Halloween Ideas

So how did Halloween come about? It is believed that Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. Now you are going to ask me what is Samhain right? Samhain means the end of summer and also the end of the harvest season.Many researchers believe that it also signifies the beginning of the Celtic new year. The term comes from the name of a month in the ancient Celtic calender and guess which month it is? November! That is how the day of Halloween, which is 31st October, got its date, signifying the last day of the Celtic year, and thus it was a day for celebration.

In addition, the ancient Celtic pagans also took stock of supplies and slaughtered livestock for winter stores during this festival. The ancient Celts also believed that on the day of the Samhain, the boundaries between the living and the deceased ceased to exist, and the dead would encroach on the living, causing sickness and diseased crops. The Celts would start massive bonfires during the Samhain festivals, and they would throw the bones of slaughtered livestock into the fires, apprently to appease the spirts of the dead. Costumes and masks were also worn at the Samhain festivals in an attempt to copy the dead spirits or placate them. I am thinking maybe to scare the bad spirts away too? Haha. ANd that was how the custom of wearing scary costumes and masks came about for Halloween.

Anyway, I guess the best part of Halloween is when the kids go for Trick-or-Treating! For those who do not know what is trick-or-treating, it is a custom whereby children dress in halloween costumes and go from house to house on Halloween's, asking for treats such as confectionery, bread or sweets or sometimes money, with the question: "Trick or treat?" The "trick" is actually an idle threat to perform mischief and create havoc on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. I would love to carry out such threats if you ask me!

In the United States, trick-or-treating is now one of the main traditions of Halloween. It is now the norm that if you live in a neighborhood with kids, you should expect children to go from door to door doing trick or treating and thus be prepared with your treats!

According to the National Confectioners Association, it was reported that in 2005 "80 percent of adults in the United States planned to give out confectionery to trick-or-treaters, and that 93 percent of children planned to go trick-or-treating." Guess many adults and children are pretty prepared for Halloween! The halloween tradition has since spread to Britain, Ireland, and other European countries, where similar customs and traditions have been influenced by the American Halloween festival.

Fancy clowning about during Halloween? Check out this Halloween Stinky the Clown Mask! Don't ask me why the clown is called Stinky but I do hope that the mask does not stink! Just clowning around there!



Well if you are a Frankenstein fan check out this Halloween Frankenstein Mask. This mask can serve as either a collector's item or just wear it to spook people during Halloween! Frankenstein is actually a novel written by the British author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Shelley started writing Frankenstein when she was 18 and published the first edition of Frankenstein in London in 1818. The novel is about a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who learns how to create life and creates a being similar to a living person, but bigger sized and more powerful. This creature was called Frankenstein and a movie was even adapted from the novel. You can get more details about the Frankenstein Movie here. If not, please buy a Frankenstein Mask! Do note that the mask is licensed by Universal Studios creation and is thus original and authentic!



Ever heard of the movie Saw? I watched it and it is really really good, especially the first one in the series. Saw is now an American horror franchise that currently consists of five films! The film was created by director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell and the movies revolve around the fictional character of John Kramer, also called the "Jigsaw Killer", introduced in the first Saw movie in 2004. This insane psycho kills his victims by trapping them in wrenching situations. The poor person is forced to decide on the outcome, and usually it leads to death. Jigsaw calls these "tests" or "games" and claims that he is testing the subjects' will to live via physical or psychological torture. Many twists and turns and unexpected endings in the movies and definitely a good movies to watch! Now is the chance to be Jigsaw! Check out Jigsaw's Halloween Mask! Definitely a must buy for Saw fans or Jigsaw wannabes! Again this mask is fully licensed, authentic and original.



If you wish to go for something simpler, what about a Halloween Skull N Bones Mask? Goes with any skeletion outfit to boot! One of the best costumes for a classic Halloween!



Yet another movie mask! How about the Predator Mask? Predator is a 1987 science fiction, action and horror film directed by John McTiernan. The story follows an elite team on a mission to rescue hostages from a guerrilla group in Central America. Unknowingly, the group is hunted by an extraterrestrial lifeform, known as the predator. The film has generated a sequel and also crossover films with the Alien franchise known as Alien vs. Predator. Get more details on the Predator Movie here! Best thing to do is to buy the mask and watch the movie while wearing it! Now thats what I call fun! Hehehe

Alright, now this is where the fun starts! Fancy some Halloween props that you can place around that house that actually MOVES! Thats right! It's time to scare! Some animated Halloween props will definitely do the trick to get things moving! I guess one of the most basic stuff you should have is a Halloween Spinning Motor! With such a motor, you can even create your own props and just add the motor to it for animation! According to the manual, the motor spins approximately 15 times per minute, which is just nice for a great scare! The speed is not adjustable though and you cannnot attach a weight which is more than 5 pounds. Do also note that the motor is not rated for outdoor use so if you want to put something in your garden, check out the other stuff below.



Now this is cool! A haunting, rocking zombie Halloween Tombstone Rocker hahah (not a music rocker per se but I'm sure this zombie rocks!) The head and hands of the zombie rock back and forth and its almost like the zombie is pulling the tombstone out of the ground! The tombstone is.approximately 28 inches tall and runs on standard 120V power source. This is so cool, I love this....



If tombstones or zombies are not your taste, why not invest in a Halloween Stranger at the Door Knocker? This contraption acts similar to a doorbell. But instead of a bell ringing, you get a animated hand knocking on the door! 3 AA batteries batteries required to power this sucker up. Now how cool is that! Every home should have one of these! Cheap and fun...



If you want even more bump in the night noises, why not check out this Halloween Rattle Arms? Attached to the prop are real chains that will rattle when turned on, sending chills down anybody's spine! In addition, the latex skeleton head and arms also shake continuously. At just $55, I think its value for money for life sized 33.5 inches tall prop. Do note that the prop is to be plugged into the standard 120V power source.



Fancy a Spitting Debby? Spitting Debby is a nasty little girl who bobs her head as she chews on "dinner", making disgusting chomping noises. She lifts her head and "spits" with a big blast of air and water mist The water mist is shot out to between 8 and 12 feet!

I like this prop because it is relatively cheap (less than $1.3k) and it even includes a complete digital control and sound system, amplifiers with speaker and also water reservoir. The prop is approximately 30" tall but requires AC power and a 100-125 psi air compressor. Definitely value for money if you ask me!

Remember Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street? This movie was a 1984 American horror film directed and written by Wes Craven. Set in the fictional Midwestern town of Springwood, Ohio, the plot revolves around several teenagers being terrorized in their nightmares by the ghost of a serial child murderer named Freddy Krueger. Nightmare on Elm Street has become one of the most popular entries in the horror genre and the film's villain "Freddy Krueger" has become one of the most well recognized villains in cinema history.If you are interested to have a piece of Freddy Krueger, why not consider this Halloween Freddy Krueger Wall Breaker? The wall breaker is 24" wide and 29" high and is made up of plastic. It is very real and looks as Freddy Krueger is bursting out of your wall!



Or how about Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? This movie is an American horror franchise consisting of six slasher films. It even has its own comics and a video game adaptation of the original film! The original film was released in 1974, written and produced by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, and directed by Tobe Hooper. Leatherface is a fictional character and main bad guy in the film series. One of the first slasher film villains, he has appeared in all 6 of the series' films. The character wears masks made of human skin (this is how Leatherface got his name) and engages in cannibalism, somewhat reminds me of Hannibal Lector! Leatherface is "severely mentally retarded and mentally disturbed" and often uses a chainsaw and sledgehammer to slaughter his victims. Yikes!

Do you want to bring home a piece of Leatherface? Check out this Halloween Leatherface Wall Breaker. The wall breaker is 25" wide and 34" high. Guess what it is officially licensed by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre prop! Fans of this movie should really buy one!

Ok this section is more for the well to do. Think you can afford some expensive Halloween props? This is the place to get them. Or maybe you are a crazy Halloween prop collector who goes out collecting all this weird stuff? Nevertheless check these guys out:

First on my wish list is the Shake N Bake. Now, this prop uses new technology to create fast movement and high speed vibrations! Due to the violent movement, the chair is made of welded metal. The set Includes an industrial electrical switch mounted on the base with a stand and also includes a beacon light, cassette player, tape, fog machine, and amplifier with speaker. Requires AC power and 125 psi air compressor. This thing is 6 feet tall, 3 feet wide and 4.6 feet deep. WOW!

I attached a video in the later part of my lens to demonstrate this contraption and it is super cool! Its like an electric chair, just better! If I was rich and I owned a dungeon, I am definitely getting one of these. Like I said, watch the Shake N Bake Video! Oh and this costs more than $7K!



Second on my wishlist: A Vampire Flyer costing more than $9k! This is sure to impress your guests during Halloween! The mechanincs in this system raises a vampire actor 5 feet as the wings unfold to an approximately 14 foot extended wingspan. The set includes a mounted vampire bride, tape player, amplifiers, sound tape, fog machine, and red gel LED light. It would also need a 125 psi air compressor. Sounds complicated! Anyway guess I will never be able to afford this baby!



Third on my wishlist: The Death Chamber! The man struggles inside the chamble and makes threats while he undergoes death in 40 seconds of terror! Watch the Death Chamber Video for a surprise ending scare where the man leaps out of his seat and hits the glass wall!.



Fourth on my list: a cool Flying Witch! Costing a nice $3.9k, this flying witch haggles and scowls and suddenly flies up once you throw the switch, with some smoke being released! As the witch really flies up, you would have to allow 11' height and 10' length for operation! Even allows an optional motion sensor, allowing the animation to be triggered effortlessly when unsuspecting guests walk past! Requires AC power and a 100-125 psi air compressor. Watch the flying witch fly in the Flying Witch Video.



Fifth but not the last on my list (I'm sure I will add more expensive stuff that I like!), is the Dead and Deader! The dead and deader is actually a simple contraption whereby the lid of this casket opens and closes. Then all of a sudden, the lid flies opens and the woman inside pops up! There is light in addition to the eerie "count dracula" music that is played and comes from within the coffin. This toy also requires AC power and a 100 psi air compressor with tank. As it is quite a big lifesize coffin do reserve some space if you are ordering this! (82" wide, 28" deep (32" for clearance), 50" tall (69" for clearance). Again this toy allows an optional timer or motion sensor to be added on. Want to see the dead wake up? Check out the Dead and Deader Video!

Well if you like my lens please do visit my other lens, They are:

Elmo Toys
Gokon
Best Toys for 2009
Naruto Headband
Rubix 360
Solve Rubix 360

In addition, if you feel inspired by my lens, you might want to click here to create your own lens!

I also have some blogs set-up. I am especially proud about my Bargain Cheap Toys Blog and also my newly started blog known as Cool USB Toys. Please do pay me a visit and thanks in advance!

Also my friend has a cool website on shoes and you might want to take a look at those amazing Jordans. Great website do take a look!