Ghosts, ghouls, bats, spiders and vampires! Why is Halloween so popular? For one thing, every culture throughout history has had some spirit of our modern Halloween – a single day to throw off the constraints of who we are and become someone or something we’re not. We have one night a year to take a break from our fears and laugh at death and make fun of the demons among us, real or imagined. Against our often sterile, antibacterial and overly safe society we can remember a time, not so long ago, when we would huddle together around a warm campfire and tell ghost stories among the long, flickering shadows. Read on for some great stories, facts, haunted places and anything else relating to Halloween.

A Halloween Picnic – In a Graveyard!

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Halloween holiday is the preparation for the holiday itself. Driving around neighborhoods to observe and appreciate decorations is one way to get in the Halloween mood, while another is to visit various cemeteries, graveyards, and burial grounds. Older communities have a wealth of final resting places for the dead, and at least one with appropriate Halloween ambiance can be found. When a cemetery has been chosen for further examination, the cemetery itself can make a wonderful family outing! Picnicking in a Cemetery - Getting Prepared When picnicking in a cemetery in preparation for Halloween, a visit to the local library can enhance the overall experience. Parents with or without their ...

How to Survive Halloween With Your Pets

Halloween can be a frightening experience for your dog or other pets. From the constant ding of the doorbell, to the many people out and about, and all the little hands that inevitably reach for him, there are many things aside from ghouls and goblins that can frighten your pup. Compound that fear with the reality that some dogs are skittish or anxiety-ridden, and well Halloween is right up there with fireworks and thunderstorm. Instead of dreading the day, use the challenges. With the proper training you can have a very festive Halloween - complete with matching costumes for you and your pup! Ding-Dong, Trick or Treat! A dog wouldn’t be a dog if he didn’t bark when the doorbell rings. But ...

Getting Down with the Halloween Boogie Man!

Update: I've created a Facebook group on this: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=161340510725 If you think this is a great idea, please join our group and send pics of your Halloween party. Hope to see you there! Everybody loves the spooktacular good times of dancing to great tunes at their favourite Halloween party. And the lurking lunatics at ScreamingScarecrowStudios are no different - in fact, in order to make sure there is enough dance floor space at our Halloween party we move all the furniture out of several rooms and into storage! Then we pack the floor with wall to wall dancing guests by playing set after set of great music. Of course there are some classic tunes that any self respecting Halloween party ...

Making Halloween Memories: A Guide to a Season of Fun for your Child

Are you like me? Does Halloween form the basis of many of your favorite childhood memories? It was absolutely magical for me as a child. Now that I’m a parent, I try to bring that level of excitement to my own munchkins. I’m no craft-happy homemaker (don’t I wish?!) but I do try to piece together some special times during the season. Traditions form the fabric which weaves the happiest, richest holiday memories. I know, I know. Life is insane. There’s so much to do and so little time in which to do it. Work. PTA. Household chores. Community functions. Volunteering. Same here. The key ...

How the Movie Alien is a lot Like Raising kids

Almost everyone recognizes that science fiction and horror are frequently used as tools for social commentary. We have all seen many issues argued in distant times and places with a variety of alien and human solutions or non-solutions. Sometimes though, stories are written that can be re-interpreted in ways not intended by the author (or perhaps it is, and that is the joke on us!) Let us explore, for example, the movie Alien. When I first saw it at the drive-in as a young teen I had nightmares. Here is our hero Ripley trapped on a spaceship with a virtually invulnerable opponent with a rather disturbing life cycle. It was horrifying and claustrophobic, but after the movie I knew nothing like ...

Interview with Lew Lehrman – Painter of Dark

I recently had a chat with Lewis Lehrman, professional watercolor artist, teacher, author and Halloween painter who showcases his work at his website Haunted Studio. He has created an incredibly rewarding niche for himself, whereby clients send him images of a house they love or have lived in, or describe a vivid scene they remember. Lew then creates a custom spooky painting for them, complete with a haunting backdrop, pets, hidden ghosts, people and decor. His trademarked phrase is "Painter of Dark", and that is exactly what he is! We are honored to have Lew for an interview here at Halloween Alliance. HA: Your first commissioned work was to paint a Halloween scene as your client remembered it ...

How to Haunt Your House – Book Review

How to Haunt Your House By Shawn and Lynne Mitchell Sometimes, just sometimes, a book comes across your altar that makes your hands go clammy, that sets your heart racing, that makes your eyes go bug wide in wonder. How To Haunt Your House is such a book. Its deceptively simple title sets the stage (literally) for what the book is about - a visual feast of step-by-step techniques on, well, how to haunt your house! I have never come across such effective, clear-cut ...

How to Grow Your Own Pumpkin Patch

Ah, the orange, glowing, delightful Jack-O-lantern: it’s perhaps the most immediately recognizable image of Halloween. Each autumn, thousands of families within the U.S. flock to farms, vegetable stands and even supermarkets to buy a pumpkin or two (or more!). But a few in-the-know growers avoid the rush by cultivating their very own decorative pumpkins. How do these home growers do it? Pumpkin growing isn’t as difficult as you may think. All it takes is a little patience, a lot of yard space and a few tips on how to grow the best pumpkins in the neighborhood. After planting, you still have time to do other chores or play online bingo. Read on for a tutorial on growing your very ...

Halloween in Indiana

There was always a particular order to Halloween activities in my family. The whole family went to Stonybrook pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins. When we were little, my Mom dressed my sister and me in “quaint” calico bonnets to block out the sun. Mind you, it was something like 1985, not 1885. However, we looked pretty cute sitting on the hay bales in the wagon riding out to the pumpkin fields. Once we got home, activities were strictly divided. My Dad dealt with the outside messes and my Mom the inside messes. My Dad helped us carve our pumpkins and go trick-or-treating. My Mom cooked us dinner, helped us make our costumes ...

My First Halloween with My Husband

My first Halloween with my new husband was actually right before we got married, so technically he was not my husband. To the people of Keene Valley, New York, we were apparently homeless. That would be an impressive feat to pull off in Keene Valley—surviving as a homeless person. You see, Keene Valley is a tiny mountain town in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. It is about 80 miles or so from the Canadian border. The weather is highly unpredictable during the summer, and frigid in the winter. Temperatures routinely drop below zero in January or February and stay there for a few weeks—even during the day. Halloween can be blessed ...

• All About Halloween
• 'How to' Halloween
• Halloween Decorations
• Costumes, Masks & Accessories
• Pirate's Treasure Chest
• Party Tips, Recipes & Activities
• Spooky Stories, Legends & Myths
• Happy Halloween Magazine
• Halloween Links

All About Halloween • 'How To' Halloween • Halloween Decorations • Costumes, Masks & Accessories • Pirate's Treasure Chest
Party Tips, Recipes & Activities • Spooky Stories, Legends & Myths • Happy Halloween Magazine • Halloween Links

About Us • HallowZeen Newsletter • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Terms / Disclosure / Copyright • Sitemap