So you want to get in on the scare craze this Halloween do you? That could mean having a haunted house or a yard haunt for friends and neighbors. Before you begin here are some safety tips to protect you as well as your guests.

1. Contact your insurance company. Hosting such a venture on your property involves liability. Be sure that any incidents during the night are protected under the policy. If this is your first time dealing with this issue, contact them at least two weeks ahead of time. (more…)

No one says that you have to go out to have a good time on Halloween. Parties are one way to spend the evening at home and still have fun. Guests have fun and also find safety. Maybe this year you will host a Halloween party of your very own.

Send out invitations well in advance of the event. We know the date of the party so that is not a problem. Most people will either be attending another party, going trick or treating with the kids or attending your party. Let’s hope they attend your party. (more…)

Campers seem to love it. Passing on stories while the embers burn bright on a cool fall night is something we look forward to with trembling. Storytelling has been the most popular way to pass on folklore down through the ages. Here are some storytelling techniques to straighten their hair.

Storytelling on Halloween is expected. At least one ghostly story has to be told to an attentive audience. Movies are okay, but when the details are left to the imagination, the story takes on new life. Here are some tips to get everyone scared stiff with your story this Halloween. (more…)

Going out into the ghoulish night to troll for candy is not as innocent as it seems. It should be but it is not. Parents and children alike want to enjoy their bit of frightful fun without real dangers lurking around every corner. Here are some safety tips to accomplish that task.

1. Begin trick or treating during the daylight. It used to be that everyone waited until dark for greater effect. Unfortunately, there are those who want to cause trouble and can only do so after dark. Now, trick or treating begins at dusk even if the sun is not down. (more…)

Many of us have uttered those words or ones like them since we were old enough to wear a costume. Some say cute little rhymes at each house they visit. But, what is the origin of our current candy grabbing tradition on Halloween?

Trick or treating goes back to the celebration of Samhain by the Celts on the British Isles. This pagan festival was one that celebrated nature and its gifts. The practitioners also believed that on that night the boundaries between the living and the dead were compromised and spirits could once again walk the earth. (more…)

You can’t claim to celebrate Halloween without looking the part. Those who find the holiday comparable to Thanksgiving or Christmas go all out. Here are some must have items for Halloween.

They are ghoulish, green, warty, and wear black hats. I’m referring to witches. You can’t have a Halloween setup without witches. It could be silhouetted witches for the windows or a witch projection on the side of your home. (more…)

Each year, some costumes pop up more than others. Everyone seeks to be original, but the only way to be truly individual is to make your own costume. Barring that, you will look like someone else on that night. The trick is to look better than they do.

Here are some of the most popular costume ideas for 2008. Diehard Halloween fans are preparing as we speak for that one night of scary fun. The good thing about some of the popular costumes this year is that they work for kids, teens, and adults. (more…)

So what is the big deal between Halloween and religion? Will one night of candy fun corrupt the soul? This is unlikely, but let us take a look at this ongoing topic of debate.

For many, many years, Halloween has been synonymous with witchcraft and evil. Satan’s one night of the year to claim souls for Hell has been the belief of the church and pious individuals. Those who practice dark arts would have us buy into that belief to keep the Christian world dazed and confused.

Let’s set the record straight. Knowledge is power, especially in this instance. Halloween began as a pagan festival of nature where people tried to appease the dead to prevent their intrusion into the world of the living. (more…)

Halloween has been touted as the time when the undead decide they want to come back and visit. There is no bigger undead celebrity than the vampire. Armed with gleaming white fangs and a thirst for all things thick and red, vampires are a popular attraction on Halloween.

What is the basis for the vampire craze? Well, most of what we know came from the book by Bram Stoker. Through science and fiction, he was able to create a character of timeless quality. This is where most myths become immortal. Add a touch of truth to a lot of make believe and you get a concept that people won’t soon forget. (more…)

It’s almost that time again. Things are about to go bump in the night. Spook masters would have you believe that the dead actually walk the earth on that day, but Halloween is as much a matter of shadows and mirrors as the horror movies we watch. For anyone interested, here is a history of the modern day holiday known as Halloween.

First of all, it was called All Hallows Eve. We are not speaking of Sleepy Hollow. Hallow means holy, like in The Lord’s Prayer for all the Sunday schoolers out there. (more…)