.

Antenna Characters These adorable characters look great at the top of your automobile antenna. Hey, if your house is dressed up for Halloween, why shouldn’t your car? With various Halloween-themed colors of flat fun foam (orange, black, white, green), draw a light outline of a pumpkin, ghost, spider or Frankenstein head, approximately 4-inches tall and 3-inches wide. Cut out the shapes and with a single hole punch, punch two holes in each shape, one approximately one inch from the top of the shape and another hole approximately one inch from the bottom of the shape.

With glitter glue or permanent markers, decorate the shape with facial features, an outline or anything you’d like. Allow to dry thoroughly. Once dried, you can attach to your automobile antenna by placing the antenna through the bottom hole from the back of the shape to the front. Then place the antenna through the top hole, front to back. The Antenna Character should be secure and should withstand normal driving conditions.

Halloween Mosaics Mosaic art using tiles is very popular nowadays. Kids can duplicate this popular craft using construction paper instead of tiles or glass.

Prior to gathering the children around the table, cut small squares of various colors of paper, orange, red, blue, yellow, white, black, green, etc.

On a piece of heavy stock, white paper, draw the outline of a pumpkin, Frankenstein or other Halloween character.

With a small dab of all-purpose glue on the back of each square, kids can mosaic their way to a uniquely creative masterpiece that can be framed and hung on the wall for many Halloween seasons to come.

Pumpkin Painting In less than one hour, you and your child can create the most adorable pumpkin craft ready to proudly display in your home. Pumpkin Painting is the perfect activity for little goblins who aren’t old enough to handle the jack-o-lantern carving duties.

With simple supplies like acrylic paints, markers, newspaper and sealer, kids can paint whimsical, silly faces on their pumpkins. Or they can paint their favorite cartoon character, Halloween motif or harvest design. Painted pumpkins do not rot near as quickly as carved pumpkins so it is much more economical to paint pumpkins rather than carving them and it’s also much safer and more hands-on for toddlers since there is no knife involved.

Halloween is that very special time of year when even the adults get to play dress-up, even a little bit of “make pretend” should the mood move them. For every Halloween party, passing out candy, or otherwise potentially spooky event, having an excellent costume makes the night all the more fun and all the more fantastic. Adults should not have to settle for whatever is left on the rack simply because they are a little bit older and a little bit bigger. Rather, adult costume stores have actually noticed an increase in adult costume demands over the last five years. While the popularity and origins of Halloween have come under intense scrutiny over the past ten years, adults who wish to partake of the ghoulish fun are seeking the right costume for just the right occasion.

Sexy halloween costumes are becoming the new “forever classic.” Some of the most popular sexy halloween costumes include belly dancer costumes and Middle and Far Eastern costumes. Done with a little bit of taste, these costumes can be quite alluring and even a little mischievous. For a sexy Halloween costume that combines a little sexy flair with a little pixie mischief, a strong selection of Celtic fairy or gypsy costumes can bring out a woman’s qualities with a sense of fun and fantasy.

Men can also consider a sexy Halloween costume as a strong option. With recent pirate movies bringing the wandering legends of piracy to a new level, many men are looking dapper and downright hot in the right pirate Halloween costume. Greek and Roman God costumes are undoubtedly sexy, and probably the only time the use of a toga can be rather appealing. Let’s not forget for either gender that the superhero is far from dead. Saving the world from certain disaster is remarkable sexy, and the right sexy Halloween costume can bring a new level of “superhero” to the household for just one night. Either gender should consider that choosing a sexy Halloween costume entails choosing a costume that is right for them. While some women will look phenomenal as a sexy fairy nymph, other women may need to switch it up and trade in their wings for a pirate sword. Picking the right sexy Halloween costume is not just about the costume, but the way the costume works with the person.

Adult halloween costumes are hard to find in some locations throughout the United States and beyond. While a few select towns have excellent adult Halloween costume stores, most do not carry a large enough selection, nor do they cater to the adult’s special interest. A petite woman can squeeze into a large child’s costume, but it usually doesn’t bring any flair to a party when she shows up in Junior’s Spongebob costume.

Adults have the opportunity once a year to indulge themselves in their alter ego, at least publicly. This one night is specially set aside to allow for a little fantasy and play. The costuming that an adult chooses can really give them a night of alter ego indulgence with the utmost appropriateness. Whether a woman simply wants to be a Goddess for the evening or she wants to become a major league baseball player or a man wants to play out his role as Peter Pan or Donald Duck, this is the night to let it all hang out. Finding the perfect costume is part of playing out an alter ego.

The perfect adult Halloween costume might be something completely off the wall. There are now excellent game costumes, such as the Twister costume, that just lends itself to fun and play. Other fun and play adult halloween costumes might include something more along the lines of gangster costumes, flapper costumes, ghoulish freaky and scary costumes, cave man and cave woman costumes, or even a condom package costume. Whatever might be the funny joke of the evening can now be found online. The use of the internet has revolutionized an adult’s ability to find their perfect adult Halloween costume without tremendous expense, time, or energy. After all, this can be a busy time of the year and who has the time to search through fifteen mail order catalogs to find simple, generic costumes that won’t let you stand out?

For a little more educational value, some people are searching for historical adult halloween costumes. George Washington to George Washington Carver, historical costumes are making a significant come back, especially for the baby boomer generation who may not have had ample opportunity to dress up and play for Halloween throughout their adult life. Historical costumes allow for dressing up without getting too far away from traditional, which can help a resistant dress up participant grow into the idea of playing for Halloween. Baby boomers lived their adulthood during a time when grown ups didn’t get the change to dress up too often. The rules have since relaxed, and maybe it’s time for those over 50 to let their hair down, or pin it up, all in the name of fun.

Of course, men and women alike can also find their perfect warrior costume to present their pent up aggressions to the world for a night. In work places where dressing up is allowed, this may provide some excellent relief with a little humor for the day. Adult halloween costumes now come in every era from prehistoric to the eighties generation, and whether you are seeking to spice it up with flair or become the strong and mighty outlaw who may very well save the world, dressing up for Halloween gives you that chance.

It is a definite relief that it has become more acceptable for adults to dress up for the night. After all, adults deal with a tremendous amount of stress that needs to be released from time to time. The perfect adult Halloween costume can play a vital role in this process while allowing the kid in all of us to come out and play if even just for one night.

Invitations

As with any other baby shower, your Halloween costume themed baby shower requires invitations. Consider using Halloween themed invitations or creating your own custom design.

Donning Halloween costumes

Since this is a Halloween-themed party, be sure to remind people arrive in costume! If you would like, you could also impose guidelines, such as asking your guests to wear baby-themed costumes. You can also consider providing simple costume accessories (like eye patches or princess tiaras) for the guests who may not normally dress up for the Halloween season.

Halloween-Inspired Decorations

Decorations are another must for any party. Of course, with a Halloween-themed baby shower, you will want to apply more traditional Halloween decor. Look for black and orange streamers and balloons to decorate the room. You can also use traditional Halloween icons like witches, black cats, ghosts, and skeletons. To keep with the baby theme, consider using black kittens and baby ghosts as part of your decorations.

Enjoyable Games

Many traditional baby shower games can be done with a Halloween touch to them or you can take Halloween games and put a baby spin on them. For instance, try bobbing for instead of bobbing for apples. Play a memory game using Halloween accessories on the tray as well as baby ones. Mark your baby Bingo cards with orange and black markers. You can even do things like decorate a baby shirt with a Halloween design. Consider giving guests different sized baby onesies (so you will have one for now and ones to wear in the years to come) to draw their own pumpkins, ghosts, and black cats on them.

Entertaining Gifts

If this is a shower for a second, third, or more baby (one where it is more about getting together than mom actually wanting baby items), you could challenge guests to bring the most creative Halloween gifts for baby. This can include everything from baby costumes and Halloween clothing to decorations to hang in the child's room.

Halloween-Inspired Favors Since the stores are full with trick-or-treat goodies, locating favors to send home with guests should be relatively easy. Consider getting mini treat buckets to fill with goodies or Halloween-themed gift bags.

Thank You Notes

As the recipient of the party, mother-to-be will need to send out thank you cards for all the gifts received. An easy way to make this task easier for mom (who may not have much free time in the upcoming days) is to have guests address their envelopes while they are there (you can even have them address two if mom is planning on sending out birth announcements). Try using Halloween cards as your thank you cards to keep in the theme.

While it may sound a little unusual, a Halloween costume themed baby shower can be an enjoyable way to incorporate costumes and Halloween fun into the traditional baby shower routine. Your party will definitely be remembered for some time to come!

Ideas for Halloween Face Painting

Halloween is fun both for adults and young kids. If you've enjoyed painting pumpkins with your family and friends, you will surely enjoy face painting during this special occasion. You can scare the wits out of young kids and even adults if you paint scary faces once they knock on your door and ask the same old line – 'trick or treat'.

Here are some excellent ideas for Halloween face painting.

Pumpkin – you can paint a pumpkin on both sides of your cheeks. The pumpkin should be bright orange in color. The nose, mouth, and eyes can be painted in black. The outline and ridges of pumpkin design should be light grey.

If you want, you can make your whole face look like a pumpkin. The base should be orange and for the cheekbones, you have to apply a darker shade of orange. Make a triangle shape over your eyes and paint it black. For your lips and nose, you must paint it black as well.

Skull – the skull design should occupy the whole face. The base should be white and after you've painted the white paint, you can paint a bright red color for the lips. Make an outline of fangs on both sides of your mouth in light grey. The fill should be white and the tip should be painted in red so that it will look like blood. Use smoky grey for the eye lids and exaggerate your eye brows with sweeping strokes in black color.

Bat – make a bat design over your whole face. Just like the skull design, use white color as base. Above your nose and your forehead, paint the face of the bat in black and light grey for the eyeballs. The body of the bat should be painted over your nose ending at the nostril's base. Use different shades of black for the body. The wings cover your eyes and your mid-cheek. You can paint some definitions by using light grey on the wings. Over your lips, paint exaggerated curls upward to the corners. Use your imagination and you can create a realistic bat design.

These are just four great ideas that you can use. if you want, you can obtain other painting ideas online. There are many helpful websites you can visit to get some great ideas for Halloween face painting. Visit the different sites and if you're diligent with your search, you can find pictures of the designs. With a picture to refer to, it will be a lot easier to paint because you already have a clear idea of what the design will look like. Find a design that you like so that it will be easier to paint.

You can even paint your own face if you like, but this will a bit difficult. Get the whole family involved and paint each other's face. But before anything else, you have to buy face paints, paint brushes, and other painting materials that you will need. You can purchase them in paint stores or in craft stores.

Celebrate Halloween with your family and friends. Give life to this special occasion by doing some face painting. Just remember to wash the paint off your face before you go to sleep to avoid any irritations. Have fun this Halloween season by painting your face in different designs.

* Was Halloween originally a pagan or a Christian holiday?

Like the celebration of Christmas day, originally Halloween was a pagan festival rather than a Christian holiday. It was only around 10th century that the Roman Catholic Church established this holy day. This was initiated for purifying the spirits of the dead.

* What is the origin of trick-or-treating?

Trick-or-treating, a major Halloween tradition, is related to the "soul cake day" of Christian people, with a belief that the treat pacifies a mischievous spirit. Formerly, children who were trick-or-treating would vandalize houses that did not give them treats. They roamed around the neighborhood soliciting candy or other kinds of treats. This was became popular up to the 20th century.

It was in the year 1970 that the trick-or-treating tradition started to wane because of several rumors that some households were handing out harmful or poisonous treats to children. Today many parents accompany their children while trick-or-treating or organize private Halloween parties.

* Why is Halloween celebrated on October 31st?

Halloween is celebrated on October 31st because the Celtic people believed that it is the end of "season of the sun" and the start of "season of darkness and cold" due to winter. They believe that it is the time when evil spirits are most likely to roam the earth.

* Is Halloween celebrated on the same day around the world?

No. Halloween in some parts of the world may not even occur on October 31st. A number of countries celebrate Halloween on November 1 or 2. Other prefers to celebrate it at some other time, mostly during the fall or summer season.

* What countries celebrate Halloween?

Halloween is one of the oldest traditions and is celebrated around the globe. While many countries commemorate Halloween it is in North America and Canada where Halloween is most popular. Other countries that join in the celebration are Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Latin America, Spain, and Sweden.

* How did Halloween get started in the U.S.?

The first-ever recorded Halloween celebration in the United States occurred in Anoka, Minnesota, in 1921. That was the start of trick-or-treat, Halloween costume parties, and a series of activities depicting the essence of the celebration.

* Why do we carve pumpkins for Halloween?

Carving of pumpkins is descended from earliest Irish tradition. Originally a turnip was used instead of a pumpkin. According to some stories, it was believed to ward off evil spirits.

When the Irish people began to immigrate to America, they realized that carved pumpkins were more realistic than turnips, as well as easier to carve.

1. What rock star worked as a gravedigger before starting his musical career? A. Roy Orbison B. Billy Joel C. Mick Jaggar D. Rod Stewart

1. What famous rock star worked as a gravedigger before starting his musical career? D. Rod Stewart TBD: That wasn't The QuizQueen's guess either, but that's what the research says!

2. Which tradition was NOT a precursor to Halloween? A. The Celtic tradition of giving thanks at the close of the harvest season? B. The European tradition of lighting candles and masquerading in costume to scare evil spirits away. C. The celebration of the birth of Marilyn Manson. D. The Irish custom where wealthy landowners would give food to the poor in hopes that the ghosts would look favorably on them and spare them from mischief.

2. Which tradition was NOT a precursor to Halloween? C. The celebration of the birth of Marilyn Manson. TBD: Gosh The QuizQueen sure hopes you got that right. Although who knows what historians in the next Millenium will conclude after studying the effluvium we leave behind.

3. Which phobia is the fear of Halloween? A. Caspariophobia B. Samhainophobia C. Demonophobia D. Boophobia

3. Which phobia is the fear of Halloween? B. Samhainophobia TBD: Personally, The QuizQueen has always been more frightened of Caspar than Celts, but you can't quibble with the facts.

4. Where does the name "Halloween" come from? A. In Scotland, the Celtic Feast of the Sun, which marked the end of summer was known as "Hallowe'en." B. In Ireland, the Celtic Feast of the Sun, which marked the end of summer was known as "Hollow Eve." C. The Druids held a ritual on that night honoring the leader of their sect. His name was Hal Ween. D. The Roman ceremony of burying a hollow casket to trap evil spirits beneath the ground.

4. Where does the name "Halloween" come from? A. In Scotland, the Celtic Feast of the Sun, which marked the end of summer was known as "Hallowe'en." TBD: The QuizQueen really hopes you didn't answer "C" here.

5. What is the purpose of a witch's familiar? A. Hey, everybody has to have a friend, even Broomhilda. B. The stooge she sends out to lure innocent victims to her lair. C. An animal, such as a black cat, that amplifies her power. D. Every witch is required to have a black cat, according to coven code, so it has become tradition to see the "familiar" black cat at a witch's side.

5. What is the purpose of a witch's familiar? C. An animal, such as a black cat, that amplifies her power. TBD: While "A" might be true, this is the real answer.

6. Lycanthropy is a term derived from Greek. What does it mean? A. A psychiatric state in which the patient believes he or she is a wolf. B. A person with a deadly fear of wearing Lycra (which is used in the making of some halloween costumes). C. A devotee of Lycos, the ancient Roman god whose feast was originally held on Halloween. D. An inductee of the cult of Zeus which held a yearly gathering on Mt. Lycaeus.

6. Lycanthropy is a term derived from Greek. What does it mean? A. A psychiatric state in which the patient believes he or she is a wolf. TBD: The QuizQueen has always wondered what they call someone with a deadly fear of Lycra…

7. How did the "jack-o-lantern" get that name? A. An old man named Jack who was too mean even to get into hell. The Devil gave him a piece of burning coal and sent him away. Jack used a turnip to hold the burning coal and serve as a lantern. B. The Devil's favorite dish is pumpkin pie and a clever man named Jack carved all the pumpkins in town into lanterns to drive the Devil away with a blaze of bright light and of course deprive him of his treat. C. In ancient times, when children went trick-or-treating, they were guided by a man who carried a lantern. The guide was called a "Jack." D. The man who first cultivated the potato and carved it into a lantern was named Jack.

7. How did the "jack-o-lantern" get that name? A. A mean old man named Jack who was too mean even to get into hell. The Devil gave him a piece of burning coal and sent him away. Jack used a turnip to hold the burning coal and serve as a lantern. TBD: You should deduct points if you guessed any of The QuizQueen's creative answers!

8. Can you pick out Halloween's former name? A. All Hallow's Eve B. All Hallow's Day C. All Hallowmass D. All Soul's Day

8. Can you pick out Halloween's former name? A. All Hallow's Eve TBD: The important thing to remember is that it was the NIGHT before!

9. The word warlock is a derivation of the Saxon-English term "war-loek" which means what? A. Man with the magic hands B. Oath breaker C. Witch's husband D. Doomed one

9. The word warlock is a derivation of the saxon-english term "war-loek" which means what? B. Oath breaker. TBD: Did you sing along with "A"?

10. The Celtics would carry a lantern when they walked on the eve of October 31st. These first "jack-o-lanterns" were carved with faces to scare evil spirits away. What vegetable was originally used to make a "jack-o-lantern?" A. Turnip B. Potato C. Pumpkin D. Watermelon

10. The Celtics would carry a lantern when they walked on the eve of October 31st. These first "jack-o-lanterns" were carved with faces to scare evil spirits away. What vegetable was originally used to make a "jack-o-lantern?" A. Turnip TBD: Sometimes you don't even need to set up the joke.

Buying Your Costume New

New Halloween costume shopping is a fun experience, and the best place to look for your new costume is on the Web. There are many retailers to choose from, and you want to buy from a Halloween costume store that has a good reputation and a large number of choices. The main advantage of purchasing a costume via the internet, is price and selection.

Local costume and novelty shops are a secondary way to pick up a Halloween costume. They won't have quite the selection as an internet retailer, but should have a good basic stock of costumes, masks, and props. You may feel more comfortable buying a costume locally, since it is easier to return than buying from the web.

Buying Your Costume Used

A used Halloween costume can be a great value, and if you are strapped for cash might be the way to go. If you develop a costume idea, and make a list of the items you need to complete your ensemble, you can probably find the pieces to create an entire costume with little effort. Good places to find used costumes are:

* Thrift Store * Flea Market * Garage Sales * Friends or Relatives * Coworkers * Newspaper Ads * Online Auction Sites

Make sure to inspect the quality of the costume, and if you are buying it from the internet or an online auction, get as many detailed photos as possible, and try and get a money back guarantee. Used costumes are a great idea since you may only be wearing the costume one time.

Renting a Costume

Costume rentals is another option you have when preparing for halloween. At the same place where you can buy a new costume locally, it is possible that they offer rentals.

Many times you have to put down a deposit, and the charge for renting the costume depends on how long you intend to have it, and how the time of season. During the halloween season, for example, you can expect to pay more for a costume than any other time of the year.

With the cheap prices of costumes on the internet, we recommend that you just buy one. You can always resell it later if you never use it again, or pass it on to friends and relatives. Renting a Halloween costume is an option though, and we wanted to make you aware of it.

Making Your Own Costume

If your a hobbyist, or good at arts and crafts, you may enjoy the satisfaction of creating your very own Halloween costume from scratch. All it takes is some imagination, and a little bit of work to produce an original costume.

You may already have a costume in mind, but if not, here are some tips when making your own costume:

* Develop an idea for the Halloween costume first, and then look around your house to see if you may have everything you need to make it

* Make a list of materials that you need that have to be bought for the costume. This will save money by sticking to a budget and plan

* When making kids Halloween costumes, make sure that they are safe for their age group, and make them visible at night

* Try and be original, the whole point of making your own costume is to stand out and be different

Why do we have a day that is supposed to do nothing but scare the dickens out of us? Why do we bob for apples or have scary pumpkins sitting on our front porch? Why do we dress up like ghost and goblins or other fancy creatures? All of these questions can be answered by looking back at the origin of Halloween.

More than two thousand years ago there lived a people known as the Celtics. They were a proud, fierce and combative tribe which inhabited Ireland, the northern areas of France, and the United Kingdom. Their new year started on what you and I know as November the first. The beginning of November marked the end of warm weather and the growing season. In addition the hours of darkness ruled over the hours of daylight and the Celts being of a superstitious nature; believed that things which go bump in the night roamed and ruled the night hours.

As the hours of darkness prevailed much of the time was spent spinning yarns and the retelling of stories which had been passed from generation to generation. One of the beliefs that had been passed down was the belief that the dead returned on the night before the beginning of the New Year; October 31st . It was believed on this night they returned to avenge the wrong deeds done to them and to bring forecast of the events to occur in the New Year.

Eventually over a period of time, October 31st became known as SamHain (or sow-in). In order to mark this day, the Celts, had a monstrous bonfire in their villages. Each of the villagers came to the bonfire, disguised in different animal skins. The celebration was a way of showing thanks to the Celtic “gods” for the harvest and good things of the year past. It was also believed, by the people, which by sacrificing a portion of the last year’s crop and an animal the “gods” would hopefully bestow good fortune and a bountiful crop in the coming New Year.

Therefore, you and I now know that the origins of Halloween also include dressing up in a costume on Halloween night.

As several centuries went by the Celtics, in turn were invaded by the Roman Empire. As we all know when in Rome, you do as the Romans do. So the custom of “Sam Hain” was added too by the Romans. The Romans included the day of Faralia, celebration of the dead, to coincide with the date of October 31st .

Then, they also included a day to please Pomona – a goddess whose symbol is the apple. This is basically where the tradition of apple bobbing was derived from, which is still practiced today as a party game.

Eventually Christianity began to spread and entered the land of the Celts. Around 800 A. D. The Catholic Pope at the time – Pope Bonaface IV – declared November 1st All Saint’s Day, which coincided with the Celtic pagan holiday of the beginning of the New Year. The night before All Saint’s Day, SamHain to the Celts, began to be called All Hallow’s Eve or All Hallow’s Mass. As the centuries passed and cultures were absorbed by other cultures, the origins of Halloween have become known as Halloween night.

Let’s face it; Halloween was much simpler when we were just kids. I mean, you could just dress up as a clown or a ghost, and won’t have to worry about other people laughing at you. Now, it’s a whole different idea. You have to find a costume that would look sexy, scary, or funny enough without making you look stupid, especially when you’re with the ladies.

When Halloween comes around and you need a costume for a party, for the office, or for the kids who will be sure to come trick-or-treating, just follow these great costume ideas for men, and you’ll be sure to get noticed without being laughed at.

Men in Uniform – It’s not a big secret that women can go nuts over a man in uniform. Just ask the several other guys you meet who are wearing firemen, police, and soldier costumes. Dressing up in uniform is a great way to appear attractive and masculine. Uniforms always make great costumes, whether you’re dressing up as a fireman, policeman, soldier, fighter pilot, sailor, etc. But just one caveat, though. If you’re planning on attending a Halloween party with a group of other guys, make sure you’re not going to appear as The Village People.

Pop Culture – Pop culture has recently given us a lot more choices for great costumes. You can opt to go dressed as a Survivor castaway, with some dirt smeared on your face, sandals, and swimming trunks. This is probably one of the easiest costumes you can assemble. You can also go dressed as Austin Powers, who seems never to go out of style. All you need is a velvet suit, ruffled shirt, pointy leather boots or shoes, and lots of colorful accessories to make an appearance as the shaggadelic man of Mystery. The Man of Steel is also back in business as one of the preferred costumes, with the recent return of the latest installment in the series.

Sports – Another good costume idea is to go and dress up as your favorite athlete. Don’t worry if you don’t really know how to play the game; that’s not the point here. Whether it’s baseball, football, basketball, or any other favorite sport, you can choose from lots of favorite sports icons to imitate. It would be a sure-fire hit, especially if some of the women arrive dressed up in one of those sexy tennis outfits or cheerleader uniforms. And don’t forget wrestling. You can have fun dressed up as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, or any other well-known wrestler. It would be more fun if you can also imitate the way they talk and move.

Construction Worker – believe it or not, a lot of women go for those muscular, sweaty men they walk by everyday in building sites, even if they won’t admit it. Wearing a tight pair of jeans, a white tank top or t-shirt, a construction hat and a tool belt will complete your get-up.

There are lots more of great costume ideas for men. You can either go out and visit costume shops, or you can browse the Internet. The latter is particularly convenient and practical. Lots of great costume shops online have a wide selection of costumes and accessories at very affordable prices.

What would Halloween be without all the costume parties? "Dress up as your favorite ghost or ghoul" says the invitation card. Then we have to answer the age-old question: "What should I go as?" Irrespective of whether we are horror movie fans, there is no denying that we all enjoy the idea of scaring other people. Halloween allows us to go about scaring people without being reprimanded in return. From children to senior citizens, we all love to dress up as our favorite ghouls. On the night of October 31 every year, our peaceful streets become infested by characters that seem to have walked right out of horror movies. It is like A Nightmare on Elm Street in real life.

Dressing up for Halloween is usually quite difficult. But it can also be one of the easiest things ever. Stitch up the sides of a big wide bed sheet, cut out two holes for the eyes, and a ghost costume shall be all ready for you. Of course, that could be simplifying things more than a little, unless one really wants to be a ghost. For the more complicated outfits, one can simply walk over to a costume rental store and choose the ideal costume.

There are so many outfits that you could choose from. You could go as a witch with a broom or as a zombie. You could buy one of those skeleton costumes where the bones are painted in luminous colors. The point is to look frightening. The question is how far would you go? These days, it is quite a bit easy to locate the perfect costume. Costume stores have costumes for people of all ages. So even if you want to stay away from looks out of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you would still have many looks to choose from. Superhero movies usually provide a great deal of inspiration when it comes to halloween costumes.

However, just the clothes will not complete your look. You need halloween masks as well. Luckily, these days one can buy really realistic-looking halloween masks. So if you are looking forward to making a grand entrance dressed as a zombie, don't worry about finding the perfect make-up. There are bound to be terrific zombie masks to satisfy your need for blood and gore. Moreover, with the development of silicon masks that bear a closer resemblance to human flesh, halloween costumes have become very realistic. Halloween costume parties just became a lot more fun.

Each year a new batch of halloween costumes becomes popular. There are perennial favorites this time of year, like witches, ghosts and monsters. But popular culture is always reflected in people's Halloween costume choices.

For the fifth year in a row, people around the country will be showing supporting the troops by dressing up as soldiers. A soldier costume, whether pieced together from an army surplus store or purchased ready-made at a costume shop, is a popular choice. Men and boys alike can use this easy costume idea.

The phrase “everything old is new again” certainly applies to the next Halloween costume trend: the 80's. Fashion and hairstyles from the 1980s now have retro appeal and make terrific costumes. Teens and young adults especially enjoy dressing up in retro 80's goth costumes, or 80's punk costumes. Acid-wash jeans, glam makeup and lots of “big hair” make the perfect 80's wear for women who want to relive their teen days.

Politicians are always popular costume choices, and even more so this year as we are 13 months away from the next election. Men can choose from one of several George W. Bush masks. Political front runners Barack Obama and John Edwards are also likely costume choices. Women who want to get in on this costume trend can dress like Hilary Clinton or Condoleeza Rice.

The Simpsons made the leap from T.V. to the big screen this year, so costumes of the characters will be a big hit this season. Dressing like Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie would be great for a family of 5. Dressing like any one of the other characters, like Mr. Burns, Patty, Selma, Moe or Barney will be popular as well.

For the kids, there were plenty of feature films to draw costume inspiration from. Harry Potter and Spiderman, both popular costume choices in previous years, made their return to the big screen. Harry Potter's trademark glasses, robes and a wand are going to be popular this year, as well as costumes that depict his many friends and foes at Hogwart's school.

Spiderman has always been a popular costume, but this year the costume of his enemy Venom may be just as popular. This “black” version of Spiderman will probably sell out quickly. The other Spiderman 3 foes, Sandman and the New Goblin, will be popular picks as well.

Transformers was a summer blockbuster, and you can bet that Transformer costumes will be a hit this year. Optimus Prime, Megatron and Jazz costumes will be on the top of many boys' lists.

For the girls, the Disney Princess and Disney Fairy costumes will be as popular as ever. Dressing like one of the enchanted Princesses of the Disney movies will always be a little girl's dream come true. The new Fairies line features costumes that are just as delightful for little girls.

The movie “Hairspray” has inspired a flashback to 60's dance wear. Girls, teens and even their moms will be dressing up like they are going to sockhop. Full skirts, crisp white shirts and bouffant hairstyles will be in style this Halloween.

No matter what type of costume you're looking for, there are plenty of popular choices for 2007 for every member of your family.

When I was a child in the New Orleans area, my big brown eyes would be popping at Halloween time with vivid images, shapes, characters and colors designed to capture the imagination and transport one into another sense of reality. I recall scary voodoo zombies regaling the windows of storefronts, Halloween jesters staring out from behind curtains, expressive uses of masks with a French or Creole twist, and these visuals combined with music and food would be a fun, frightening feast for the senses.

Now that we've moved into the Northeast and times have changed, Halloween has become more demure and conservative, and in many ways around our neighborhood, barely noticeable. Parents have become spooked themselves about having their children running around trick-or-treating, and small parties - tightly-controlled - have replaced the traditional community experience of Halloween. I can understand why that's happened, but it doesn't prevent me from trying to bring some of that old New Orleans spirit to my adopted hometown; in fact, it inspires me to share some ideas. I'd like to share these 5 with you.

1. Curtains - the Blacker, the Better!

It's really inexpensive to purchase some black fabrics online and spread them all throughout the house; curtains over windows, draped over furniture, hanging in corners or in unexpected places. This alone can give a dramatic "cape of fear" over one's home. Use liberally.

2. Make Strange Costumes!

This is a bit more involved, but rather than buying costumes off the shelf, a little imagination can turn some cheap fabric and some well-glued craft goodies into one-of-a-kind, bizarre costumes with weird shapes and faces. I recommend a combination of black and other ghoulish colors.

3. "Webbing."

Fabric alone can be taken and "shredded" to make a host of scary cobwebs all around the house and especially on the front porch. "Webs" draped everywhere create a sense of foreboding as the children approach the door - creating a spooky effect that "primes" them for the fear to come once they ring the doorbell.

4. Eerie Lighting!

Setting up light bulbs (I strongly recommend red) at specific points of interest can cast ghastly hues and shadows in the windows and on the porch, as well as when you open the door. I like to have a light directly behind me when I answer the door, because it gives the effect of a gigantic silhouette. If this light is red or orange, it completely magnifies the effect!

5. Scary Faces Everywhere!

I purchase a bunch of cheap masks that, when in used in combination with the webbing, lighting, and black curtains, create the illusion of living faces peering out from every nook of the house. If done correctly, this creates the sense of a "ghoul jungle" that is fun, surprising, and never fails to delight the kids - even if there is a scream or two!

I do try to keep away from the bloody, murder-themed stuff - but I like making my Halloween experience as fun and spooky as possible without crossing the line. I may never recapture what I enjoyed in New Orleans as a kid, but every year I try to come as close as possible!

One of the most popular images around Halloween time is the colorful orange Jack-o-Lantern face. There are endless possibilities when designing a Jack-o-Lantern. They can be scary, happy, sad, weird, angry, silly, human or animal like. People love looking at carved pumpkins, and they are often the centerpiece of outside Halloween decorations.

While carving a pumpkin is relatively simple, there are a few things to keep in mind while you are hunting for that perfect pumpkin for your display.

1. Look for carvable pumpkins that have a strong stem that is firmly attached. To check for ripeness, pick up the pumpkin and thump it a few times. You should hear a hollow sound, which lets you know this pumpkin will be easy to scoop out. The pumpkin’s surface should be smooth and free of blemishes and discolorations.
2. Be sure to always carry your pumpkin from the bottom. DO NOT carry it by the stem, because the stem may snap, which speeds up rotting.
3. Store your pumpkins in a cool, dry place. Heat and light speeds up rotting.
4. Before carving your pumpkin, wash it in a solution of 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach and 1 gallon of water. This prevents mold.
5. Draw your pumpkin pattern on a piece of paper first, that way you can make easy revisions without damaging your prize pumpkin. If you can’t come up with your own design idea, you can always use ready made stencils or templates (these can be found online or inside a pumpkin carving kit). Cut the pattern out and secure it on the pumpkin surface with masking tape. Use a carving knife (or poking tool) to create pinpricks, or marks, to score the design for you to use as a guide.
6. To cut the actual design out of the pumpkin, use a small serrated saw for best results. Carve with a back and forth sawing motion. Go slow. NEVER use a straight-edge razor, because this can damage the pumpkin and cause possible injuries.
7. Consider buying a pumpkin carving kit to save time. Pumpkin carving kits contain all the tools you’ll need to create great looking Jack-o-Lantern faces.
8. If the thought of carving a real pumpkin sounds messy or like too much of a hassle, you can opt to buy an acrylic craft pumpkin. These look pretty real and are easy to carve too. Best thing about these acrylic pumpkins is that you can reuse them year after year!
9. Once you’ve carved your traditional pumpkin face, think about mixing things up a little with some other interesting designs like: black cats, witches, ghosts, moon and stars, popular movie characters, or drilling holes in your pumpkin that form an unexpected pattern.
10. While one pumpkin on the porch or front yard is great, imagine how it will look if you use several small to medium sized pumpkins. Displaying several pumpkins together creates more drama for neighbors and trick-or-treaters.

While adults may be jumping on the Halloween bandwagon, first and foremost Halloween is a kid's holiday. Besides trick-or-treating and costumes, Halloween parties are one of the many activities that kids can look forward to each Halloween. If you are thinking of jumping in and hosting your own kid's party this year, one thing that you will need to think about is the games.

When planning kid's party games, keep in mind that many games will only have one winner. So be sure to play enough games that every child can be a winner, or consider providing second and third place prizes to help avoid hurt feelings. If you don't want to use candy for prizes, Halloween party favors and small toys also make great prize ideas.

Ghostly musical chairs

Almost everyone is familiar with the game of musical chairs, so you probably won't need a detailed expression of the rules. All you need is one chair less than the number of kids attending the party (so 9 chairs for 10 kids, for example). Cover the chairs with white sheets and paint some eyes and mouths on them to make them look like ghosts. Line the chairs up or arrange them in a circle. To play the game, play some music while the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, the child left without a chair is out. Remove a chair, and keep playing until there is only one child left.

Dress the scarecrow

If you have some of dad's old clothing lying around the house, this is a fun game for kids. Divide the children into small teams, and give all teams some clothes for their scarecrow. Jeans or overalls, flannel shirts, boots, gloves, and a straw hat are typical, though you can use whatever you have on hand. One child in the team is the scarecrow, and has to stand still while the others of the team put the clothes on. The first team to complete a scarecrow is the winner.

Meet my mummy

For this one, you will again want to divide children into small teams and have one child volunteer to be the mummy (preferably a child who was not the scarecrow if you play both games). Give each team a roll of toilet paper, and have them wrap their mummy with it (you can also use rolls of streamers in Halloween colors if you would prefer). The first team done wins.

Pin the nose on the jack-o-lantern

Create a large pumpkin out of cardboard, or make one out of construction paper and pin it to a bulletin board. Paint or glue eyes and a mouth on the jack-o-lantern, leaving the area where the nose should be empty. Cut out several yellow triangles, writing the child's name on the front and placing a small piece of double-sided tape on the back. Blindfold children and have them attempt to pin the nose where it belongs. To make the game more difficult, spin the child in circles several times before having them pin the nose on.

Almost any child's party game can be converted to a Halloween game with a little creativity. Of course, leave plenty of time for snacks and the ever-popular costume contest.

Who says Halloween is just for kids? Halloween is, of course, a time for trick-or-treating, and mom and dad certainly can’t go out begging in the streets for candy, but the holiday can also be a great time for some adult fun.

If you are planning a Halloween party for grown-ups, you will want to have some adult Halloween games on hand. It is all part of the fun.

Some great adult Halloween games include:

About the Town – This is a scavenger hunt. All you need to do is create a list of Halloween-related items, pass out the list to each team, and send them on their way to collect the items. Some great objects to put on the list include:

A Hangman’s noose A black veil An obituary

You get the idea. Just include items that have to do with being scared, ghosts, Halloween, or whatever.

You might try a variation on the hunt, too. One great one is to make the hunt a video scavenger hunt. Each team goes off with video camera in hand (or cell phone with a camera or whatever) and films the items rather than actually bringing the items back with them. This is really cool because you can make the list of items include really big stuff and potentially scary things like tombstones. For a further variation, you can have the list be only things like: Superman, a clown, a pirate, a fairy princess, a werewolf, a vampire, and so on. That would mean the adult Halloween games would include the kids via taking video of trick-or-treaters who are all dressed up.

Halloween Fortune Telling – In this game, your guests put their knowledge of one another to the test and get to know each other better.

Simply hand out slips of paper and a pencil to each guest. Each person then chooses a person at the party (maybe even himself or herself), but doesn’t tell anyone who it is. Then, everyone write a “fortune” for that person, folds it, and puts it into the fishbowl. You can have everyone write one or several; that’s up to you.

Then, each guest pulls out a slip of paper and reads the fortune. He then tries to guess which person wrote the fortune and which person the fortune is about.

Some examples of fortunes might be:

“This person will get caught doing something illegal and spend the night in jail.” “This person will marry someone from a foreign country.” ”This person will quit his job and buy a Corvette when he turns fifty.” “This person will adopt a child.” “This person will become President of the PTA.”

You get the idea. Each person who correctly guesses wins a small prize, and this game is a delightful way to get conversations started at your Halloween bash.

A really cool variation of this game is to have each guest put their name on a piece of paper and drop into the bowl. Then have each guest draw a name from the bowl and have the one who drew the name make up a scary story about the name drawn. Then have the other guest guess who the scary story is about.

As you can see adult games can be a lot of fun and the types of games can be endless. It just takes a little planning to come up with adult Halloween games.

Of course birthdays and Christmas are the biggest times to give and receive presents, but there is no reason to wait for the joy of giving – and getting, of course. This year, why not break with the old habits and give a Halloween gift?

A Halloween gift that is always a big hit around my house is a basket filled with orange and black cool stuff. It is easy to put together this kind of Halloween gift, too. All you have to do is stop by your local dollar store and pick up a basket of any color and size. Just be sure to get a basket that will hold whatever you want to put inside of it.

You can find some orange and black crepe paper and line the basket with that, and you may decide to decorate the basket with some orange and/or black and/or yellow curling ribbon as well. You can make some wild curls out of the ribbon and have them snaking all over the place. If you don’t really want to get crepe paper, you can just line the basket with some Halloween napkins that you unfold.

That’s all it takes to make a great presentation, and then you are ready to fill that basket with anything that would make a great Halloween gift for your kids, your spouse, your boss, your sister, or whomever you wish to make really happy this year.

You can stick with the Halloween theme and include only orange and black items, if you like. Or, as an alternative way of sticking with the Halloween gift theme, you can get whatever items you want and simply wrap them in orange and black paper or with Halloween napkins.

If you do not care quite as much about the items fitting into the Halloween gift theme, you can put anything you want inside the basket and let the basket itself represent the holiday. Some of my favorite items to include are:

CDs of the person’s favorite music Candles Bookmarks Some delicious treats – homemade or store bought, whichever suits your fancy Soaps Fruits—especially oranges for obvious reasons Socks or pantyhose Halloween-related objects that could be used for decorating the house – like miniature statues and so forth Mittens or gloves for the upcoming colder weather

Of course, the above are just a few ideas to get you started; you know the Halloween gift recipient better than I do, so you know best what to put inside that gorgeous basket you made for a couple of bucks.