2 weeks Ago
Halloween is one of our family’s favorite holidays, if only because of the space it allows for creativity. Without the pressures of family gatherings, gift exchanges and religious services, Halloween is a unique holiday that can be celebrated in your own style. When neighbors dress as witches and superheroes and stand outside in the dark with bowls of candy bars in hand, our little corner of the world feels nothing short of magical.
If only we could all be this playful in everyday life! Halloween has a fascinating history that dates back to the Celtic celebration of Samhain, about 2,000 years ago in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France. They believed that on the night that bridges the end of summer and harvest time and the start of the cold, dark winter, the ghosts of the dead return to earth. In A.
D. 1000, the Catholic Church established All Souls’ Day, in an effort to reach the Celtic people as Christianity spread to their region. This new tradition was seemingly an adapted version of Samhain to honor all saints and martyrs who had passed on, which eventually became known as All Hallows' Eve, and now, Halloween.
Today, many of us don fun costumes and go trick-or-treating door-to-door in our neighborhoods. Some may even host spooky Halloween parties and visit pumpkin patches or haunted houses. Here are a few fun Halloween traditions your family might love: Costume Planning Party: Make the process of choosing a costume into a party by setting out fall-inspired treats, like pumpkin spice cookies or apple cinnamon donuts served with spiced apple cider, putting on a spooky soundtrack and having a costume planning session as a family.
Bring out big paper and markers to draw out your design, or make a list of possibilities to vote on or cross out as you go along. At the end, everyone will have decided on a costume they’re excited about. Make “gloom” dolls: Write “glooms” on a piece of paper - worries or things that get you down - and crumple the paper into a ball.
Place a white cloth or tissue square over the ball, and tie a string around it to make a “ghost.” Take your basket of ghosts out by a bonfire in the yard and talk about letting go of thoughts and feelings that “haunt” us while taking turns throwing the ghosts into the fire. Be a kind ghost: “Boo!” each other throughout the week before Halloween by surprising each other with acts of kindness or a special treat.
If you’ve been “boo-ed” then it’s your turn to pass it on. Customize your treat bags: One simple but fun idea is to invite your children to decorate their own trick-or-treat bags each year. Get paper bags with handles, or even canvas tote bags, along with plenty of materials for decorating - gems, feathers, markers, glitter, stickers, whatever makes sense for your child’s age and interests.
They could decorate their bag to coordinate with their costume, or just enjoy the process of creating - either way, their trick-or-treat bags are sure to be one-of-a-kind. Host a Light Party: For those who aren’t fans of the spooky, ghostly history of Halloween, hosting a Light Party can be a way to celebrate bringing light to the darkness. Hanging lights outside, bringing out flashlights, glow sticks, candles - any source of light you can find - putting on uplifting music and serving delicious snacks can be a great Halloween-alternative that honors the early sunset brought on by the changing seasons.
However your family chooses to celebrate Halloween, have fun with it and make it your own!.
