Halloween.biz

The One Source for Everything Halloween

Topics

The World of Pirate Halloween Costumes

by Leave a Comment

It is hard to believe one type of holiday disguise could have its own niche, but pirate Halloween costumes have managed to do just that. While this has always been a popular holiday personal décor choice, the recent love of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies has certainly upped the desire. It can be a fun choice for those who like to go as a character a little bit ruthless, but not in the realm of spooky creatures like devils, ghosts or vampires. So while you may not look like Johnny Depp no matter how great the costume and makeup are, it can still be fun to try.

Pirate Halloween Costumes for Men 

Aside from pasting the Jolly Roger flag of skull and cross bones across your “ship,” in other words car, you’ll be glad to know there are varieties of pirate looks. Of course, the most popular pirate Halloween costume for men right now is the Captain Jack Sparrow. This comes with everything you would envision Johnny Depp’s character wearing and can include optional accessories. If you don’t feel like investing in boots, no worries matey, there are pieces that slip over regular boots to create the same look. The thinly beaded dread wig isn’t optional, though. What would Captain Jack Sparrow be without his lovely locks?

There are other styles of men’s pirate costumes, such as the “cutthroat.” This look usually includes the red and black striped leggings, an eye patch and the curved sword symbolic of this style of pirate. There is the Captain Black Heart look, which comes with the ornate red, velvet ¾ length jacket and matching hat. An optional bottle of booze can be explained to others as simply part of the costume.

Of course for most of these looks an earring, hat, eye patch sword and parrot do so much to complete the look. You will be glad to know there is even a peg leg option. This piece attaches to your pants and hangs down over your camouflaged leg for the appearance of a peg leg.

Pirate Halloween Costumes for Women 

These tend to be much more revealing and appealing, as well as low cut in the top and high slit in the skirt. There is no reason why women can’t also look like they are ready to do some looting and acquire some booty, even if there weren’t typically female pirates sending others off to walk the plank. Same optional accessories apply, though a popular one for just the gals is the thigh-riding garter belt complete with faux saber.

There’s the classy pirate look that comes with a velveteen ¾ coat, and not much underneath. High heel pirate boots and of course a more feminine hat are the finishing touches on this style of pirate. Another look for female pirates is more of the lower class, but still as lovely, working class pirate. Not quite a swabbie, or deck member to mop the deck, but not far above either. So for this, picture a corset top over a tight fitting pirate blouse paired with an jagged cut skirt and there’s the look. Well, that and sexy boots and a sword, of course. Fishnets don’t hurt the look either.

Don’t Forget the Children and Pets

That’s right, the pirate Halloween costumes aren’t just for adults. Plenty of children planning to make their rounds trick-or-treating or to Halloween parties think “it’s the pirate look for me,” although maybe not the life in this case. The same general ideas apply, as it’s all about the ability to not look like a land lubber. Plenty of striped leggings, ornate hats, fake swords and of course, the skull and cross bones symbols. There are even costumes for babies and toddlers. No person is too small or too young to be a Jack Sparrow in his younger days.

To Buy or DIY

The thing is, the price of some of these costumes can really add up. When possible, rent the look and save some cash or borrow from a friend who already hit the Halloween parties. Find anything you have at home to dress it up, such as a scarf, excessive jewelry or large, ornate belt buckle. If possible, too, make items by hand especially for children and pets.

Of course, it is required to learn some cheesy pirate terminology to overdo it in front of your friends. While some costumes don’t really invoke much character to come with it, this is one that requires some proper hamming it up. When opting for pirate Halloween costumes for the holiday, bring some of your personal flair with it.

Halloween Crafts for the Holiday

by Leave a Comment

Halloween crafts can be projects that bring the entire family together. These are projects that can be used to decorate the home, so that your house is transformed into a spooky and festive place. It also gives you ideas for things you can do with groups of children at Halloween parties or school craft classes. Whatever your reason, Halloween is a great time to get crafting.

Halloween Crafts for the Yard

Aside from the classic and traditional carved pumpkin jack-o’-lantern, there are other things you can do to get creative and make the exterior of your house look festive. In fact, you can add to your jack-o’-lanterns with other styles of decor that have the same idea. Turn flower pots into painted pumpkins, either upside down or right side up.

You can also use empty milk or orange juice jugs for a new twist on an old classic. Using a black marker you can create ghost faces on white milk jugs or jack-o’-lantern looks on the orange juice ones. Using a blade to cut away part of the bottom, you can use Christmas or string-bulb lights to illuminate the inside. Put as many bulbs in as you like, then set more jugs side by side with the rest of the string lights running into these.

Also, make use of what you have on hand and create a giant black spider to scare the neighbors. Using a giant black trash bag stuffed with leaves, you create the body. The head is the same process, only a smaller end result. Twist more bags in pairs lengthwise to create the legs, then use black electrical tape to fasten it all together. Get creative with eyes; you can cut them from plastic cups, paper plates, construction paper or paint them on. Don’t forget fangs and an hourglass for a really sinister arachnid.

Bats and Spiders

Speaking of giant spiders, not much else creeps people out for Halloween more than spiders and bats. So what better way to get creative with Halloween crafts than to incorporate these critters into the plan. One method you can use includes mini-pumpkins as the body of either one.

The basic idea is to paint the pumpkins black, and be creative with the faces. Wings, ears or spider legs can be created from thick construction paper, poster board or craft foam. You can also use pipe cleaners to create spider legs or add dimension to bat wings. Simply glue on or attach with black electrical tape.

The same principle can be applied to creating bats or spiders from black balloons. A larger one for the body, smaller for the head, and use paper for the features. Make eyes, ears, fangs, wings or legs and attach with glue or tape. Remember, the balloons don’t get filled very full. That way you avoid them popping or looking like overstuffed critters.

Recycle, Reuse and Get Scary

A great way to make decorations is by repurposing items meant to go to the trash bin and giving them a new use. The skeleton of plastic bottles is a neat way to do this. Keep in mind though, it does require cutting, and only adults can do most of this activity. Also, you can use clear or white, or paint clear bottles white, but you want to end up with a consistent end result.

Milk jugs become the head and chest cavity by bringing them together where the lid openings are. Your child can paint on a skeleton face while you do some cutting of the ribs. The pelvis is yet another jug, but just the bottom part cut and shaped a bit like hips. The bones are made from plastic bottles, with or without the centers cut out. It looks more realistic with them cut, but does not have to be. Attach the bones with wire so the skeleton has some realistic movement involved.

Use old white sheets stuffed with old newspapers to create ghosts around the home. If you have some old white pillowcases too, then you can vary the size of the ghosts. Either use the entire sheet, or divide into smaller sections for a family of ghosts. Decorate the faces with markers, partially fill with newspaper and cinch off with wire or rubber bands. Suspend them from rafters or doorways to spook your guests.

There are plenty of ways to get crafty for Halloween, decorate the home and create some family bonding moments. Have kids offer their own ideas or at least express their individuality by decorating pieces. Halloween crafts can be saved for the next year when a whole new bunch of ideas get added.

Halloween Ghost Stories

by 2 Comments

Ghost Stories

The original Celtic holiday of Samhain included spirits of the dead returning to walk among the living.  Ghost stories have been a part of Halloween since the beginning.

Halloween ghost stories can be told around a bonfire, or in a darkened living room.  It doesn’t matter where they are told, as long as the atmosphere is spooky and the stories are scary.

The most famous American ghost story told on Halloween is probably The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.  The ghost in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the terrifying Headless Horseman.  The Headless Horseman is the ghost of a German soldier from the Revolutionary War who had his head blown off by a cannonball.  The Headless Horseman is always seen riding around the isolated glen of Sleepy Hollow at midnight, looking for his missing head, and in the story, he might – or might not – have replaced his missing head with the head of Ichabod Crane and left a Jack O’Lantern behind in its place.

Another classic ghost story is The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs.  Mr. and Mrs. White and their son Herbert inherit a monkey’s paw from India, which is said to grant three wishes.  Mrs. White wishes for money, and within a few days, her son Herbert dies in an accident at work and she receives the money.  Overcome with grief, Mrs. Herbert wishes for her son to come back from the grave, although her husband thinks it’s a bad idea.

Soon, someone is knocking at their door.  Knock.  Knock.  Knock. Mr. White identified his son’s body, which has been buried for over a week.  He knows that whatever is knocking on the door will look and be so terrifying that he can’t let him in.  At the last minute, Mr. White grabs the monkey’s paw and wishes the gruesome dead Herbert back to the grave.

Some ghosts are in every culture.  The mysterious “Girl in White” appears in American ghost tales as a barefoot hitchhiking girl.  Whoever stops to pick her up on a lonely country road hears a sad tale of how she was abandoned on her wedding night, and just wants to get home.  But by the time the driver reaches the place the girl calls home, he finds an abandoned house, and when he turns to ask if it’s the right place, the girl has vanished.  In Mexico, the “Girl in White” is a beautiful girl named Consuela who dances with an eager young man at a dance.  The young man rushes to tell his friends about the beautiful girl he has danced with, and they tell him that he was dancing alone.  When he returns to Consuela, she vanishes into mist and he realizes that he has been dancing with a ghost.

Edgar Allan Poe’s famous story The Tell-Tale Heart is always scary, especially to those who hear it for the first time.  A poor young man moves in with an older man, who is very kind and generous, but whose appearance has been ruined by illness.  The young man begins to fear and hate the old man’s ugly “vulture” eye.  Every night for eight nights, the young man creeps in the old man’s bedroom with thoughts of murder, in order to get rid of the old man’s ugly, scary eye.  Each time, he is stopped because the old man’s horrible eye is closed.  On the eighth night, a beam of moonlight falls on the old man’s face, and the eye is open!

The young man smothers the old man, to silence his cries and his extremely loud beating heart, racing in terror.  The young man buries the old man under the floorboards in the kitchen.

When police come to question the young man, he is pleasant and reasonable at first, answering all of their questions.  As the officers stay, the young man hears a heart beating under the floorboards.  It grows louder and louder until the young man can’t take it any longer and leaps up, confessing to the murder and asking how they can’t hear the old man’s heart beating as loudly as it is.

Family Friendly Halloween Movies

by Leave a Comment

Many families celebrate Halloween in a more traditional fashion — they opt for an in-home party and movie night, rather than trick or treating, which can run like a scary movie itself.  How do you know which movies are family-suitable?  Sure, there are lots of reviews out there, but it depends on who is writing them.  Other than watching every movie beforehand, it’s hard to know what children may like, yet be safe watching.  We’ve rounded up a few of the good movies to watch on Halloween night.

Hocus Pocus

When three witches were sentenced to die over three hundred years ago in Salem Massachusetts, and a boy was turned into a black cat, who knew that the witches would return and that this time they use vacuum cleaners to get around!  The three have turned their wrath onto trick or treaters and it’s up to the very old cat (boy) to save the day.

Corpse Bride

Victor Van Dort starts to fret when his arranged marriage with Victoria Everglot reaches the rehearsal stage.  He practices rehearsing the wedding by himself, in the forest.  By accident, he slips the ring onto a corpse’s finger instead and is transported to the land of the dead, where he learns he has actually married the corpse.  Victoria, still in the land of the living, wonders who she will marry, while Victor struggles to get back to her.

Casper

Carrigan Crittendon worries that her father willed her his old mansion instead of a pile of money.  She’s about to torch the house when she finds a treasure map in it.  Wicked waves of ghosts scare her away from the house.  She hires an afterlife expert, Dr. James Harvey, so he can get rid of the annoying mansion ghosts.  Harvey and his daughter move in, the better to exorcise the spirits, when they meet a friendly ghost — Casper.  This is the ghost of a young boy and turns out to be the very friendliest ghost anyone could know.

Monsters Inc.

James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski work for Monsters Inc. which is  a power company for a nervous and quite paranoid city of monsters.   The power is produced when children who are sleeping, scream.  Naturally, the monsters do their best to accomplish this.  Sully uncovers a plot to rid Monster City of its power problems — but not in a good way.  Both monsters fight to protect the innocent children which they have been scaring every night.  This is a terrific little interactive show at Disneyworld, as well as having the characters there for children to get autographs from.   See the movie then the show and the kids will have a wonderful time.

The Witches

A recently orphaned boy is taken over to England by his grandmother.  At the hotel where they are, a group of witches plot to rid the world of children.  Roald Dahl wrote the book and the film is one that’s definitely for kids.  Jim Henson of the Muppets fame produced the movie.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Taken from the wonderful Ray Bradbury story, two boys enjoy the waning autumn days.  A strange lightning rod salesman tell them about a quirky traveling carnival so they go to check it out.  When Mr. Dark, the Illustrated Man, sets up his carnival after midnight, and in mere seconds, the boys are terrified and thrilled at the same time.  This is a wonderful film.

Pufnstuf

First a TV show, the movie is great and has long outlived the series.  Mama Cass stars as Witch Hazel.  There are colors which are bright, sped-up film, fast edits, pop culture in-jokes, and musical segments.  Both young adults and kids loved the movie.  Young Jimmy is at the center of the movie with his magic flute, and a group of witches want the flute for themselves.  A friendly dragon called Puff (hence Puff the Magic Dragon), is  a key figure.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Jack Skellington (naturally he looks like  skeleton) is the pumpkin king of Halloween Town.  This was a big movie for Disney and Tim Burton, and rightly so.  Jack gets bored with Halloween and stumbles into Christmas Town.  He finds out that he loves Christmas so he does his best to get the residents to put on Christmas instead of Halloween.  These residents are the local ghouls, bats, and goblins.  They just can’t get it right…

Beetlejuice

Two people, killed in a car crash, are trapped inside of their old house in New England.  A yuppie family, along with their daughter, buy the house.  The ghost family are just too nice to scare away the new residents.  Beetlejuice, another ghost, is roped in to help.  The dinner scene, with shrimp cocktails, is a riot.

Ghost Busters

Three occult studies scientists get booted out of a university in NYC.  They start a business in an old firehouse and name it Ghostbusters.  It’s good money trapping pesky spirits, haunts, ghosts and poltergeists.  After stumbling on a gateway to another dimension, an evil one, the ghost busters are called upon to save the Big City.  This movie is timeless, and a cult classic.

The Druids and Celts and Halloween History

by 1 Comment

When it comes to Druids and Celts and Halloween, there is a connection that dates back eons. Of course the tales surrounding their connection involving Halloween are deeply shrouded in mystery and lore, as the holiday itself is. While there some variations in the tales, the core of the stories remain the same.

The First Halloween or Samhain

The celebrations for this holiday started in ancient, pre-Christian times as a Celtic ceremony for the dead. The holiday fell upon October 31, as it still does. It was called Samhain and marked the eve of the next season and new year. During this time period, November 1 was the beginning of the cold season, which was a time of hardship. In this era the year was divided up based on four holidays, as opposed to seasons but each division was still affiliated with a season. For this situation, the season was winter.

The winter ahead promised to be cold, long and harsh. The people would get ready by relocating their livestock closer and preparing them for the cruel season ahead. The cessation of the crop cycle was at this time, with the harvests being stored for the winter. Because of the severity of this season, and the long, dark, cold spell upon the Celts, it became affiliated with death.

The festival of Samhain became a time that people believed the worlds of the living and the dead could become one again, with the presence of spirits. Spirits could return to earth and be mischievous, like causing crop damage. The Celts also thought the priests, or Druids, could make forecasts with greater ease for the coming year when the un-living were around. Animal sacrifices would be made and fires lit to try to keep the souls at bay but help them see their way from the earth to the beyond.

Costumes were adorned during these early festivities, usually those made from the skins and heads of dead animals. The Celts would try to make predictions for one another, gathered around the large bonfire, then returned home to start their own hearth fire back again. They would use a flame from the Samhain bonfire, believing this would help to protect themselves and their homes.

The Transformation

Eventually, the holiday we know as Halloween became known this way after Christian missionaries set out to tamper with the ways the Celts practiced religion. The holiday really began to change following the Roman’s domination over most of the Celtic territory. Samhain was then combined with two Roman holidays.

Samhain was declared pagan as Christianity spread, and a celebration associated with the devil and all things evil. Since Druids were priests and scholars of the practice deemed pagan, these scholarly men were seen as worshipers of evil and the Devil. Christians categorized the underworld of the Celts as tied in with Hell. Many held on strong to their core beliefs as the changes were made.

First – All Souls Day was started, where the living paid homage to the dead, or souls, who had passed. This took place on November 2 of each year. All Saints Day occurred on November 1, but it was the night before All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows, that the lines between the living world and the spiritual one were blurred. This night was called All Hallows Eve, and eventually Halloween. The Celts maintained many of their beliefs and traditions involving this holiday and time of year. One change that happened was that the spirits, once viewed as simply mischievous, were considered evil. This is how the Druids and Celts and Halloween all went down in history together.

The Druids and Celts and Halloween Connected to Modern Traditions

Though the holiday saw many changes in both name and traditions, much of the modern day celebrations can be said to still be tied to original Samhain practices. For example, the Celts wore the hides and heads of animals as costumes during this event, and the use of costumes is still practiced today.

Trick-or-treating is another example of Celt traditions that live on. Since, originally, people left food and offerings to wandering spirits to appease them, people began to use costumes of spirits to go from door to door to collect these offerings. This is what became the first true type of trick-or-treating.

While customs continue to change and evolve, it is doubtful the holiday will ever transform so much that there will not be some remaining proof of the Druids and Celts and Halloween connection.

Costume Parties

by Leave a Comment

The majority of Halloween parties and events will be themed ones.  Some groups and families opt for a traditional theme such as vampires or witches or even zombies.  There are also traditional fancy dress events such as for Mardi Gras or a plain, old-fashioned masked ball.  Children usually love costume parties which have been themed around a favorite superhero or princess or cowboy or cartoon character.  If the party is to be held at a home, then there are a few things to keep in mind.

Parties where adults dress up and have a great time have been around for hundreds of years and were popular in Europe amongst the gentry and royalty.  Perhaps even Vlad, who was the inspiration for Count Dracula and vampire folklore, held parties in his castle in Transylvania.  A modern party planner needs to think of a theme first, then plot out accessories and costumes as well as many decorations and even games.  Movies can be rented that are themed, along with the party, although this is usually for a smaller and more intimate group.

Half the fun of a costume party is trying to guess who is under that Luke Skywalker or Mr. Spock or Cinderella or mad monster costume and mask.  If children are present, a party cannot get too wild or gory.  The whole point of a great costume party is having fun and slipping into another character — if only for an evening.  A family meeting is called for in order to settle on a theme and costumes and certain accessories need to be ordered a few weeks ahead of time, so that if there’s a backorder, substitutes can be made.

Food recipes abound for Halloween parties and items such as purple punch with dry ice spilling over, and floating eyeball ice cubes always make an impression.  Kids love Gummy worms anyway and other creatures may be draped over a punch bowl.  Finger sandwiches, literally looking like fingers, can be created and any food served at a party may be laid out on a appropriately-themed buffet table.  It’s best to keep glass away from a party and often, decorated and disposable glasses and cups can be bought, along with other party supplies.

A lot of costumers love to make their own costumes year after year, or enhance and update their outfits annually.  This depends on how much time there is to do all of the sewing and gathering and hot-gluing etc.  A person’s own clothing may be used as a base for the outfit and this can also be time-saving.  One year, a movie theme may be hot, or a group of characters, and another year they are relegated to the dungeon of costume parties and outfits.  A few classic ensembles are vampires, mummies, zombies, animals, celebrities and politicians.  Some of the costumes at any random party defy description.

If there are several messy games that are to be set up then consider using the backyard.  Children should have their games and creative area and the adults may have a few separate ones.  The outside of the house or building can also be well-decorated with cobwebs and jack o’ lanterns and spiders and bats, if the theme is a generic Halloween scary one.  Remember lighting (red or purple or black lights are wonderful and atmospheric) as well as sound FX and motion.  Anytime a skeletal hand emerges from a box or a croaky voice ways “welcome” trick or treaters get a real kick out of it.  Remember to decorate age appropriately.

Costume party planners can put on a fantastic “spread” and themed party. If they use a little creativity and whatever is at hand, supplemented by a few purchased decorations and accessories and supplies.  A good and well-planned party will be long remembered and talked about at the office or at school, the next day.

Costume Parties

by Leave a Comment

Though costume parties can be held as a festive event during any time of the year, Halloween is often the most popular time for this type of event. Halloween costume parties are a great way to celebrate the holiday for both youngsters and adults. Parents often schedule Halloween costume parties right before Halloween or on the night of as an alternative to trick-or-treating. Adults, on the other hand, have come to enjoy these parties since they generally do not get to celebrate the holiday in any other form or fashion.

Brief History of the Halloween Costume

Most information seems to support the idea that Halloween originated with the Celtic celebration known as Samhain. This event marked the eve of the beginning of another long, hard, cold and cruel winter in which survival alone was a task. During this night it was believed, by the Celts, that the barrier the between spirit and mortal world was open and spirits would return to earth. At this point, restless spirits could destroy crops or cause other forms of damage. So, while the Celts tried to appease spirits and keep them from causing mayhem, they would burn great bonfires and often sacrifice animals and crops, as an offering. Also, during Samhain, the Celts would wear the hides and heads of animals and march the streets in these costumes. Hence, the first Halloween costume was born, as well, in a way, the first Halloween costume parties.

Costume Parties for Children

It begins, of course, with the selection process of a costume. These disguises come in an unimaginable amount of options that can be purchased off the rack at a retails store, or crafted at home for those craft-savvy and budget conscious types. Designing a costume at home can also be a good way to be more original or creative and avoid being a duplicate of too many other children at a party or at school.

Some schools still host costume parties in which children wear their holiday outfits to class and awards and prizes are often given out for different categories of best costumes. For home-based Halloween parties, there are plenty of other activities to include in the itinerary including judging for best costumes. Some popular activities to include are bobbing for apples, pumpkin bowling, Halloween-themed crafts and ghost story telling.

Freeze dancing is another fun way for youngsters to have holiday fun and burn off some energy. Music, often Halloween themed, is played and the party goers dance until the DJ abruptly cuts the tune off. Those who do not immediately freeze are out until only one dancing guest remains to claim his or her place as the winner.

Another fun idea for children’s Halloween costume parties is sectioning off part of the home as a haunted house event kids get to scamper and scream their way through. An increasingly popular activity in the past few years has been the addition of “pumpkin hunt.” Using either mini-pumpkins or small plastic versions of the squash, the kids hunt for hidden pumpkins like during an Easter egg hunt. This can be done outside before dark, outside with the use of flashlights or completely indoors.

Costume Parties for Adults

The beginning of this process isn’t any different than the Halloween party for kids; it begins with a costume selection. Again, costumes can be store bought, handmade but often, in usually just the case for adults, renting a costume is also an option. Adults often get a little more daring with their costume selection, bordering on risqué in some cases, especially women’s options. There are bound to me more scantily clad cats, Playboy bunnies, school girls, French maids and Indian princesses competing for an award, and some attention.

These celebrations are usually hosted at someone’s house or by booking a restaurant, pub, bar, club or other type of venue or hall. Events at adult Halloween costume parties can closely resemble the activities that take place at the kid’s parties. Though the punch may be spiked and there is likely to be a “sexiest” category during the Halloween costume contest. Scavenger hunts can be a great addition to adult Halloween parties, especially when conducted in a public place or outdoor venue.

A Wrap on Halloween Costume Parties

Halloween can be a hauntingly spook-tacular good time for children and adults. The Halloween get up is one of the most important, and fun, elements to celebrating the holiday. Whether trick-or-treating or not, just the fun of a Halloween costume party can be the best part of the season.

Animals Linked to, or That Symbolize Halloween

by Leave a Comment

Black cats are one of the symbols of Halloween and have gotten a bad rap a few hundred years ago, when they were associated with witches.  Due to ignorance and fear about diseases such as the Bubonic Plague and how they were spread (fleas on rats), and because cats in general were not much liked, the Black Death spread and decimated thousands upon thousands of people.  If the cats could have been left to do their natural thing — hunt rodents — all may have been prevented.

Cats still retain that imagery of Halloween and black ones in particular — although today, black cats are more likely to be sitting in the front window, curious about trick or treaters walking by on the sidewalk, than be involved in all of that “tom foolery”.

Few people even today, can truly say they love vampire bats.  They have been linked to Halloween, especially after Bram Stoker’s Dracula was written and loved as a great horror story by the Victorians.  After vampires came to be associated with Halloween, some true incidents were dug up that appeared to relate to or further symbolize Halloween.  A bloodthirsty Vlad the Impaler loved to put his enemies’ heads onto spikes surrounding his castle and these acts further added to the vampire lore.  Vampires and Count Dracula are reputed to be able to turn into bats and escape.  The real vampire bat does drink blood, but in small amounts and usually from cattle or goats.

In old Hebrew legends there was a woman who turned into an owl and preyed upon infants and expectant mothers.  The Greek shad a tale of monsters who loved the dark as well as dining on children.  There’s another strange tale, this one from India of a creature who liked to hang upside down during daylight hours, and who had no blood of its own.  Naturally, it had to get blood from other living beings.  Being drained of blood by a bat or vampire (in legend) tends to lend it to Halloween tales and associations.

Real vampire bats have a chemical in their saliva which prevents blood from clotting, and this is so they can “dine” longer.  Most bays do not carry rabies and most eat insects,  Wild bats are not encouraged as pets and the Organization for Bat Conservation does their best to spread knowledge about these flying mammals.

Wolves used to be common in Europe and during the 1500s, villagers in Germany found both half eaten humans and farm animals lying around.  They thought that wolves were the hunters.  When they tracked down a certain wolf, it turned into a werewolf and became someone they knew from the village.  A pamphlet was made to describe this event and this is how the werewolf came into our imaginations and legends.  There have been tall tales of wolves and bats and vampires and who knows what else mixing it up in epic battles, down through the ages.

Wolves howl at the moon and are hunters by nature.  They are cunning and intelligent and our first domesticated dogs may have been, or come from wolves.  At times, wolves were believed to be associated with the devil. There is conflict between property owners and wolves some of the time and the animal has faced extinction.  It has slowly returned due to releases from captive breeding populations.

People in the middle ages ate bread made from a hallucinogenic grain.  This may have led them to think that certain villagers had turned into wolves and become werewolves, especially on a night lit by a full moon.  Wolves howl as communication to other pack members and as a warning to non-pack members.  Wolf-dog hybrids are not encouraged.

Haunted houses are home to lots of spiders — very large spiders.  Most of them are made from latex or rubber, but the spider has long been linked to Halloween.  There are many types of spiders and they come in  a large variety of sizes and colors.  A large tarantula relative eats birds.  Most humans fear spiders, although most spiders are beneficial to humans.  In England, a spider in the house meant good luck.  Spiders can grow their legs back. There are way more than 35,000 species of spiders in the world.

One other animal that symbolize Halloween is a snake.  They are most often feared because a lot are venomous and people have died from snake bites.  Some are constrictors and huge, like pythons and anacondas.  Most snakes are beneficial to humans in that they keep a check on the rodent and insect populations.

Animals That Symbolize Halloween

by Leave a Comment

Animals that symbolize Halloween have become associated with Halloween over the generations to end up being a large part of the holiday. It could have something to do with the fact that the first Halloween “costumes” were animal skins worn by the Celts. More than likely, they have just been picked along the way because of individual animal’s connection to certain things that represent the scary or the supernatural.

Generally, most of the critters that have come to symbolize Halloween are nocturnal. This seemed fitting for being connected to evil spirits, witches or vampires who rule the night. Cats, bats and owls have all been linked to things that go bump in the night, especially during Halloween.

Black Cats = Animals That Symbolize Halloween

This symbol has become so tied into Halloween tradition and the occult that owners of black cats are advised to keep their pets indoors for a few days prior to Halloween so they are not stolen. Pet shelters and cat rescue groups will not adopt out the onyx haired felines for up to a week before the holiday. Black cats are even part of the superstition that if one crosses your path, you will have bad luck or even die.

Cats have been given a bad rap since being linked to witches. Folklore has made these creatures pets or “familiars” of witches throughout history. This link is so intertwined that, during the witch trials, cats were often killed for being evil just as the reported witches were. Ironically, some stories claimed witches would sacrifice these animals during rituals or kill them to use in brews for spells and curses. That is the main reason frogs get linked to witches and Halloween, as well.

Bats and Halloween

There are a few reasons these winged creatures have become linked to Halloween and all things otherworldly. The first is the presence of bats during the very first Halloweens. It is said that during Samhain, the original Halloween, great bonfires were built to ward away evil spirits. Because fires attract bugs and bugs attract bats, there was a great presence of bats during these activities. It was viewed that the bats were connected to the spirit world trying to get through, but still frightened off by the roaring flames.

The other reason bats have become a symbol of evil is their connection to vampires. Since early stories of Dracula and vampires have often included bats, in one way or another, they have long been thought of as evil as well. Vampires were thought to turn into bats to fly through the night and be able to get into rooms with great ease. It was also thought that bats would live in the high arches of castles where vampires resided. By the way, these critters turn up in witches’ brew recipes as well.

Owls and the Halloween Connection

Found hidden deep in the tree branches of dark woods, late into the night that haunting screech can be the only thing one hears. While it may be pleasant now, imagine walking a dark wooded path alone long before modern times. This could be a very unsettling noise. A reminder you are not alone and yet unable to see the creature making sounds nearby.

Like bats, owls would take flight during those first Samhain events. They would fly close enough to the fires to snag bugs, or lower for rodents, and seemed to be linked to the spirit world. Like cats, owls have also been connected to witches for being their companions. It doesn’t help that a witch in a Grimm’s fairy tale does transform into an owl.

Crows and the Macabre 

It is almost safe to say that if an animal comes in all black, it could be considered linked to the supernatural and scary. Crows have long been thought to become present to represent a bad omen. This could be why this creature has come to symbolize Halloween. Also, they are sometimes believed to be companions of witches and certainly a common part of their brews to cast spells.

A group of crows circling overhead, called a murder actually, has become a tale of superstition claiming someone will die. Of course there are plenty of cultures and folklore that consider a single crow or a murder of crows to be good luck, but when it comes to Halloween, crows are seen as devious. Edgar Allan Poe may not have helped the matter with his classic chilling poetic account of “The Raven” who comes knocking, knocking at his chamber door.

There are other animals that symbolize Halloween, but these are some of the more traditional and common ones.

Traditions of Halloween

by Leave a Comment

Celtic people are responsible for the core of Halloween, as it was first celebrated in their traditions and folklore. They formed a society about 800 BC. Celts were located in the UK, part of Turkey (rather odd!) and a lot of Western Europe. They held a big party close to the end of October which was called Samhain. This was to recognize the end of Summer and the harvest, no doubt. Celts thought that the connection and separation between the real world and the world of the dead and spirits, was thin at this time of year. Friends and relatives returned for a short stay and often in the form of a black cat, which is why that symbol can still represent Halloween. 

After harvest, food was offered to the gods. Almost like a modern food drive, they went door to door for food donations, which they then gave to the deities. Young people from that time asked for kindling and firewood for a bonfire, which they made on top of a hill. This tradition of going from door to door may have been the root for trick or treating. Sacred bonfires were often lit during Samhain, in order to honor the Celtic gods. An ember was kept from the bonfire and villagers would light their own fires when they returned home. 

A gourd or turnip was used to carry the ember as it would be sheltered from the wind and not burn the wet gourd or turnip pulp. Evil spirits dwelled amongst the Celts, or so they thought, so on a long dark walk home they would disguise themselves in costumes and also scare away the spirits by carving fierce faces on the ember holders. This also carries through to today with lit pumpkins and costumes. Pumpkins are considerably easier to carve than a small turnip or beetroot or gourd. 

Neopagans and wiccans continue to celebrate Samhain to this day as they base a lot of their faith on the ancient Celts. Some traditions were based on the Celtic ones but some have evolved from other sources. The Jack O’Lantern came from a 17th century Irish folktale. The devil took pity on a departed soul who was not allowed into either heaven or hell, and gave him a burning coal to light his way as he wandered around the globe. This Jack took to carrying the ember in a partially eaten turnip. 

Apples have been associated with goddesses for a long time, as they were with Adam & Eve, There association with immortality, knowledge and resurrection has made them an icon. A five-pointed star is revealed if an apple is sliced through its equator. A pentagram came from this symbol, it’s thought. The latter is a goddess symbol for Gypsies, ancient Egyptians and Celts, and contemporary Wiccans and others. Bobbing for apples and trying to grab a dangling apple was a game for singles who, if they grabbed an apple, were said to be in line for a marriage proposal.

If someone peeled an apple in front of a mirror lit with candles (one would hope that they’d keep their eyes on the knife!), then an image of a future spouse was supposed to appear. If the peeler could make a long string of peel then this was said to “guestimate” how long a person would live. On All Souls Day, Christians from Europe would go door to door asking for currant buns or soul cakes. If they got any, they’d pray for the homeowner’s relatives. 

All Hallow’s Eve was the original name for Halloween. This meant the evening right before All Saints Day. Hallow meant saint in old English and the phrase was eventually shortened to Halloween.