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Halloween History Trivia
Halloween is one of
the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday we
know as Halloween has had many influences from many cultures over the
centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to
the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.
October 31, the evening which precedes the Christian feast of All Saints' Day
is Halloween. Halloween traditions are thought to have originated among ancient
Druids, of Great Britian, who believed that evil spirits were active on that
evening.
Ancient Celts observed Halloween as the last evening of the year and believed
that during it the spirits of the dead revisited their earthly homes.
After the Romans conquered ancient Britain about 55 BC, they added features of
a Roman harvest festival to Halloween. The concept of ghosts and witches is
still common to all Halloween observances.
Even as the decades
went by the European people were always uneasy at this time of year. They
stayed inside in the comfort of warmth of their homes on this night. The cold,
envious ghosts were outside, and if anyone went out after dark they often wore
masks to keep from being recognised.
Trick or treat? Until very recently children would
dress up as ghosts and goblins to scare the neighbours, but there was no trick
or treating. Around 40 years ago people began to offer treats to their costumed
visitors. In parts of England the poor once went to houses singing and begging
for soul cakes or money. Spanish people put cakes and nuts on graves on
Halloween, to bribe the evil spirits.
There is nothing funny about Halloween. This sarcastic
festival reflects, rather, an infernal demand for revenge by children on the
adult world. Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929), French semiologist. America,
"Astral America" (1986; tr. 1988).
Jack-o-Lantern: The Jack-o-lantern custom probably comes
from Irish folklore.
As the tale is told, a man named Jack, who was notorious as a drunkard and
trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved an image of a
cross in the tree's trunk, trapping the devil up the tree. Jack made a deal
with the devil that, if he would never tempt him again, he would promise to let
him down the tree.
According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven
because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had
tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way
through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip
to keep it glowing longer. The Irish used turnips as their "Jack's
lanterns" originally.
The Irish Potato Famine (1845-50) prompted over 700,000 to immigrate to the
Americas. These immigrants brought with them their traditions of Halloween and
Jack o'Lanterns, but turnips were not as readily available as back home. They
found the American pumpkin to be a more than adequate replacement. Today, the
carved pumpkin is perhaps the most famous icon of the holiday.
Witch's Broomsticks: The witch is
a central symbol of Halloween. The name comes from the Saxon wica, meaning wise
one.
When setting out for a Sabbath, witches rubbed a sacred ointment onto their
skin. This gave them a feeling of flying, and if they had been fasting they
felt even giddier.
Some witches rode on horseback, but poor witches went on foot and carried a
broom or a pole to aid in vaulting over streams.
In England when new witches was initiated they were often blindfolded, smeared
with flying ointment and placed on a broomstick. The ointment would confuse the
mind, speed up the pulse and numb the feet. When they were told "You are
flying over land and sea," the witch took their word for it.
Masks: From earliest times people
wore masks when droughts or other disasters struck. They believed that the
demons who had brought their misfortune upon them would become frightened off
by the hideous masks
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Halloween Pumpkin Carving
Instructions
Tip: Don't try to cut a perfectly
round top. Chances are, you won't be able to figure out where it lines up, and
it will probably just fall in!
- Draw a six-sided lid (hexagon) on top of your pumpkin or if your pumpkin or
melon won't stand straight up cut off the bottom instead of the top.
- Place the pumpkin in a small pot or bowl, and adjust it so it stands
upright.
- Mark the pumpkin with a pencil or pen, all the way around the top of the
pot.
- Angle an All Purpose Saw towards the center of the pumpkin, making a ledge
to support the lid. If you're are cutting a bottom, cut straight into the
pumpkin, and discard it.
- Use the Scoop to clean out the seeds and strings. It is important to scape
the inner wall of the pumpkin, so that it is no more than 1 inch thick. You can
check the thickness with a pin or poker. This process usually take 15-20
minutes.
- Select or make a paper pattern for the face. Trim away the excess paper
from the pattern with scissors. Attach the pattern to the pumpkin with tape or
straight pins.
- Poke holes about 1/16" to 1/8" apart along design lines. Do not
push poker all the way into the pumpkin. Use just the tip to poke through the
paper and outer pumpkin skin. Check to see that all the lines have been
transferred, then remove the pattern. The more detailed the design, the closer
together the dots should be. This process can take up to 30 minutes.
- Drill holes before carving (if needed). Push the very tip of the Drill
through the pumpkin skin. Then hold the drill near the end and, with gentle
pressure, begin twisting the drill into the pumpkin. Keeping the drill at a 90
degree angle, grasp the handle and continue turning until the hole is complete.
- Cut the design with the All Purpose Saw or Detail Saw. Remember to
"saw" the design, connecting the dots. Don't "cut" or slice
it like a knive. Hold the tool like a pencil. Holding the pumpkin in your lap,
push th blade into pumpkin or, if necessary, rock it gently forward and back to
insert it. Saw steadily with a continuous up-and-down motion. Only gentle
forward pressure is needed. Depending on the complexity of the design, this
step may take 30-45 minutes.
- Work from the center of the design outward to avoid putting pressure on
areas already carved. Don't bend or twist the tool, try to make the cuts
straight into the pumpkin. To make sharp corners, always remove the tool and
re-insert it at another angle.
- Push cut pieces out from the inside, with your finger. To remove large
pieces more easily, cut them into smaller pieces first.
- Before placing a candle inside, first cut a hole in the bottom, the same
diameter (size) of the candle. If you have cut the bottom off, then all you
need to do is place a candle on a plate, and set your lantern over it.
- Drill vent hole in the top (or lid) of your pumpkin. This will allow most
of the heat to escape and make your Jack-O-Lantern last much longer.
The key is to take your time. he whole process usually
take 60-90 minutes per pumpkin.
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Easy Halloween Costumes
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Halloween is heading our way. Traditionally, halloween started
out with kids dressing in disguises from things they found around their homes
but the last few decades costumes have become more elaborate and more costly.
Find some neat ideas here.
Halloween Angel Costume for
Baby
Materials:
1 snowsuit
Gold chenille stems (pipe cleaners to us old people)
1 Wire coat hanger
White tissue paper
Masking tape
Make a gold halo with one of the chenille pieces, and use
another to hold up the halo. Use masking tape on the inside of snowsuit collar
to hold the halo in place. Bend a wire coathanger into rough wing shapes and
wrap the tissue arount the wire to cover. Attach "wings" to snowsuite
using tape, large clip, whatever you are comfy with.
Halloween Backwards Babe
Costume
Materials
Child's own clothes
Some of Mommy's or Daddy's clothed, all very colourful
Use the adult clothes for the backwards part of the costume.
Put child's hat backwards, coat, etc... You can even use a pair of your own
shoes, with a heavy pair of her dad's socks, on backwards, and sunglasses on
the back of the head.
Halloween Dino Dinosaur
Costume
Materials
Lge adults green, hooded sweat shirt
2 yards of purple felt (cheap at the craft store)
Gold Christmas tree garland (length 1 1/2 times child's height)
Purple pants (child's size)
Purple Mittons
White Ghost shaped bell (craft store) optional
Cut the felt into triangles, about 1 1/2 inches per side.
Staple the triangles down an old piece of rope garland from the Christmas tree
until there is enough length to go from the top of child's head to the floor
and be able to drag a bit as the child walks. Then staple this from the top of
the hood down the center of the back of the sweatshirt, creating the body.
Staple any left over felt pieces in spots around the front of the shirt. The
shirt should come down over childs knees and be big enough to allow for a warm
coat underneath.
Finish the look with purple pants and purple mittens. Add a white ghost shaped
bell to the end of the tail.
Great Halloween Ghost Costume
Materials
Old, tattered clothes -- the more tattered, the better
Light colored makeup foundation, DO NOT USE
colorstay kind OR Baby oil or light face creme
Baby powder or talcum powder
Eyebrow pencil - navy or dark grey
Hair Spray
Spanish Moss (optional)
The face is important here: While your makeup or creme base is
wet, put on the powder with a puff or facial sponge or even just a tissue.
PRESS on the powder in small areas at a time.
Don't rub the powder on, as it will rub off your foundation and won't stick as
well. You will get a very pale effect.
Next, get an eyebrown pencil or some very dark eyeshadow (charcoal grey or dark
navy) and brush on around and under your eyes, in the hollows of your cheeks
(just below your cheekbones), on the sides of your temples, under your chin all
along the jaw line, and along the lines that run from your nose to the corners
of your mouth.
Finally, sprinkle some of the powder in your hair and rub through with your
hands. Fluff out with your fingertips and spray with hair spray. For an even
wilder effect, lightly tease your hair with a fine-tooth comb and then spray
with hairspray. If you have some old chains around the house, drape them over
your shoulders and around your body. Or, for an even creepior accent, attach
wisps of spanish moss to your clothes and hair.
Robot Halloween Costume
1 large box you can fit over you
Old dryer vent hose
Aluminum foil
Old knobs, misc small household gadgets
Metal sieve (big enough to fit your head)
Black and White face paint (makeup)
Cut dryer vent hose to make 2 arms and attach to sides of box.
Cover box with aluminum foil, and use odds and ends from around the house to
add "gadgets" for knobs buttons and screens, wear the old metal sieve
on your head, with a black or gray stocking cap, and paint your face white with
big black circles around the eyes, and a straight black line for the mouth.
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Mickey & Minnie Mouse Halloween Costume
2 Hard plastic saucers or 2 old 45 rpm records
or 2 cardboard cirles cut to the size of saucers
Black panty hose
Black tape (electrician type)
Black leotard
White gloves
Red vest (sew on big white buttons)
or Cut down red tee shirt with white buttons painted on
White tennis shoes
Face Paint
The hardest part is making ears. Put your plates, records, or
cardboard pieces inside a pair of black panyhose, and tape the excess legs down
with black tape. Then put on the black leotard with white gloves, and a red
vest with big white buttons, (or a cut down T-shirt with white buttons painted
on) your favorite big white tennis shoes and face paint complete the costume,
really adorable!!
Halloween Clown Costume
Materials
Pillowcase
Colorful felt scraps
Thick yarn
Paper plate
Colored markers
Hole punch
Place the hemmed opening of the pillowcase at the top of the
costume. Slit the hem and gather with yarn.
Cut armholes in the sides of the costume. Cut scalloped leg holes at the
bottom. Cut colorful circles of felt and staple them all over the costume. Cut
eyes in the paper plate for eyes, nose, and mouth. Outline the mouth and nose
with red marker, the eyes with black. Add red cheeks and black tears under the
eyes.
Punch a row of holes along the top of the mask. Tie short lengths of yarn
through the holes, fraying the yarn to create the hair. Punch a hole in each
side of the mask and add yarn ties.
Halloween Witch Costume
1. Create your headgear from cardboard and paper, or get a
pointy witch hat from a costume shop or toy store. Good witches can wear tiaras
or birthday princess hats made of paper. You can make one from cardboard and
silver glitter and glue.
2. Streak your hair with gray temporary color, or use powder. Good witches can
use pink or glitter.
3. Make a witch nose (see Related eHows). Good witches may choose long false
eyelashes, blush spots, pink lipstick and face glitter.
4. Black out a tooth or two using special cosmetics from the costume shop. Good
witches need all their teeth.
5. Use a black eyeliner pencil and make big black moles for a scary, wicked
face.
6. Wear layers of musty, black clothes. Skirts over skirts over petticoats look
witchy; recycle old stuff, or ravage the thrift shops.
7. Choose holey sweaters, rusty silks and weird garments. Good witches will
choose pretty, sparkly dresses and flouncy skirts over net petticoats.
8. Create a witchy cape with fabric pinned at the neck. A skirt cut up the
middle makes a great cape. Perhaps add a cardboard collar. Good witches have
capes too, just not black ones.
9. Wear black shoes and striped or red tights.
10. Carry a broom of course, or leave it home and carry a decorated pillowcase
for candy. Draw bats, rats and newts on it. Good witches can carry fairy wands
and shopping bags or pillowcases decorated with birds, flowers and rainbows.
Tips: Stuff a pillow in the back of your shirt for
a humped, truly witchy appearance. Wear long, press-on nails painted black or
blood red for added effect. Gluing plastic insects, bats and cat stickers to
your hat would be creepy cool. Get your costume from used clothing shops;
reasonably priced capes and hats are available at toy shops. Learn to cackle.
Warnings: Black clothing is hard to see at night, so make
sure you have a flashlight or reflective tape on your costume. You may scare
cats, dogs and little children. And like it.
Really Easy Halloween Costumes
Black Cat Halloween Costume
- Wear black spandex pant a black leotard OR long-sleeved shirt.
- Get an old belt cut it up so that it fits around you neck as a collar
- Add a bell or tag if desired.
- Create ears by stuffing black socks in a triangular fashion then attach
them to a head band creating ears.
- Paint face black add whiskers.
Scare Crow
- Add patches to jeans and flannel shirts, add straw to cuffs of pants and
shirt (duct tape will allow you to attach straw to under side of pants and
shirt).
- Put black spots onto the back of a red sweat suit top.
- The bottom should be black sweatsuit pants or leggings. Make a couple of
extra legs from black felt and attach to the tummy.
- Add black antenna to a hairband for a "buggy" look.
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Halloween Safety Tips
courtesy of the American Red Cross
With witches, goblins, and super-heroes descending on
neighborhoods across America, the American Red Cross offers parents some safety
tips to help prepare their children for a safe and enjoyable trick-or-treat
holiday.
Halloween should be filled with surprise and enjoyment, and
following some common sense practices can keep events safer and more fun.
- Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not in the street.
- Look both ways before crossing the street to check for cars, trucks, and
low-flying brooms.
- Cross the street only at corners. Don't hide or cross the street between
parked cars.
- Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing so you are more visible.
(And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards, and brooms, too!)
- Plan your route and share it with your family. If possible, have an adult
go with you.
- Carry a flashlight to light your way.
- Keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely
flamable.)
- Visit homes that have the porch light on.
- Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger's house.
- Use face paint rather than masks or things that will cover your eyes.
- Be cautious of animals and strangers.
- Have a grown-up inspect your treats before eating. And don't eat candy if
the package is already opened.
- Small, hard pieces of candy are a choking hazard for young children.
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Halloween Party Ideas and
Decorations
Set the
Stage
- Give your room an eerie glow with dim lights, soft green light bulbs
- Spread some dried bread and pretzels under a rug. When your guests walk
across the rug it will sound like crunching bones underfoot!
- You can record several scary sounds and play it back during the
festivities.
- A very large sheet of poster board or sheet metal makes great thunder.
- Uncooked rice poured onto a cookie sheet sounds like rain.
- Crinkle a handful of cellophane for a roaring fire.
- Snap carrots in half for the sound of breaking bones.
- Flap a plastic bag in front of the microphone for the sound of bats.
- Slowly blow bubbles with a straw into a bowl for that bog sound.
- Lighting When you have everything so dimly lit it's a good idea to have
some reflective tape over the Exits.
- A black light bulb is always a good effect, especially if you are dressed
as a skeleton!
Halloween Ghosties & Witches Decoration
Materials
Black & white tissue paper
White twist ties
Black felt pen
Yarn (yellow, brown)for witch hair
Glue
Crumple up a piece of tissue paper into a ball. Place it into
the center of a flat piece of tissue paper. Pick up the corners of the flat
tissue and twist it around the ball.
Tie a twist tie or a piece of string around the ghosts's neck. Draw a face with
a felt pen. Use black tissue paper for hat and cape for witches, glue on yarn
for hair.
Hang them up all over the house!
Wicked Witch Halloween Decoration
Materials
Empty, clean cardboard milk carton
Black and white construction paper
Smaller piece of yellow paper
Glue
Yarn, for hair
Popsicle stick
Cut the top off of a cardboard milk carton and discard. Cover
the carton with black construction paper and tape at the back.
Cut a strip of white paper 3 inches wide and tape around the top over the black
paper. Draw a scary witch's face on the white paper. Glue on some yarn for the
hair.
Make a cone-shaped witch's hat with black paper and glue to the top. Cut out
arms and hands from white paper. Cut out feet from black paper. Tape them to
the witch.
Glue a popsickle stick to one of the witch's hands. Cut out two small pieces of
yellow paper and cut a fringe on the bottom. Glue one on each side of the end
of the popsicle stick for the broom.
Bobbing Ghosts Halloween Decoration
Materials
2 yds cheesecloth (2yds x 1 yd)
White helium filled balloon
Black felt pen
String
Start with a piece of cheesecloth 2 yards long and 1 yard wide.
Place a helium filled balloon (white is best) in the middle of the fabric and
gather loosely around balloon.
Draw a horrid mask on the cloth with a felt pen.
You can put some ghosts in a box and when people open the box the ghosts will
float up and scare everyone! Or, you can place them on string in front of an
open window or a fan and watch them gently move in the breeze.
Icky Cobwebs Halloween Decorations
Materials
Ball of string
Tape
Water
Cut some string into 4 foot lengths and tape them to the
ceiling. You should have a very dim room for this. Just before the victim
arrives you can hold a bowl of water up to the string and get it wet. When
people walk in the wet, slimy string will brush across their foreheads and
scare them!
Body Parts Halloween Party Props
Have several bowls of body parts displayed to horrify your friends.
- Set the mood eerie, dim lights, pale green light bulbs
- Cut up a bunch of hot dogs lenghwise for severed fingers.
- Cook some spaghetti noodles and add some red and blue food coloring for
veins.
- A bunch of cocktail onions rolling around in a bowl looks like eyeballs.
- Fill a red balloon with warm water and spread it with strawberry jam.
Invite your guests to touch your brain!
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Halloween Party Treats & Snacks Recipes
"Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and
tongue of dog" "Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg,
and owlet's wing" "For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth
boil and babble" "Double, double, toil and trouble, Fire burn, and
caldron bubble"
William Shakespeare
Ghosts Pops
Take a small round lollipop. Lay it in the center of a kleenex
and wrap around the head of the lollipop. Tie with a piece of yarn, string, or
ribbon. Add 2 black dots for eyes and there you have your ghost. Great to use
for party favors.
Popcorn Hands
Pop some popcorn. Get the clear latex disposable gloves and
fill the whole glove, including the fingers with popcorn. Tie the open end with
yarn. You can also use a black or red marker to color fingernails on the ends
of the fingers.
**Please note that some people have an allergy to latex.
Spider Pretzels Recipe
for each one:
2 round crackers
2 tsp. smooth peanut butter
8 small pretzel sticks
2 raisins
With the peanut butter, make a cracker sandwich. Insert 8
pretzel "legs" into the filling. With a dab of peanut butter, set 2
raisin eyes on top.
Cobweb Cookies Recipe
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen 4- to 5-inch cookies
3/4 cup all-purpose or unbleached flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Powdered sugar
Beat all ingredients except powdered sugar in medium bowl with
electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Pour batter into plastic squeeze
bottle with narrow opening. If you don't have a squeeze bottle at home to use,
you can pick up a plastic, picnic-style bottle for ketchup at your grocery or
discount store.
Heat 8-inch skillet over medium heat until hot; grease lightly.
Working quickly, squeeze batter to form4 straight, thin lines that intersect at
a common center point to form a star shape. To form cobweb, squeeze thin
streams of batter to connect lines.
Cook 30 to 60 seconds or until bottom is golden brown; carefully turn. Cook
until golden brown; remove from skillet. Cool on wire rack.
Heat oven to 325°. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 5 to 7 minutes
or until almost crisp (cookies will become crisp as they cool). Remove from
cookie sheet; cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store cookies in container
with loose-fitting cover.
Witches Fingers Cookie Recipe
1 c butter, softened
1 c icing sugar
1 egg
1 ts almond extract
1 ts vanilla
2 3/4 c all purpose flour
1 ts baking powder
1 ts salt
3/4 c whole blanched almonds
1 tube decorator red gel
Preheat oven to 325F. In a bowl beat together butter, sugar,
egg, almond extract and vanilla. Beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover
and refrigerate for 30 mins.
Working with 1/4 of the dough, keeping remaining in refrigerator, roll 1
heaping teaspoonful, at a time, into finger shapes. For each "finger"
piece, use one almond piece as a fingernail; squeeze the center of the finger
to make a knuckle shape and make several slash marks also for the knuckle.
Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 325F for 20 to 25 mins or
until golden in colour.
Let cool for 3 min and then lift almond gently and squeeze red gel into space
and press almond back in place.
Sweetie Spiders Recipe
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Few drops water
48 thin black 6-inch-long licorice strings
12 chocolate cream sandwich cookies
24 small red cinnamon candies
In small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and 3 to 4 drops
water to form thick paste. Reserve. Cut licorice strings in half. Stick 4
halves into cream on each side of cookie to form legs. Using powdered sugar
paste as glue, adhere 2 cinnamon candies on top of cookie to form eyes. Makes
12 cookies.
Caramel Apples Recipe
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 apples
1 cup chopped walnuts
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine first six
ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 248F on a candy
thermometer (or until a bit of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm,
pliable ball).
Stir in vanilla, then put pan in a bowl of hot water to keep caramel soft.
Insert ice-cream sticks into stem ends of apples. Dip apples in caramel,
coating well. Allow excess to drip off, then roll in walnuts and let cool on
waxed paper for at least an hour. Makes 4 servings.
Baby Jacks Halloween Dessert Recipe
Draw jack-o’-lantern faces on small pumpkins or oranges,
then cut off top part and scoop out pulp. Pour in orange Jell-O that’s not
quite set. Add Red Hots, candy corn or gummy worms. Chill till set.
Wicked Witch Shaped Cake Recipe
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) cake mix, any flavor, plus required
eggs, vegetable oil and water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, melted
black and red licorice gumdrop
1. 2. 3.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Divide batter
into two greased and floured 9-inch square pans. Bake as directed on package
for 9-inch round pans, reducing suggested time 2-3 minutes. Cool and remove
cakes from pans as directed on package.
Only 1 cake is needed for a "witch", so either wrap and freeze the
remaining cake, or make two "witches" (double frosting recipe if 2
are made).
To prepare frosting, cream butter or margarine for 1 minute using hand mixer at
medium-high speed. Gradually add 2 cups confectioner's sugar, blending well
after each addition with mixer at low speed. Add milk and vanilla; mix well at
low speed. Add remaining 1 cup sugar; blend at low speed until incorporated.
Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Remove 2/3 cup frosting; place in a small mixing bowl. Add peanut butter and
mix with hand mixer at medium speed until incorporated; clean beaters. Remove
another 2/3 cup frosting; set aside.
To remaining frosting add unsweetened chocolate; mix with hand mixer at medium
speed until incorporated.
To cut cake, measure 4-1/2 inches from one corner; cut diagonally from that
point across to opposite corner. This will be the "witch's" hat. From
corner of shortest side of remaining cake, cut a small triangle for the nose.
(See first photo insert showing how cake is cut).
Arrange cake pieces as shown in second photo insert. Frost face and nose with
peanut butter frosting, hair with white frosting, and hat with chocolate
frosting.
Decorate as shown in third photo insert, black licorice on hat rim, red
licorice for mouth, and colored gumdrop for eye. Makes: 1 witch cake. plus
leftover 9" square cake
Halloween Pumpkin Cake Recipe
2 packages Bundt cake mix, vanilla or lemon flavor
4 tubs prepared vanilla frosting
1 package red food coloring
1 package yellow food coloring
Several packages gum drops, M&Ms, assorted candies
Flowers and more Halloween candies for decoration
Prepare both cake mixes, according to directions on box. Pour
batter into two standard-sized Bundt cake pans and bake according to package
directions. Let cool completely. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whip frosting until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer.
Use the two food colorings to dye frosting deep orange color.
Assembly: Place one Bundt cake, round part down, on a serving platter. Place
the second Bundt cake, flat side down, on top of the first cake to resemble a
pumpkin shape. Using a cake spatula, spread the orange frosting over the top
and sides of the cake.
Then, using your favorite candies, design the eyes, nose and mouth of the
pumpkin. Garnish with flowers and candies.
Witch's Brew Recipe
1 qt Apple juice
1 1/2 c Pineapple juice, unsweetened
2 tb Honey
2 tb Lemon juice
3 x Cinnamon sticks
1/2 c light rum (for adults only!!)
Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan. Heat over low heat
until ready to serve. Remove cinnamon sticks before serving.
Mystery Halloween Punch Recipe
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 quarts cider or apple juice
3 cups water
1 can (12 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate
1 frozen hand (see below)
In a large pitcher or glass gallon jar; stir lemon juice and
ginger until blended. Add cider, water and orange juice concentrate and stir
until blended. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. To serve, place punch in a
large, chilled punch bowl. Add frozen hand or ice ring. Ladle into punch cups.
Frozen Hand
Red, blue or green food coloring
Water
1 new disposable plastic or rubber glove
Add food coloring to water until you reach desired color. Fill glove with
colored water, fastening end with a twist tie or rubber band. Hang glove from a
shelf in the freezer and freeze overnight. When frozen, remove glove from ice
and place "hand" in the punch.
Eerie Witches Punch Recipe
4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup chopped candied ginger
3 medium-sized oranges
1 can (12 ounces) thawed frozen apple juice concentrate
2 cups seedless grapes
4 cups water
2 bottles (32 ozs each) ginger ale
1 to 2 lbs. dry ice, in 1 chunk - Do not handle or break
into small pieces! Be careful with dry ice!
In a 1 to 2-quart pan, bring 1 cup of cranberry juice and
candied ginger to a boil over high heat. Boil, uncovered, about 2 minutes; set
aside.
With a vegetable peeler, pare peel (colored parts only) from orange; cut peel
into thin 2-inch long "worms". Add orange peel to cranberry mixture.
Cover and chill at least 4 hours or as long as overnight.
Juice oranges: put juice in a 6 to 8-quart pan or heavy bowl. Stir in
cranberry-ginger mixture, the 3 cups of cranberry juice, apple juice
concentate, limemade, grapes and water. If made ahead of time, cover and chill
up to 2 hours. Add ginger ale and about a one pound piece of dry ice. Ice
should smolder at least 30 minutes. Ladle into cups. Add remaining ice when
bubbling ceases. Makes 5 quarts.
Easy Cinnamon Cider Recipe
4 cups cider or apple juice
1/4 cup cinnamon "Red-Hot" candies
Combine juice and candies in a large pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 4 minutes until candies are dissolved. Serve hot or
cool. Serves 8.
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Halloween Party Games
Bobbing for Apples Halloween Party Game
- Float apples in a large wash tub filled with water.
- The object of this game is to grab one of the apples and remove it from the
water without using your hands.
- You must use only your mouth. This is a very messy, very wet, and very fun
game.
- It is even more challenging if the stems are removed from the apples.
Reverse Apple Bobbing Halloween Party Game
- Tie strings around apples, enough for each child or person participating
in the game, and suspend from the ceiling or a tree branch. You may need to
adjust the length of these so they are at least mouth high or lower.
- Then, instruct everyone they must eat the entire apple and the first to do
this wins the game.
- Player can not touch the apple with their hands.
- The first to get a bite out of the apple, wins. This is really hard to do,
but is great fun to watch and capture on film!
- Another version of this idea, is to string donuts up instead of apples.
Halloween Clothes Grab Bag Halloween Party Game
- Gather up all kinds of clothing articles (i.e. hats, baggy shirts and
pants, ties, dresses, shoes, etc) and stuff it in a duffle bag or large pillow
case.
- Pass the bag around. Each person must take out one article without
looking.
- Play some music and have everyone walk down modeling their item!
Push the Peanut Halloween Party Game
- Give each racer a toothpick and a peanut (in the shell). Their job is to
use the toothpick to push and roll the peanut from the starting line to the
finish line.
- This can be played on the floor or on a table. On the floor or carpet, you
can mark the starting and finish lines with masking tape. On a table just go
from one end to the other.
- Note: With younger children, you may want to use a cocktail straw instead
of the toothpick to avoid any possible injuries during all the excitement.
Halloween Ice Toes Halloween Party Game
- Use two aluminum cake or pie pans. Place 5 or more marbles in each pan.
- Cover with equal amounts of ice cubes in each pan.
- Two players then remove their shoes and socks and race to try and get the
marbles out of each pan using only their toes!
- No spilling ice or knocking over pan. The first to get all the marbles out
of the pan wins.
- You can also make this a relay by having an adult put the marbles back each
time.
- This is funny and the kids are screaming when its cold!
Spider Web Halloween Party Game
- In an enclosed area, take numerous, separate and very long pieces of yarn
to create a giant spider web.
- Put a piece of tape on the beginning of each piece and tie a number to the
end.
- Criss cross the pieces of yarn throughout the room to create a
"web."
- Each child grabs a taped end of yarn and rolls it up until the end is
found.
- Each number corresponds to a special prize or treat.
- The kids will have fun working there way through the web and trying to stay
untangled.
Candy Corn Drop Halloween Party Game
- Each child is given 15 pieces of candy corn.
- Kids kneel on a chair and drop pieces of candy corn, one at a time, into a
glass on the floor.
- The person who gets the most corn in the glass wins!
Touch Yukky Stuff Halloween Party Game
- Blind fold guest and have them touch each item to guess what it is.
- Peeled Grapes (eyes); Cold cooked Spaghetti (guts); Corn Hair (hair);
Carrot (finger); Liver (insides).
Candy Toss Halloween Party Game
- Use pieces of Halloween candy.
- On the floor, fraw a circle of 10 inches diameter, using chalk.
- Put another circle of 5 inch diameter inside the first one.
- Each child gets to throw a given number of candy pieces (like horseshoes)
- 1 point for the outer circle, 2 points for the inner. Winner gets all the
candy!
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