Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. For some, it means the fun of dressing up — even though adults don’t normally get to do that (of course, cosplay is a completely different story). It’s also fun for adults to help their kids dress up. And there’s something about being able to decorate the home with the “darker” elements of life. Do you really think a skull or cobwebs is socially acceptable any other time of year? It’s a celebration of fun, youth and the forbidden.

If you want to get ready for Halloween, here are 25 sites that can help you get in the mood, from spooky Halloween culture to the kid stuff that makes Halloween one of the funnest celebrations of the year.

Halloween Culture

Halloween as we know it today is a combination of a number of different traditions and origins. Those who are interested in the origins of Halloween, as well as interested in learning more about enjoying Halloween year-round, can enjoy these blogs — some of which have a true spook factor.

1. Pumpkin Rot: A journey into the spirit of Halloween. Creepy videos and images to help you find inspiration, as well as great ideas on music, decor and other items related to Halloween.
2. Casey’s Cavernous Halloween Links: This Halloween site includes a number of interesting links to recipes and games, as well as sounds and even animals. A treasure trove of Halloween ideas and inspiration.
3. Melissa’s Halloween Links: Melissa is all about Halloween and giving you the tools to make it awesome. From gossamer fabric to give your walls the look of a dungeon to music to Halloween how-tos, you can find just about anything you want to related to Halloween.
4. Dark Side of the Net: This is a web site devoted to items of a darker nature. This site focuses on Halloween culture, goth culture and other things devoid of much light. This site is a wealth of information where you can find out about local Halloween happenings, and see reviews of books and films related to scarier themes. One of the best features is the ability to locate some of the spookiest haunted houses around.
5. The Horror Blog: Learn about horror and enjoy it year round on this blog.
6. History of Halloween: The Featherless Biped offers an interesting look at the history of Halloween. He looks at the reason that some in the mainstream dislike Halloween, as well as addressing some of the rumors surrounding Halloween. Also takes a look at the “scare” literature that comes out every year around this time.
7. Creepy L.A.: This blog is location specific to Los Angeles. But that doesn’t mean it’s not interesting for everyone else. Get a good look at Halloween culture and happenings.
8. 365 Halloween: Devoted to those who are interested in scary things all year, this web site offers great recipes on Halloween related food and activities that can keep the Halloween spirit alive year round. Includes links to costumes, great costume ideas and fun things for kids to do.
9. Halloween Haunt: This blog includes discussions on spirits and other Halloween staples. This blog also explores haunted houses and other spooky places. This blog also includes history, stories and poems related to the celebration of Halloween.

Halloween Crafts and Decorations

If you want to make your home more “Halloweeny”, you can do so with the help of crafts and decorations. Here are some web sites and blogs that offer insight into making your home a haven for the Halloween spirit.

1. Old Fashion Halloween: Get craft and decor ideas, along with helpful images to show you how it’s all done.
2. Holidays.com: The Halloween section provides you with recipes, crafts and decor ideas to help you get into the spirit of Halloween.
3. Octoberfarm: This blog offers a number of interesting decor ideas. Also includes recipes using autumn foods, and helps you get ready for Halloween.
4. About.com Family Crafts: Some great Halloween craft ideas and decoration ideas. You can even sign up for a 31 days of crafts newsletter to give you plenty of instructions and ideas for creating a Halloween atmosphere in your home.
5. All Free Crafts: The Halloween page on All Free Crafts is great. It features decoration ideas, pumpkin carving patterns, other Halloween decor that includes pumpkins and more. There are plenty of good directions and helpful images that can help you decorate your home in the spirit of Halloween.
6. FaveCraftsBlog: This blog includes some great Halloween craft ideas. These make great decorations ranging from spooky to fun.
7. Mental Floss: Want to spook up your house for Halloween? These great DIY Halloween decoration ideas can really make your holiday.
8. Halloween Central: This is a site on Martha Stewart’s web site. Get some decorating ideas, complete with images, including how they look in your home. Also includes an entire section on pumpkins and decorating with them.

Halloween Kid Stuff

Halloween is a fun holiday for kids. The candy! The dressing up! The staying up later! Here are some web sites that can provide some great ideas for making Halloween even more fun for the kids.

1. Kidz Page: This site offers games, puzzles and more for children. Check out the Halloween page for some fun Halloween coloring pages and games.
2. DLTK: Get some great Halloween craft ideas for children. Coloring pages, costume ideas, cradts, games and even pumpkin carving patterns for those who are interested in providing holiday-themed activities for their children.
3. Apples 4 Teacher: This site is chock-full of family-oriented Halloween activities. Jigsaw puzzles, games, historical information on Halloween and other activities are all available.
4. About.com Children’s Books: If you want to interest your children in books, you can get a little help from Halloween books. These books offer child-friendly Halloween stories with great illustrations.
5. Family Education: Create some fun kids games. Halloween game ideas, such as “Find the Pumpkin” and “Tricks and Treats”, provide you with hours of fun. Great for kids’ parties as well.
6. Squidoo: There is a great page on Squidoo with Halloween craft ideas for children. There are a number of ideas, with detailed instructions, that can help you create craft ideas for kids.
7. Halloween Ideas: Get good ideas for Halloween with kids. This blog also includes a great post on homemade costume ideas for children, as well as a post on Halloween recipes and throwing Halloween parties.

Although you’re not likely to get a trick for giving a bad treat these days, that sad and disappointed look on a child’s face is quite enough to make you regret giving anything but excellent Halloween handouts. They’re all bubbly when they get to your door, and then you had to go and ruin it with some healthy food, right? You’re such awful person! How dare you think of the child’s wellbeing?

Well, Halloween isn’t about being healthy. It’s about candy – and lots of it! It’s like Christmas except earlier in the year, with fewer presents but more costumes. In any case, don’t worry too much. Their parents will moderate their candy intake. Trust me, the last thing any parent truly wants is a bunch of kids hopped up on candy for an entire day. Worst case scenario they’ll dose ‘em up and send them to grandma’s house (but I digress).

Halloween No-No Number One – Mary Janes

Yeah, we bet you didn’t know those weird orange peanut butter and molasses things even had a name, but they do: They’re called Mary Janes, and they’ve been grossing kids out for nearly 100 years. Although 100 years ago most things kind of sucked anyway, so maybe these were considered good back then. That might explain why it’s mainly really old people that give them out.

Halloween No-No Number Two – Huge Lollipops

Not only do they take up a lot of room in that tiny little bin (which would be much better occupied by Three Musketeers bars, might I add), these surprisingly bland juggernauts of the candy family are something only an army of ants could love. Not to mention they contain enough sugar to put most kids into a coma if eaten in one sitting (or at least give them extremely sore tongue muscles).

Halloween No-No Number Three – Black Licorice

Black licorice is definitely an acquired taste – and being acquired implies one has lived long enough to remember at least 2 or 3 presidential elections. Most adults don’t even like black licorice (just like many don’t participate in presidential elections), so it’s best just to avoid black licorice altogether. Trust me, it won’t get many votes.

Halloween No-No Number Four – Candy Corn

Candy corn is the fruit cake of Halloween – you either love it or hate it, and there always seems to be a never-ending supply of it. There’s plenty of candy corn to go around as it is, and if their kids love it, trust me there’s already a big bucket of the stuff at home. Giving out candy corn on Halloween is like giving milk to a dairy farmer – either they’ve got plenty of it and have no need for more, or they make cheese and don’t even need it at all.

Halloween No-No Number Five – Healthy Food

Unless the town you live in is full of hippies, apples and bananas just aren’t going to fly. Not only are they heavy, but parents will usually throw them out – or at least they will if they’re smart. Who knows what you did to that seemingly innocent fruit? When it comes right down to it, it’s a gift from a stranger, and since it isn’t packaged, it isn’t safe – or even wanted. And giving out toothbrushes or dental floss is just asking for a kick in the ass.

The best idea is to have a lot of the “safe stuff” with a few “strange” options and ask if they have any special requests. Who knows – maybe you will make a new black licorice loving health food fanatic friend. Stranger things have happened (although, I should probably be more careful with that saying… it is Halloween, after all).

Photo by travelmatt

Halloween has got to be one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. Whether you’re a kid looking to get a huge haul trick-or-treating, or an adult eager to show off his scary new costume, we can all agree that Halloween is the perfect time to get spirits (living AND dead) rising. Let your excitement show with these 25 spooky iPhone apps made especially for this night of devilish fun:

Spine-chilling Sounds

1. Scary Sounds — What’s Halloween without the eerie atmosphere? Create a delightfully spooky ambience with this fine selection of sound effects. You can find almost anything to set the mood, from the laughter of a wicked witch to the howl of a werewolf.
2. Free Halloween Sounds — This ingenious little sound board allows you to play fifteen different Halloween sound effects for any purpose. Feel like creeping out little children? Play the monster growl effect. How about spicing up your Friday the 13^th costume with the sound of a chainsaw? This app has those and more.
3. Scare Tracks — Looking for a soundtrack to a night of macabre fun? With a fine selection of cinematic scores sure to scare any soul, you‘ll have a grand time alternating fright and delight listening to this app.

Atrocious Action Games

4. iDracula – Undead Awakening — Blast your way through legions of the undead in this beautifully-designed shooter. Once you get past the army, you’ll do battle with the big-time bloodsucker himself, Dracula. The action is so intense, you’ll be looking over your shoulder for vampire sneak attacks!
5. Zombieville USA — Vampires not your thing? Protect your brains, not you blood, in this gleefully gruesome zombie shooter. Whack away at the walking dead with a sledgehammer, or make sure those corpses never come back to life by burning them to a crisp with your flamethrower. The game gives you 15 upgradeable weapons to quell the zombie apocalypse in this fun-filled action romp.
6. Zombie Pizza — If you think getting rid of zombies was hard, try keeping them as well-fed, happy customers. This quirky game puts you in the role of a chef making pizzas for hungry, hungry zombies. Hearts, brains, and other body parts make for… interesting toppings.
7. Candy Catch — If Halloween to you means free candy more than anything else, you’re bound to enjoy this cute little diversion. You control a young trick-or-treater trying to catch candy corn falling from the sky. Guide the adorable little tyke by tilting your iPhone from side to side. Make sure you avoid the pumpkins and spiders!
8. Ghost Pop — In this deceptively-simple game, the object is to pop the ghosts flying at you by tapping your screen. The action becomes more and more frenetic, however, and you’re going to end up getting hooked pretty quickly.

Putrefying Puzzlers

9. Halloween Word Search — Spice up your word searches with this Halloween-themed set of puzzles. Complete with a background and music to set the ambience, you’ll be looking for some of the spookiest words in the English language, such as “demon” and “spectre”. “Mother-in-law” unfortunately not included.
10. Horror Master Trivia — With questions that can stump even the biggest of horror film buffs, this app is a must-have for anyone who enjoys a good scary movie. Answer your way through ten challenging levels and earn the title of horror master!
11. Spooky Halloween Puzzle — Unscramble up to 25 different ghoulish images in this slider puzzle app. Even better, the app allows you to take your own scary pictures and turn them into puzzles, too!
12. Mystery Mania — Gaming giant Electronic Arts brings you 27 levels puzzles to solve. This point-and-click adventure has everything you could ask for – action, traps, mad scientist laboratories, and a whole cast of creepy characters.

Terrifying Tower Defense Games

13. The Creeps! — This unique variation in the tower defense genre has you playing a young boy protecting your bed from the things that go bump in the night. Defend yourself from the monsters by slowing them down with glue bottles, tossing paper shurikens at them, and many more.
14. MonsterKill — Another original twist on the genre, MonsterKill has you slaying the creatures coming at you with gestures instead of towers. Cast spells to keep them at bay before they tear your fence down!

Freaky Photo Editors

15. Ghosto — This handy little app allows you to insert a number of fun Halloween effects into your photos. It also allows you to upload your work to your Flickr account for easy sharing.
16. GhostCam — Add some incredibly spooky effects to your pictures by inserting one of the many realistic ghost effects included in this app. This is great for creeping out friends and family alike – imagine the looks on their faces when you’ve “caught” a ghost floating right behind them!
17. Witch My Wife — Various photo effects help turn any lady in your life into a witch, complete with hat and warty nose. Edited photos make for great invites and postcards (or pranks, if you’re feeling mischievous). A wizard option for boys is also included.
18. Halloween~Postage — Every wondered what you’d look like as a black cat? Create your own Halloween postcards with the customizable high-resolution templates included in this app. The app also lets you share your creations pretty easily through email and Facebook.

Creepy Costume Ideas

19. Halloween Costume Generator — Haven’t got a clue what to go as on Halloween? This helpful app comes with over 200 suggestions for excellent costumes, for any given situation! Along with crowd favourites like Zombie Bride and Scary Clown, suggestions include quirkier choices, like YouTube and the Not-So-Incredible Hulk.
20. Costume Ideas – Halloween — Getting a new idea for a Halloween costume is now just as simple as shaking your iPhone. This handy Halloween app gives you a new costume with every shake. It also gives you info on where you might find these costumes and how much you can expect them to cost.

Gruesome General Fun

21. Crazy Pumpkin — Create over 30,000 different Jack-o-Lanterns! Simply swipe different facial features in and out to your liking, and then shake your iPhone to change the lighting. Every shake gives off a creepy sound effect, too!
22. MonstAr Maker — Shake your phone to create countless monsters! Different combinations of heads, torsos, and legs guarantee a twisted-looking critter. You can even send your creation to the app’s developers for a chance to have it included in future releases!
23. Singing Pumpkins — They might not be the Smashing variety, but these pumpkins sure do make some pretty good Halloween music! Guide them in creating a haunting melody by tapping them in succession. As a bonus, you can switch them from singing to creating just plain creepy sounds whenever you want.
24. Bloodcurdlers: 13 Terrifying Tales for Halloween — Halloween is never complete without a good scary story. This app gives you 13 of the world’s most well-loved spine-chillers, including Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, and H.P. Lovecraft’s cult favourite, The Call of Cthulhu.
25. Halloween Deluxe — If your iPhone could go trick-or-treating, this is what it would get. The app is a package of many different Halloween-related features, including sound effects, costume ideas, and a Countdown to Halloween timer.

Photo by singsing_sky

Preppy clothes and glitter for your skin? That’s a vampire Halloween costume? It is if you’re getting your ideas from the popular Twilight series of books. Sadly, if you go to a costume party as a vampire from one of the Twilight novels, you will spend the entire evening explaining what you are: “See? My skin glitters in the light! That’s how you can tell I’m a vampire!” No plastic fangs as a clue that you are, in fact, a vampire.

And that is one of the issues with getting ideas out of books in which fantasy creatures live, undetected, among the rest of us. The point is that they are mostly indistinguishable from your everyday, run of the mill, “folks.” These characters can make for a trendy bit of pop literature, but they don’t offer much in the realm of creative and distinct costuming.

If you’re interested in getting good costume ideas out of books, though, there are plenty to be had. Here are 15 books that offer great costume ideas:

1. Dracula: Now here’s a vampire you can identify. The widow’s peak. The long cloak. The fangs. Bram Stoker’s “mystery story” remains one of his most famous works, and a true classic, even today.

2. Frankenstein: This is another classic monster tale that provides ample opportunity for you to create a distinctive and recognizable costume. Dressing up as Mary Shelley’s hideous Frankenstein’s monster, or Dr. Frankenstein himself, are very real options. And everyone knows who these characters are. No need to explain why your skin is green and you have bolts sticking out of your neck…

3. Harry Potter: This series of books for pre-teens and teens is a no-brainer. There are a ton of great costume ideas throughout the series. From individual wizards, like Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Bellatrix Lestrange, Lord Voldemort and Professor Dumbledore (all of which are described with specific and distinguishable features), to creatures such as house elves, goblins and giants, there are a number of great costume ideas.

You can wear school robes or don Quidditch gear. For those who enjoy props, wands and broomsticks can be used to enhance the costumes. The ideas are endless when it comes to Harry Potter. Of course, you do have to deal with the fact that there are likely to be plenty of others with Harry Potter costumes running around. You will be far from unique.

4. Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: These beloved fantasy novels provide the fodder for a host of recognizable creatures. J.R.R. Tolkien offers descriptions of elves and dwarves (he even offers his own spellings), and of hobbits and men. Characters such as Sauron and Gollum, as well as Frodo, Legolas and Gimli are possible to recreate, and do so in a way that is distinguishable. The popularity of the Lord of the Rings movies creates a visual that you can use as a touchstone. And if you’re feeling really spendy, you can get accessories (jewelry, weaponry, armor) that looks like what was used in the movies.

5. The Chronicles of Narnia: Most fantasy sagas are a veritable gold mine of costume ideas, and The Chronicles of Narnia is no exception. You can dress in armor and fancy clothes, and carry identifying accessories as one of the main characters, or you can dress up as one of the fantastical creatures C.S. Lewis uses in the series. And I don’t mean Aslan, the talking lion, either. There are mermaids, fauns, satyrs and centaurs galore in Chronicles. (You can learn how to construct a centaur costume on deviantART.)

6. The Egypt Game: If you are into something a little last fantastical, you can consider The Egypt Game. This Newbery Honor winner provides costume ideas out of ancient Egypt. From Nefertiti to the cat goddess Bastet to bird-headed Thoth, you can get some pretty far-out costume ideas rooted in mythology. Author Zipha Keatley Snyder also wrote The Gypsy Game andThe Headless Cupid, in case you were looking for more costume ideas.

7. The Wizard of Oz: This is another classic full of costume ideas. Many people have enjoyed portraying Glinda (the good witch), the Wicked Witch of the West, the Tin Man and other characters from L. Frank Baum’s well-known classic. The characters are often easy to dress up as, yet still distinctive and recognizable (ruby slippers, anyone?). You can even put on a little hat and find some wings and be one of the flying monkeys.

8. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass: Charles Dodgson wrote his books about Alice and her strange adventures under the pen-name Lewis Carroll. These books offer interesting costume possibilities, from the Queen of Hearts, to the White Rabbit, to the Mad Hatter, to the Cheshire Cat to Alice herself. Twins can be Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. Like many other fairy stories, the characters in the Alice adventures have their own distinguishing props.

9. The Indian in the Cupboard: If you’re more into Western themes, this book offers some interesting possibilities. A Native American and a cowboy are each represented, and there is a World War I medic as well. Lynne Reid Banks’ book is a classic tale with sequels that offer other ideas from nurses to soldiers to colonists.

10. Johnny Tremain: Esther Forbes offers an interesting historical novel that follows the life of one boy in the years immediately leading up to the Revolutionary War. Historical figures like Paul Revere populate this tale, walking amongst fictional characters.

11. The Three Musketeers: This swash-buckling classic from Alexandre Dumas provides a number of period costume ideas. Dress as a musketeer with the distinctive costume. You can be Cardinal Richelieu if you like. Or, if you like, dress up as the king and queen of France. Dumas also wrote other related books, Twenty Years Later and The Man in the Iron Mask, which have other interesting opportunities for costumes.

12. Complete Works of William Shakespeare: Clearly, the plays offered by William Shakespeare provide a wealth of costume possibilities. Simple costumes, from Hamlet’s unrelieved black, to the more complex costume ideas available in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, all give one a classicism that is undeniable. There are couple costumes for those who like to match each other (“Romeo and Juliet”, Rosalind and Orlando from “As You Like It” — which offers interesting possibilities since Rosalind cross-dresses as a man).

13. Winnie the Pooh: A.A. Milne’s beloved characters offer great costume ideas. Winnie the Pooh is a fun costume idea for very young children, and adults can enjoy dressing up in these costumers as well. A number of characters are recognizable, although it might be difficult in some cases to create costumes that look like animals.

14. The Cat in the Hat: Dr. Seuss is always an interesting subject for crazy costumes. Another book for children, The Cat in the Hat offers whimsical costumes for all ages. Other Dr. Seuss books provide equally recognized characters.

15. The Bible: This is one of the most recognized pieces of literature. If you are looking for character costume ideas, The Bible is a great place to go — especially if you want to add a little Christian sensibility to Halloween. Clearly, for the devout, dressing up as Jesus may not be the best option. But there are a number of characters — Eve, Moses, Joseph, Jezebel, and more besides — that can be portrayed through costume and with props. If The Bible isn’t your thing, there are plenty of characters in religious texts from other world religions.

Photo by hanna_horwarth

Halloween is one of the most exciting and captivating holidays celebrated by both the young and old. Every year we break out the costumes and the spooky decorations in October. We carve our pumpkins, we buy the candy. But how much about this frighteningly fun holiday do we really know? There are many fun and interesting facts about Halloween that many people are not aware of.

Enjoy these terrifyingly true trivia facts and impress your friends with your extensive Halloween knowledge. We cover everything interesting about Halloween from history facts to Halloween around the world. Keep reading for 32 of the most bizarre Halloween facts we could find!

Halloween History

1. The history of Halloween began in ancient times with the Celts living on the British Isles. The Pagan calendar had October 31st as the last day of the year called Samhain. Celtic priests honored their god of death, known as Samhain, on the night of the 31st. The Celtic people believed that the spirits of the dead rose on that night and so they wore costumes to scare them away.

2. After the rise of Christianity the first day of November was known as All Saints Day which was originally called All Hallows Day. That made October 31st All Hallows Eve. That is how Halloween got its name.

3. It is believed that the Irish began the tradition of Trick or Treating. In preparation for All Hallow’s Eve, Irish townsfolk would visit neighbors and ask for contributions of food for a feast in the town.

4. After the Roman Empire gained control of the British Isles, Samhain also became a harvest festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees. Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from this harvest festival.

5. Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance, and tell fortunes. By the second half of the nineteenth century there was in influx of immigrants (particularly the millions of Irish fleeing the potato famine in Ireland) who helped popularize Halloween and make it the holiday it is today.

6. In the United States the first citywide Halloween celebration was held in Anoka, Minnesota in 1921. It is believed that the reason the townspeople decided to put on this celebration was to divert its youngsters from committing Halloween pranks. Anoka is now known as “The Halloween Capital of the World”.

7. The earliest known use of the words “Trick or Treat” did not occur until 1934, when a Portland, Oregon newspaper ran an article about how Halloween pranks kept local police officers on their toes. There would be sporadic instances of the phrase “Trick or Treat” used in the media during the 1930s. But the practice we see today, children dressed in costume, going house to house saying “Trick or Treat” did not really come about until the mid 1940s.

The Scoop on Pumpkins

8. A pumpkin is a berry in the cucurbitaceae family, which also includes melons, squash, cucumbers, and gourds. All of these plants are native to the Americas.

9. Pumpkins are 90% water and generally weigh between 15 and 30lbs. They are rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene, and potassium and their seeds provide iron and protein. Pumpkins also come in white, blue, grey, and green. Great for carving unique jack o
lanterns!

10. Jack o lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts. When they immigrated here they found that turnips were not as plentiful so they used pumpkins instead. Today, 99% of America’s pumpkins are used for Jack-o-lanterns.

11. Pumpkins originated in Central America. When Europeans arrived in the New World, they found that this plentiful food was often used in cooking by Native Americans. They took pumpkin seeds back to Europe where they quickly became very popular.

12. Growing giant pumpkins is a big time hobby with big time rewards. Top prize money for the biggest giant pumpkin can be as much as $25,000 at fall festivals. A new Guinness world record was set October 1, 2005 for the biggest pumpkin. This giant pumpkin weighed 1,469 lbs. and was grown by Larry Checkon of North Cambria, PA. Checkon’s pumpkin outweighed the 2004 winner by about 23 lbs.

Halloween Around the World

13. In Mexico, Halloween is called “Dia De Los Muertos” which means “Day of the Dead” in English. It is a joyous and happy holiday, a time to remember friends and family who have died. Mexicans have a 3 day celebration beginning on October 31st and ending on All Soul’s Day.

14. In Austria, some people will leave bread, water and a lighted lamp on the table before going to bed on Halloween night. The reason for this is because it was once believed such items would welcome the dead souls back to earth on a night which for the Austrians was considered to be full of strong cosmic energies.

15. In Czechoslovakia, chairs are placed by the fireside on Halloween night. There is one chair for each living family member and one for each family member’s spirit.

16. The Halloween celebration in Hong Kong is known as “Yue Lan” which translates to Festival of the Hungry Ghosts. This is a time when it is believed that spirits roam the world for twenty-four hours. Some people burn pictures of fruit or money at this time, believing these images would reach the spirit world and bring comfort to the ghosts.

17. In Belgium, on Halloween night the custom is to light candles in memory of dead loved ones.

18. In Germany, the people put away their knives on Halloween night. The reason for this is because they do not want to risk harm to the returning spirits.

19. In China, the Halloween festival is known as Teng Chieh. Food and water are placed in front of photographs of family members who have departed while bonfires and lanterns are lit in order to light the paths of the spirits as they travel the earth on Halloween night.

Modern Day Halloween Facts

20. Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first. Americans spend an estimated 6.9 billion dollars during Halloween on candies, costumes, decorations and parties.

21. Halloween is not just for children, adults love Halloween too! It is estimated that one-third of all adults wear costumes and join in the festivities.

22. Of all the candy sold annually in America, 1/4 of it is sold during Halloween time. The number one candy choice for Halloween is Snickers. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, Tootsie Rolls, and Nestle Crunch are the next most popular candies. Chocolate Candy bars are by far the number one choice for most households to give away to their trick or treaters.

23. 65% of people in North America decorate their homes and offices for Halloween, second only to Christmas. Pumpkins are the most common Halloween decorations followed by skeletons, scarecrows, and bats.

24. In modern times, Halloween is most popular in the United States and Canada. Both countries celebrate the same way with costumes, parties, and trick or treating. The popularity of this holiday in both countries has increased year after year.

Miscellaneous Trivia

25. Samhainophobia is an intense, persistent, and abnormal fear of Halloween. This time of year may also stir up other phobias such as the fear of: cats (ailurophobia), witches (wiccaphobia), ghosts (phasmophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), the dark (nyctophobia), and cemetaries (coimetrophobia).

26. The colors black and orange are widely associated with Halloween. Orange represents the Fall harvest and black represents death.

27. Black cats were once believed to work for witches by protecting their powers. It is often thought that it is bad luck if a black cat crosses your path.

28. The next full moon on Halloween night will be on October 31st, 2020. The last one was in 2001. Before that, there was a full moon on Halloween night in 1955.

29. The Salem Witch trials of 1692 are known for burning so-called witches at the stake. Actually, not one witch died by burning; most were put to death by hanging and several died in prison of natural causes.

30. Harry Houdini died on Halloween night in 1926 after collapsing onstage at a show in Detroit, Michigan.

31. “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” started in 1950 in Philadelphia, PA. A group of young trick-or-treaters, accompanied by their pastor, collected $17 for children in need. The money was sent to UNICEF and an American tradition was born.

32. Worldwide, bats are vital natural enemies of night-flying insects. Vampire bats really do exist, but they’re not from Transylvania. They live in Central and South America and feed on the blood of cattle, horses and birds.

Photo by Matt McGee

1. Pick a Safe Costume — Help your child pick out a costume that will help keep them safe by making sure it has a few key characteristics. Your child’s costume should always be fireproof. Make sure there are no long capes, strings, or hems on the costume that your child can trip on. Long billowing sleeves are a fire hazard due to the large amount of jack-o-lanterns that will be on display. Never use a paper costume as they are likely to also catch fire easily. If you live in an area with colder weather, make sure their costume will keep them warm enough for a long night of collecting treats.

2. Have the Right Shoes — Having the proper shoes for a long night of trick or treating is essential. Always make sure their shoes fit well and are comfortable for lots of walking. Never allow your child to wear high heels with their costume. It is very important for their shoes to have the proper support to keep them from falling down and to keep them comfortable so they can enjoy their night.

3. Practice Pumpkin Safety — When carving pumpkins all children love to help, here’s how to let them help safely. Do not let them use a sharp knife to cut into a pumpkin. For older children there are plastic saw-type knives on the market. For younger children just have them scoop out the gunk and then draw a face on it for you to cut for them. When placing the pumpkin out with a candle, make sure that it is out of the way enough that your child’s costume doesn’t brush by it and accidentally catch on fire. Or better yet there are “flameless” LED lights on the market now that are completely safe and look realistic. Another option is to use a glow stick for an eerie but safe glow.

4. Makeup is Safer than Masks — Although your child might be dying to wear a mask to transform themselves into their favorite superhero or gruesome monster, makeup is always a safer disguise. Make sure the makeup is non toxic and meets FDA standards. Masks are unsafe because they can obstruct vision which is particularly dangerous while trick or treating in the dark. If they must wear a mask then make sure that the eye holes are large enough that they do not obstruct your child’s vision and that the mouth and nose holes are large enough for adequate breathing.

5. Keep Their Props in Check — If your child’s costume requires them to carry an ax, pitchfork, butcher knife, or the like then you must make sure that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on. Make sure your child is easily able to handle carrying their prop around; a plastic light weight prop will be easier for your child to handle. Also teach your child to never swing at or hit anybody with their prop.

6. Supervise, Supervise, Supervise! — Never let your child go out trick or treating without proper supervision. If they are older and are insisting on their independence then follow behind at a close distance. If you are not able to chaperone, make sure another parent is keeping an eye on your child. If no parents are available to supervise, a great idea is to hire a neighborhood teenager to go out trick or treating with your child and their friends.

7. Be Seen and Be Safe – Make sure your child will be seen when out trick or treating in the dark. Bright colors can help them be seen at night; if they are wearing a dark colored costume you can affix reflective tape strips onto the costume. Always have them carry a light or a glow stick so cars will see them. If they have too much to carry between their props and their candy bag, a great idea is to have them wear glow bracelets or necklaces. There are also clip on lights that will easily fasten on their costume. As you chaperone your children make sure you are carrying a bright flashlight to illuminate their path so they can see where they are going.

8. Basic Safety for Halloween and Everyday — To make trick or treating as safe as possible make sure that your children know basic everyday safety such as looking both ways before crossing the street, never getting into a strangers car, and not talking to strangers. Make sure they know to never go in anybody’s house while out trick or treating. Also teach them not to approach any house that is not well lit on the inside and the outside. Make sure they know to be alert for suspicious activities and to report any to their chaperones or the proper authorities.

9. Use the Buddy System - When going out trick or treating with groups of children, it is always a good idea to have them pair up and use the buddy system. In large groups it is very easy for someone to get left behind. Make sure the children know to never leave their buddy behind and nobody will get lost.

10. Safe Candy is Yummy Candy — Always inspect your child’s candy before letting them eat it. Do not let them eat any candy that has open or broken wrappers. Never let them eat homemade treats. Make sure candy is age appropriate for your little one, young children can choke on small things like hard candy and peanuts. Always trick or treat in a familiar neighborhood so you know where your child’s treats are coming from. Feed your child a spooky Halloween dinner before going out trick or treating so they are less likely to eat their candy before you have a chance to check it.

11. Emergency Information — If by chance your child does get lost or separated from you or their chaperone, then it is a good idea to have their name, address, and phone number labeled somewhere discreetly. Affix this emergency information to the inside of their costume or on a hidden bracelet. Tell your child where this label is so that if he or she gets lost they will be able to point authorities to this information.

12. Make Your House Safe for Trick or Treaters — When Halloween night rolls around make sure that your walkway and porch is well lit. Take extra effort to eliminate tripping hazards like garden hoses, flower pots, low tree limbs, and support wires. Make sure to clear wet leaves from your walkway. Remember you will have young children rushing from house to house in the dark. Do a quick walk through in the daylight to make sure that your yard is completely safe. Always restrain dogs or other animals that may trip up trick or treaters.

13. Plan Your Route — Take the time before the big night to plan out your child’s route for trick or treating. Don’t trick or treat in areas of heavy traffic or construction. Don’t go in areas where you are not completely comfortable. Setting a predetermined route with a clear start and end point will avoid hassles and arguments on the big night.

14. Ration the Loot — Do not let your child binge on candy when they get home from trick or treating. Make sure to have plenty of healthy snacks available for hungry little ghosts and goblins. If your child collects tons of candy, dole out a few pieces at a time and save the rest for later. You may even want to ask your child to swap some or even all of their loot for something else they want such as a special toy, book, or outing.

15. Stay Safe on the Streets — Make sure your children know to always cross at corners and never to dart out in between parked cars. Let them know that they must stay on one side of the street, no criss-crossing allowed! Make sure they stick to well lit streets and stay on sidewalks avoiding shortcuts like alleyways, backyards, or parks. If there are no sidewalks, always walk on the left side of the street facing cars.

16. Set a Curfew — Set a reasonable curfew depending on your child’s age and stick with it. Allow children to go out early but have them avoid the evening rush hour; it’s harder for motorists to see clearly during twilight than any other time of day. Very young children should only go out trick or treating in daylight. Older children should always be home at a decent hour to avoid them knocking on neighbors doors too late.

Don’t let your children fall prey to a Halloween mishap! Make sure to follow these 16 simple tips so you can ensure that your little trick or treaters are safe and happy this Halloween night. Happy Haunting!

And, of course, Halloween is right around the corner, so be sure to check out our Halloween costumes, including our scary kids costumes and our toddler Halloween costumes.

No children’s party is complete without a few games to play, and Halloween is certainly no exception. Whether you’re throwing your kids a Halloween party at home or helping with a school party, including some of these spooktacular games will insure your party is a success! So break out the prizes and get ready to watch your kids and their friends have a blast as they celebrate this fun holiday. Here are sixteen fun Halloween party games to get you started.

1. How Many? — This is a great game to start the party off! As guests begin to arrive, have a large clear jar filled with candy corn placed in a prominent spot. Let the children guess how many candy corn are in the jar and write down their guess and their name on a piece of paper. They can ponder their guesses throughout the party but make sure all guesses are in the by the end of the party. Then, whoever has guessed the closest number of candy corn without going over wins a prize (a great prize is the jar of candy corn!)

2. Doughnut String Game — Using string, hang mini or regular-sized doughnuts from the ceiling. Children must then try to be the first to eat the doughnut without using their hands. This classic game is sure to elicit lots of giggles as partygoers try to finish first. Make sure you have the video camera out for this one!

3. Pass the Pumpkin — This variation of “Hot Potato” is sure to be a hit! Have children sit in a circle and give one child a mini pumpkin. Then it’s time to crank up the spooky music and have the children pass the pumpkin around the circle. Stop the music at varying intervals and whoever is holding the pumpkin when the music stops is out. Continue this until only one child is left. They are the winner!

4. Trick or Treat — To prepare for this game you must cut several strips of paper before the party, about twice as many strips as there are children. On half of the strips write the word “Treat” and on the other half write the word “Trick” with various tricks such as hop on one foot, spin in a circle, etc. Then put all of the strips into a Halloween bag or witches hat and have the children stand in a circle. Next you will walk around the circle and have each child draw a strip out of the bag. They will either get “Treat” and will receive a small token prize such as a sticker or candy or they will get “Trick” and have to perform the trick written on the strip.

5. Mummy Relay — To start this game, divide children into groups of three or four and give each group a roll of toilet paper. In each group there will be one “mummy” and the rest are “wrappers”. The object of this game is for the children to be the first group to wrap their mummy in a full roll of toilet paper. First group to finish the roll of toilet paper wins!

6. Bobbing for Apples — This Halloween classic is fun for young and old and has stood the test of time. To play, fill a large tub with water and several apples. Make sure to have plenty of towels handy! Players must then hold their hands behind their backs and try to bite into and catch an apple.

7. Eyeball Bounce — This simple but fun game works for all ages. Using a marker, decorate several ping pong balls to look like eyeballs. Then get a large plastic pumpkin for younger kids or smaller cups for older kids. Place the pumpkin or cups on the floor and mark a line either closer for younger kids or farther away for older kids. Have children try to sink the eyeballs in the pumpkin/cups. Whoever gets the most in wins!

8. The Spooky Walk — To prepare for this game you must create one Halloween picture/shape cutout for each child. To do this easily, cut out pumpkins, witches, cats, etc. from construction paper. Then you must write down the name of each cutout and put them into a hat. You then line up the cutout’s in a circle and have the children walk around the circle stepping on each cutout. Play some haunting music, turning it off at random intervals. When the music stops make sure that each child freezes on a cutout. You then draw a paper from the hat and whoever is on the corresponding picture is out. Repeat until there is only one child left and they are the winner.

9. Find the Worms — This is a totally messy but totally fun game that your guests will love! To play this game you will need lots of whipped cream and lots of gummy worms. Give each player a bowl filled with 6-8 gummy worms covered with whipped cream. Then have the players put their hands behind their back and dig through the whipped cream with their mouths to find the gummy worms. First one to find all the worms wins!

10. Scarecrow Relay — For this game you will need 2 oversized flannel shirts, 2 hats, and 2 poles (broomstick, yardstick, etc). Divide the children into 2 groups placing half the group on one side of the room and the other half of the group on the other side of the room. To start the first player runs from the first group to the second group and puts on the shirt, hat, and places the pole from arm to arm inside the flannel shirt. Once this is complete they now must run back to the first line and remove the articles and the next person in line puts it on. This continues until everyone has put on the clothes and has been the scarecrow. The first team to finish the Scarecrow Relay wins!

11. Monster Freeze Dance — This game has no winner, it’s just plain fun and a great way to burn off all of that candy. Crank up some Halloween tunes and have the children dance their little hearts out. Turn the music off at varying intervals, when the music stops the children must freeze where they are. This game is guaranteed to elicit tons of giggles from your little monsters!

12. Skeleton Scavenger Hunt — To play this game you will need skeleton bones either cut out from paper or plastic ones purchased from a craft or toy store. Hide the skeleton bones throughout your yard or inside the house or classroom. Have the children hunt for the bones, whoever finds the most wins. For an added bonus have the children try to put the bones together to make a skeleton

13. Make the Zombies Laugh — This game is sure to be a hit with your party guests! Tell all of the children to lie still on the floor like a zombie. Then choose one child to be “it”, that child’s job is to make the other children laugh. “It” can make silly faces, dance around, tell jokes, etc. Once a “zombie” laughs they are out and can help “it” try to make the others laugh. Whoever holds out the longest without laughing wins!

14. Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin — This classic party game is always fun, here is a version with a Halloween twist! Hang up a large cardboard or paper pumpkin on one wall. Cut out shapes for the eyes and mouth but leave the nose spot empty. Cut out a black triangle nose and affix double sided tape to it. Blindfold one child at a time and have them try to pin the nose on the pumpkin. Other variations are “Pin the Wart on the Witch” or “Pin the Nose on a Scarecrow”.

15. Pumpkin Seed Search — For this game you will need to divide the children into teams of two or three. Give each team a pumpkin with the top cut off of it and a bowl. The object of the game is to remove as many seeds as possible from the pumpkin minus the pumpkin slime, in a given amount of time. The team that has the most seeds in their bowl at the end wins!

16. Ghost Obstacle Course —To play this game you will need to set up an obstacle course on the floor using masking tape. Then you will divide the children into teams and each team will choose one person to be the ghost. The child chosen to be the ghost will wear a white sheet on their head as a blindfold.

The other children will have to guide their ghost teammate through the obstacle course without touching him or her. If the ghost steps on or outside the line then the other team members will have to bring him or her back to the beginning of the course and begin again. The team whose ghost reaches the end of the obstacle course in the shortest amount of time wins.

And, of course, Halloween is right around the corner, so be sure to check out our Halloween costumes, including our scary kids costumes and our toddler Halloween costumes.