Halloween - Creepy Enough For You? Or Harvest Festival!

Howling Winds, Driving Rains, Roaring Storms, Creepy Time!

When I was a kid growing up in New Mexico, I looked forward to Halloween each year. Not because of the "creepyness", but because it was a chance to dress up in costume and be somebody else!


Unfortunately, rather than buying the fancy costumes in the stores, my mom would find two old bedsheets, cut two holes in the middle of them for "eyeholes", and give them to my sister and me for our "ghost costumes". Good grief! I really wish my mom didn't always have so many stupid pink sheets--it's hard to be a convincing ghost when you are pastel. --But that's another story.


This lens explores some of my experiences and impressions with Halloween during my younger years and maybe will give you ideas for costumes, places to go, sites to see, and things to do!

Countdown to Halloween

Halloween: October 31, 2012

Creepy Creature Features ...

"I don't like spiders and snakes... that's not what it takes... " (but actually, for Halloween, that IS what it takes!)

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Creepy, Scary, and Fun Movies for Those Cold and Windy Nights!

Perfect for those staying at home during Halloween--or for a party!

When I was a kid, we enjoyed watching the golden "oldies" of the creepy-crawlies--Hitchcock, Bella Lugosi, Vincent Price--and the other old classic "B" movies... some in black and white and some in color.

Later, as more realistic special effects (including computer-graphics) were added to movies, we and our kids enjoyed watching movies such as "The Mummy", "The Mummy Returns", "Casper", "Night at the Museum", and so on.

So, if you have plans to stay home during Halloween (or any other "dark and stormy night"), put a log on the fire, get a nice cup of hot cocoa (with marshmallows, of course), and curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket with your loved one to watch a (or, what the heck, why not a bunch of them) movie.

Go ahead and vote for your favorite below!

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The Blob - Criterion Collection

The Blob - Criterion Collection

"Beware of the Blob!" One of the great cult more...0 points

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Rennie stars as Klaatu, an advanced alien who comes more...0 points

Them!

Them!

Radiation from bomb tests creates giant, mutant an more...0 points

Forbidden Planet

Forbidden Planet

A dutiful robot named Robby speaks 188 languages. more...0 points

The War of the Worlds (Special Collector's Edition)

The War of the Worlds (Special Collector's Edition)

H.G. Wells' chilling novel of a Martian invasion o more...0 points

Brain That Wouldnt Die/Wasp Woman

Brain That Wouldnt Die/Wasp Woman

The Brain That Wouldn't Die - A boorish doctor who more...0 points

Swamp Thing

Swamp Thing

Deep in Florida's darkest everglades, a brilliant more...0 points

Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series)

Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series)

The legend of Dracula continues in this gripping, more...0 points

Frankenstein (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series)

Frankenstein (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series)

Boris Karloff is the screen's most tragic and memo more...0 points

Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of)

Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of)

For the first time ever the original Frankenstein more...0 points

The Wolf Man - The Legacy Collection (The Wolf Man / Werewolf of London / Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man / She-Wolf of London)

The Wolf Man - The Legacy Collection (The Wolf Man / Werewolf of London / Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man / She-Wolf of London)

For the first time ever the original The Wolf Man more...0 points

The Andromeda Strain

The Andromeda Strain

When a satellite falls to earth near a remote New more...0 points

The Mummy - The Legacy Collection (The Mummy/Mummy's Hand/Mummy's Tomb/Mummy's Ghost/Mummy's Curse)

The Mummy - The Legacy Collection (The Mummy/Mummy's Hand/Mummy's Tomb/Mummy's Ghost/Mummy's Curse)

For the first time ever, the original The Mummy fi more...0 points

Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection (Psycho / Vertigo / Rear Window / The Birds / Shadow of a Doubt / Family Plot / Frenzy / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Marnie / Rope / Saboteur / Topaz / Torn Curtain / The Trouble with Harry)

Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection (Psycho / Vertigo / Rear Window / The Birds / Shadow of a Doubt / Family Plot / Frenzy / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Marnie / Rope / Saboteur / Topaz / Torn Curtain / The Trouble with Harry)

14 of the finest works from the universally acclai more...0 points

Creature from the Black Lagoon - The Legacy Collection (Creature from the Black Lagoon / Revenge of the Creature / The Creature Walks Among Us)

Creature from the Black Lagoon - The Legacy Collection (Creature from the Black Lagoon / Revenge of the Creature / The Creature Walks Among Us)

For the first time ever the original Creature from more...0 points

Bats

Bats

This movie is for everyone who misses the old Roger more...0 points

Bats: Human Harvest

Bats: Human Harvest

Time: Present Day. The Place: Russia. The mission: more...0 points

Fox Horror Classics Collection, Vol. 2 (Dragonwyck / Chandu the Magician / Dr. Renault's Secret)

Fox Horror Classics Collection, Vol. 2 (Dragonwyck / Chandu the Magician / Dr. Renault's Secret)

Disk 1: Chandu the Magician **Commentary by Author more...0 points

Ghost Ship (Widescreen Edition)

Ghost Ship (Widescreen Edition)

In a remote region of the Bering Sea a boat salvag more...0 points

Casper (Widescreen Special Edition)

Casper (Widescreen Special Edition)

This 1995 family film tries to put a fun spin on t more...0 points

Arachnophobia

Arachnophobia

Hollywood Pictures and Amblin Entertainment delive more...0 points

Ghost (Special Collector's Edition)

Ghost (Special Collector's Edition)

Think of the most touching love story you ever saw more...0 points

The Mummy Collector's Set (The Mummy (1999)/ The Mummy Returns/ The Scorpion King)

The Mummy Collector's Set (The Mummy (1999)/ The Mummy Returns/ The Scorpion King)

The Mummy If you're expecting bandaged-wrapped corpses more...0 points

The Ghost And Mr. Chicken

The Ghost And Mr. Chicken

Remember watching this silly little comedy from yo more...0 points

Blackbeard's Ghost

Blackbeard's Ghost

Award-winning actor Peter Ustinov stars in this hi more...0 points

Death Becomes Her

Death Becomes Her

This 1992 black comedy by Robert Zemeckis (Forrest more...0 points

Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection 1 & 2 (Tarantula/Mole People/Incredible Shrinking Man/Monolith Monsters/Monster on the Campus/Dr. Cyclops/Cult of the Cobra/Land Unknown/Deadly Mantis/Leech Woman)

Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection 1 & 2 (Tarantula/Mole People/Incredible Shrinking Man/Monolith Monsters/Monster on the Campus/Dr. Cyclops/Cult of the Cobra/Land Unknown/Deadly Mantis/Leech Woman)

Prepare to be blown away with 10 out-of-this-world more...0 points

Ghost Rider (Widescreen Edition)

Ghost Rider (Widescreen Edition)

Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) was only a teenaged st more...0 points

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Excellent condition, plays great, includes the ori more...0 points

Places to Go, Sights to See - Halloween Season, Of Course

The Corn Maze - A Maze in the Maize
Hmmmm... sort of like the "Children of the Corn"--getting lost in a maze of corn is sort of a tradition in some places; especially those places that have a lot of cornfields!

Some are even set up with "haunted houses" and other activities like hay-rides, pumpkin patches, and pony rides.

This Squidoo site provides more information on corn mazes and some links to help you find one near you.





The Pumpkin Patch - Home for Jack-o-Lanterns
If you can find corn mazes, you can also find pumpkin patches full of ripe pumpkins. Some of those pumpkins will become pumpkin pies, some will become "Jack-0-Lanterns" (most will become both!).

Pumpkins are part of the season--and you can get more information about them at this Squidoo site!





Costumes! Don't They Have Costume Parties This Time of the Year?

Whether you call it a Halloween Party or a Harvest Festival--Costumes Are Part of the Event!

Costumes are always a part of a successful Halloween Party!

Since sometimes Halloween costumes can get really creepy and gross... some parties should be "adults only"... unless you want to give the kids some serious mental problems and bad dreams for the rest of their lives.


This being the case, many organizations (mostly churches) put on costume parties called "Harvest Festivals" (which is sort of what the original celebration was all about in its early days). In these "Harvest Festivals", the kids (and sometimes their folks) dress up in non-scary costumes. So, instead of ghouls and vampires and witches and devils, you'll see cowboys, little mermaids, snow whites, Cleopatras (modestly dressed), Friends, Romans, and Countrymen (sorry, couldn't resist that one!), birds, bees, cows, horses, pumpkins, bananas, pineapples, apples, and other hide-your-identity-but-non-threatening costumes.


When I worked at a University Marine Laboratory, we had an annual Halloween Costume Party--and many of us would dress up to represent some aspect of what we were studying. It got wildly creative with the many tropical fish (butterfly fish, sharks, sailfish, barracuda, tuna), mollusks (octopus, gastropods, clams, and nautilus), echinoderms (starfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins), reptiles (crocodiles, sea turtles, geckos, and monitor lizards) and even "power plants" and "boating enthusiasts"!


Nowdays, it's pretty easy to buy an already-made costume (creepy or otherwise)... but sometimes it's more fun to create your own! Sometimes all they require are some facepaint and fabric, and others are more involved and require chicken-wire frames, paper-mache, cardboard boxes, and other accessories to go along with the fabric and face-paint. Either way, it's a lot of fun!


For more great ideas on costumes, face-paint, and makeup, check out the following great lens! Make Your Own Costumes, Masks and Face Paint

You Need Costume Party Ideas?

Take a look and see what's out there!

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Halloween by the Bay... eBay, That Is!

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Halloween or Harvest Festival Cooking?

The Recipes May Turn Out to Look Sort of Weird, but They Taste Good!

Pumpkins are a big part of Halloween season harvest festivals and other activities.

There's the standard "Pumpkin Pie" (but you can decorate it with candy-corn, orange-and-black icing, and whipped cream to make it fit the event).



You can click here to get a Halloween Recipes Ebook with over 50 recipes with photos plus 3 bonus Ebooks: Halloween Crafts Ebook, Halloween Drawings Ebook, Halloween Printable Games Ebook.



If you really want to make your own goodies, you can also check out this fantabulous lens on Halloween Party Food!

Now you have the vittles and the movies! Time to start inviting your buddies for a rip-roaring fun party!

So, What Do You Do On Your Halloween?

When the Harvest Moon is up.... that's when the creepy crawlies come out for Halloween!
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Halloween Decorations and Stuff

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Get started now with the fun!

Squid graphic courtesy of Squidoo Squid Graphics For Your Lenses! by GreekGeek.

Don't be a pumpkin.... leave a note here!

This Halloween Magazine page written by

EditorDave

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