Halloween probably has more parties than almost any other day, second perhaps to New Years. People of all ages love to dress up and pretend they're someone else for a night. Most people end up with more than one invitation to Halloween parties and have to choose one of them to attend.

If you're thinking of throwing a Halloween party, how do you convince people to choose yours over the others? A creative, unique theme is the first step.

Most people don't plan a theme beyond "wear a costume" at Halloween. Just giving your party a more specific theme will help it stand out from the crowd.

You can choose the traditional "spooky" type of Hallowen party and have everyone come as their favorite ghost, horror movie character or monster.

A spooky party will probably be one of the easiest to find party favors and decorations for, since that tends to be the most common theme for Halloween.

There are lots of other themes you can try, however. What about a famous couples party, where everyone comes as a famous couple? Or maybe a movie theme night, where everyone comes as their favorite Star Wars character for example.

Some other theme ideas include:

- crazy hat party - decade party (60's, 70's, 80's, etc) - murder mystery - favorite cartoon character - pirate party - "future" party (everyone comes as themselves in 25 years, for example)

When you're planning your party, one of the most important things is the menu. Food is always an important part of any party.

It could be a full meal or just finger foods, but be creative with what you serve. Try to work the food into the theme of the party.

For example, you could make some ladyfingers that actually look like severed fingers.

If you start to plan your party early, you'll leave yourself lots of time to get everything organized. Get some help from friends or family if you need it, and remember - planning the party is half the fun!