HALLOWEEN—without question my
favorite day of the year. I love everything about this ghoulish holiday, from the gloomy
autumn weather, to carving pumpkins (and roasting the seeds!), to
making caramel apples. I love watching the special Halloween
episodes of all my favorite TV shows...and yes, I still watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown every year and I’m not afraid
to admit it. I especially love watching all those classic horror movies from the 70s and 80s, like The Omen, The Changeling, The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and of course John Carpenter's Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis. I
do love Rob Zombie’s remake, but for me there's nothing like the original.
I also love helping my girls pick out their costumes each year. I
always push for something scary, though I don't always get my way…
Okay, Okay, so they were a little too young yet to appreciate
the importance of vampires, witches, and ghosts. Thankfully, my girls have
since inherited their mother's love of the dark side...and horror movies. The younger one has a fascination with shark movies, while her sister loves a good ghost story. Dad prefers slashers, particularly with a cabin-in-the-woods setting. And Mom simply loves them all. J
Of course, the highlight for all kids on Halloween is trick or treating. Just
as it was for us back in the day. Though times have changed since I was a
kid. For one thing, we never had a set time limit. We’d rush home from school, toss
on our costumes, and race out the door on a quest to hit every single house in
our neighborhood, gathering as much candy as humanly possible. And we didn’t
call it a night until people quit answering their doors…LOL
So what does adult Donna love most about Halloween? Putting up my decorations! They're not exactly news
worthy (someday…), but I do love to watch the heads turn as cars drive
past my house. I have a cemetery scene I put up each year complete with ghouls, witches, flashing peeper lights, and zombies crawling out from their graves. I also have ghosts, grim reapers, a werewolf, a scarecrow, and even a grave digger.
And I have a few new toys this year as well…wanna take a peek?
Thank you for indulging me on this special day. I sure hope you enjoyed my musings, pictures, and my creepy little video of my newest toy, The Harvester.
Anyone
have any Halloween traditions they’d like to share?
Mathair is predominantly Irish, so we always throw in a couple of Samhain traditions. We try have a bonfire each Halloween, and though we have jack-o-lanters, we carve a couple of turnips as well. We also set plates out for loss loved ones during dinner.
ReplyDeleteOkay, DEFINITELY not walking past your house alone at night.
ReplyDeleteGreat decorations! When I was a kid, there was a Halloween party in the little town near where we lived. All the kids gathered at a spot in town and marched through the streets in a big parade following the town fire truck, lights blazing and sirens blaring. The parade ended at the town hall where we were judged on our costumes, got a bag of candy and watched cartoons on the big screen. No door to door trick or treating for us, we lived on a major highway and, being in the country, had a loooong walk between houses.
Donna - you are the Queen of Halloween! Great decorations. Very fun that you and your family love all the scary Halloween movies & traditions. My Halloween's tend to lean more toward the Charlie Brown special. Hope you have a fantastic day today!
ReplyDeleteAwesome, Donna! Wish I lived closer, so I could see them in person. Love that you guys are doing the blog, too. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll have to read up on Samhain traditions. I wish we could have a bonfire tonight, but it's a school night, so probably not. Love the idea of setting plates out for lost loved ones. Thanks so much for stopping by. :-)
ReplyDeleteDulcie, it's not that bad...LOL Though last night while trying to video tape everything in the dark, the wind was howling so hard I got a little spooked myself. The thing is, I LOVE that feeling! *grin*
ReplyDeleteAnd that sounds like a great way for kids to spend Halloween. Almost Star's Hollowish in a way. :-)
Thanks, Jamie, though I'm an amateur, I assure you. There is a house in the neighborhood that has a yard full of homemade monsters, and I stare at it in total envy every time I ride by. See, Paul doesn't share my enthusiasm over Halloween, and I'd need his help (probably) to start making my own props. At least anything sturdy...LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat decorations! You remind me of Clare on Modern Family. :) Morgan would fit right in at your house with her werewolf mask. Ayden's a Star Trooper or something like that.
ReplyDeleteBobbi, thanks so much for stopping by! Blogging has never been a strong suit of mine, but it makes it so much easier sharing the postings with my good friends. :-) Happy Halloween!!
ReplyDeleteStacey, I LOVED this week's Modern Family...LOL I wish I had the funds to do everything/buy everything I'd like to. Maybe one day...*wisful sigh*
ReplyDeleteAlyssa is going to be a raccoon, and Miranda is going to be some type of demon, zipper-faced thing. I'll definitely take a picture...LOL