Материал к проведению праздника "Halloween"

O n October 31st, the eve of All Saints Day or just Halloween is celebrated.

The tradition of Halloween began in the fifth century B.C. by the Irish Celts, who organized their year according to the agricultural calendar and marked the transition from one year to the next on October 31.

The Celts, ancient inhabitants of Great Britain, celebrated their New Year on November 1st. It was celebrated every year with a festival that marked the end of the «season of the sun» and the beginning of «the season of darkness and cold.

On the eve before their new year, October 31, it was believed that Samhain, who was the Lord of the Death and Prince of Darkness, called together all the dead people. The Celts believed the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred on this night.

On October 31st, the Druids, who were the priests and teachers of the Celts, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest. They considered oak trees to be sacred. The Druids would light fires and offer sacrifices of crops, animals and possibly even human beings. They told fortunes about the coming year by examining the remains of the animals that had been sacrificed.

When the morning arrived, the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires at home. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits.

The story tells us that during the transition, spirits return to earth, looking for living bodies to possess for the following year. The Celts dress up in ghoulish costumes and parade around to frighten them away.

In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church made November 1st a church holiday to honour all the saints. This day is called All Saint's Day. It used to be also known as Hallowmas. Gradually, over the years, October 31st became known as All Hallow Even, eventually All Hallow's Eve, and then Halloween as we know it today.

It was thought that even strangers could help a soul's passage to heaven by saying prayers.

The witches fly

Across the sky,

The owls go, «Who? Who? Who?»

The black cats yowl

And green ghosts howl,

«Scary Halloween to you!»

***

Tonight is the night

When dead leaves fly

Like witches on switches

Across the sky,

When elf and sprite

Flit through the night

On a moony sheen.

***

Tonight is the night

When leaves make a sound

Like a gnome in his home

Under the ground,

When spooks and trolls

Creep out of holes

Mossy and green.

***

T onight is the night

When pumpkins stare

Through sheaves and leaves

Everywhere,

When ghouls and ghost

And goblin host

Dance round their queen.

It's Halloween.

***

Five little pumpkins

S itting on a gate

The first one said,

«My it's getting late!»

The second one said,

«There are witches in the air!»

The third one said,

«Good folk, beware!»

The fourth one said,

«We'll run and run!»

The fifth one said,

«Let's have some fun!»

Fun Halloween Party Ideas

The vintage party ideas are adapted from a clipped magazine article in one of Mom's dessert recipe scrapbooks, circa 1929.

Homemade Costume Ideas

Everybody who's young in heart loves to dress up, and Halloween is a perfect time to do it. The simplest party becomes an event when we have special costumes to wear. They need not cost much, and with a bit of ingenuity, they can often be had for no cost at all. In Grandma's day, you made your own Halloween costume, and to make your party fun and affordable, you could request your guests to do the same.

Is anyone fond of sewing? There are always odd lengths of fabric to be had cheaply. An old curtain will make fun skirts for the ladies and young girls. A stunning clown suit can be quickly run up on the sewing machine if you can find two good-sized remnants preferably black and white, and leftover gingham or chambray makes a cute little Pierrot dress, cut on simple romper lines.

Old clothes can offer a goldmine of costume choices, and the exploration of a basement or attic often yields rich gifts to the youngsters searching. For example, your young flower child will love getting dressed up in Grandma's old disco dress and headband.

The clothing styles of other days are joyfully seized and made use of by the present younger generation in their zeal for odd or comic costumes.

A glance at the fashion pages of an old magazine of twenty or more years ago shows us a world clothed in styles now forgotten that present wonderful costume ideas.

In addition, the traditional tiny black or silver face masks are very attractive, cost very little, and may be worn with any homemade costume. They add a touch of mystery very right for the occasion.

Vintage Halloween Decoration Ideas

Real pumpkins and golden cornstalks from the farm, bright autumn leaves, pine cones, and ripened stalks of grain make realistic decorations; and sharp scissors and black paper are all that are needed for conjuring up shadowy bats, spitting cats, and menacing owls, while yellow and orange paper leavens the mixture with mellow full moons, pumpkins, and grinning jack o' lanterns.

These fall colors form the traditional color scheme, but some silver paint and paper add to the brightness. An amusing note of change is to have cubistic jack-o'-lanterns in ultramodern fashion. These may be made from square cardboard boxes covered with bright orange tissue or crepe paper. They show up beautifully in shadowy corners of a room and are a cheap Halloween party idea that adds color to the occasion.

Party Ice Breakers

Games should be made ready beforehand so that there will not be any ice to break after everybody arrives. First-comers should be engaged in some simple game or silly stunt at once, and others as they come may join in.

The games will help guests to break the ice, and the decorations will make your party an event to be remembered — be sure to have a camera handy to record the fun.

Try these Halloween tongue twisters that can be handed out when guests arrive: "Jolly, Jack jokes about Jack-o'-lanterns" and "Pretty Polly pecks pumpkin pips."

Party Refreshment Ideas

The summons to mealtime may be the beating of a toy drum or the piercing whistle — something loud and sudden to capture people's attention.

Refreshments may be served cafeteria style for the sake of convenience. The food is arranged attractively, and guests serve themselves. This method is easy and adds a cheerful informality.

Spread the dessert table with a white cloth bedecked with owls, cats, and bats cut from black and silver paper.

The table centerpiece may be the last bright flowers from the garden, or field; or half a pumpkin scooped out and lined with leaves to form a bowl for apples and nuts; or any other attractive seasonable arrangement.

For an attractive Halloween party idea, polished red apples make creative candlesticks by using an apple corer to form a hole into which to thrust an orange or white colored candle. A candlelit room lends a wonderful Halloween night atmosphere to the room.

T he following recipe suggestions offer affordable Halloween party ideas to help you keep within your food budget.

"Skyscraper Sandwiches" with ginger ale, root beer, or lemonade would be enough to serve, but we may add other novelties or even serve a complete supper.

The classy Skyscraper Sandwiches are served one on each guest's plate and are of several kinds, with varying sizes piled one on top of another.

Here's how to make them:The base is a sweet sandwich made of three thin slices of white bread, the two bottom ones spread with jelly. On top of the base sandwich is a smaller one made of nut bread filled with a thick layer of cream cheese, then comes a smaller one still, made of white bread or brown bread filled with chopped ham and sweet pickles. On top of this is a square of cheese and a pickle slice, or an olive. Beginning with the ham sandwich and finishing with the sweet one makes a meal in itself. The fillings may be varied if the order of hearty to sweet is followed.

Traditional apple pie may be served whole for dessert, each guest helping themselves by putting a spoonful of homemade ice cream from a chilled bowl on the table, on top of the still-warm piece. Warm, buttered popcorn, apples, pumpkin pie, and homemade doughnuts play a prominent part of this night and as they are simple and low cost, they earn their popularity. Freshly made gingerbread with fruit salad is a very good combination, while coffee, hot chocolate and lemonade are popular beverages to offer.Other Halloween party recipes are available on my site for making great desserts and treats for your Halloween get-together.

Halloween Party Games

After refreshments, we should not neglect to try some of the time-honored and always thrilling Halloween stunts such as apple bobbing. Fill a clean washtub with fresh water and paired two by two, duck for apples. Or, with hands clasped behind the back, guests attempt to bite a chunk from an apple suspended by a string.

Familiar board games like checkers, backgammon, or snakes-and-ladders are engaging and fun for all ages. The vintage board games are always popular and provide novelty.

Why Not Party Outdoors In The Shadowy Dusk?

Of all the vintage Halloween party ideas, hosting an outdoor party is one that's hugely popular. Children of all ages will enjoy a spooky party outdoors in the shadowy dusk, weather permitting.

For outdoor Halloween decorations, have pumpkin lanterns on fence posts or tables and if possible, have bales of hay arranged for seating. If not already costumed, garb each merrymaker in an old white bed sheet. Costumes add to the occasion and put zest into the games.

By the flickering light of a jack-o'-lantern everyone bobs for apples in a tub of fresh water or tries to bite an apple suspended by a string from a tree branch.

Finally, a white sheet in a dusky corner of the yard is lifted to reveal a table with a large basketful of tasty sandwiches, a jug of hot cocoa and one of fruit punch, a Halloween cake with lucky coins baked in it, or a crock of homemade doughnuts and molasses cookies, apples, nuts, and chewy molasses Halloween candy.

Thus, high spirits are not confined in the house and the very essence of an old fashioned Halloween seems distilled for the children who are fortunate enough to have such a party planned for them. It will be a night to remember.

Hand Out Nostalgic Halloween Candies

Why not make old fashioned candy for your party?

You can use Grandma's Halloween candy recipes for making Halloween taffy, chewy caramels, and popcorn balls; and her large collection of vintage candy recipes for making chocolate fudge, peanut brittle, old time seafoam candy, and opera creams, and more.

Imagine the thrill kids of all ages will have when they open their take-home trick-or-treat bag and discover your homemade candy treats!

Freely use some or all these Halloween party ideas to plan a unique, old fashioned Halloween theme party that will be a family night to remember.