The 31st of October is the day where we are either; super excited about all the Halloween joy it brings, putting up all the decorations and prepared to play Trick or Treat at any given moment. Or you are slouched at home on the sofa, getting irritated by the door being knocked on every 20 minutes by children in your neighbourhood.
There are so many activities that are participated in by those in the first bracket of people; Trick or Treating, carving pumpkins, throwing scary themed parties that include lighting bonfires, pranks involving toilet paper and eggs. For the hardcore fans, the thrill-seekers of Halloween, you may even play games in eerie locations that are supposedly haunted such as the Ouija Board and Murder Mystery hide and seek. These activities can get you immersed in the excitement of Halloween and also create memories that will last forever.
Regardless of which side of the fence you sit on you will be absolutely shocked at the historical events that eventually brought us to celebrating Halloween every single year. From the idea of Halloween to Point of Sale (POS) of Halloween events and everything in between. We will be talking about it all!
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I suppose it's only right to start with the very concept of Halloween. Halloween is thought to be an event that is massively influenced by ancient Celtic Harvest Festivals. These festivals have pagan roots, meaning they are part of a cult-like community that is frowned upon because of its inferiority to the beliefs of more familiar religious groups and communities.
The festival of Samhain of Gaelic culture, in particular, is believed to have been the backbone and created the world of Halloween and what we know of it. This festival was created over 2,000 years ago and was a celebration of opening the door between our world and an unexplored world of spirits.
It is said that these spirits would pass through that door and search our world. Families who took part would create an offering for their ancestor's spirits. Some unwanted, harmful spirits entering their homes would be the risk. They warded them off by wearing costumes to disguise themselves, of course, this became troublesome as they were also disguised to the spirits of their ancestors that they were hoping to welcome in.
If you are after some Halloween costume ideas, be sure to check out our blog post on this.
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Jack o Lanterns are a staple of any household on Halloween, they can be decorations for a mellow night in on Halloween, or for extravagant Halloween parties! Many children carve their own and light them up to carry around with them whilst they Trick-or-Treat for candy!
The origin of Pumpkins is said to have been found in North America in Mexico. Pumpkins also can be traced to Cucurbita pepo - a plant that yields pumpkins and winter squash. They date back multiple centuries ago and became a Halloween tradition by immigrants from Ireland. This adds to the origin story of Halloween that we have spoken about in the introduction to this blog!
Pumpkins became the vegetable of choice to carve as they are part of the family of vegetables called Gourds that were carved for the Irish festival of Samhain after their pumpkin seeds had materialised. A great little addition to any party would be a pumpkin pie, topped with some pumpkin spice, which as a whole, the pumpkin pie originates from the United States.
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Trick-or-Treating has been an absolute must for most children on Halloween if you didn't know, Trick-or-Treating is the activity that everyone of all ages can partake in.
It usually involves, dressing up in your finest Halloween fancy dress costume, getting a bucket or container, and knocking on people's doors. As they open the door, you yell "Trick-or-Treat!" This phrase asks the question to the person at the house if they could show you a trick and maybe scare you (Trick) OR give you some candy in your container (Treat).
The origin of Trick-or-Treating is believed to have come from an old tale told. This tale explained that supernatural beings and spirits of people who have died would appear at your door on the night of Samhain. These spirits would demand a prize or prized possession in exchange for a life of luck, something out of a horror film!
As said before, impersonating such spirits back then was a way of protecting yourself from any harm from them. That directly translates to how the partakers of Trick-or-Treating dress up in a scary costume and ask for some sort of reward.
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3. Playing Pranks
Playing pranks on Halloween has been a part of Halloween for a very long time. Some pranks included using toilet paper to completely cover someone's possessions, such as their houses or vehicles. Other practical jokes included egging, egging is the term used for one mischievous individual, acquiring some eggs and throwing them at someone or their property.
Pranks, not just for April Fools Day, became a part of Halloween with the sistering event of October 30th, called Devil's Night. This night would see many misdemeanours occur, starting on that night and going on throughout the next day of Halloween, the day of the dead. Since Tricks have been a part of Halloween since forever, it's fitting that Devil's Night activities tie in with it and allow the theme of both days to not be ruined.
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4. Haunted Attractions (Games & Locations)
Playing games and hanging out at locations that are believed to be haunted or supernatural are a fine way to entertain and spook your family, friends or guests.
Such games as playing with an Ouija board or playing hide and seek in a haunted location can enhance the scare experience amongst your party. Some locations such as a haunted mansion or castle would be perfect for the game. If you really wanted to take it up another level you can play these games in a graveyard or maze at night, we personally love involving beer pong ourselves, give it a go with your very own printed plastic solo cups to match your occasion.
We love the amazing locations that have been found all over the internet, and we've included many pictures of them below, however, we should advise you (maybe legally) to not enter premises that are restricted and private property!
4a. Ouija Board
The Ouija board, in particular, is a way to contact the souls of the dead. Many attempt to communicate with them on Halloween to frighten the guests around them. The Ouija board is a board with the letters A-Z on it, numbers 0-9 and the words "Yes", "No" and "Goodbye". These are all used in order to call out to the wanted or unwanted spirits.
The spirit board was introduced commercially in 1890 and was said to have allowed many to encounter souls. Science has always said that it is completely bogus, however, like all paranormal activity. You can still somehow feel an energy like no other when you use it, especially in such eerie conditions. These have been featured in several Halloween movies.
4b. Bloody Mary
Another great game to play this Halloween 2019 is Bloody Mary. Some may not consider this a game as you are attempting to play with supernatural forces and because of the belief that some have died playing this "game", you can understand why.
Bloody Mary is the game that requires a mirror and can be played as an individual or as a group. The main aim is to repeat the words, "Bloody Mary" three times.
Now you may think that this sounds very tame, however, the game is said to cause players to hallucinate and see their faces melted and distorted. Many have also said that somebody has appeared behind them, some have also furthered that story by saying the person behind them tried to kill them.
The game originated centuries ago when the group of people or a single person would, stand before a mirror and proclaim "Bloody Mary" multiple times. Following this would be either the grim reaper or their future husband's face. This would allow them to see if they were going to either Marry and live happily ever after or die before she got the chance to wed him.
Bloody Mary became a figure of horror or scaremongering after the first-ever Queen of England, Mary Tudor, created a history of gruesome executions of protestants by burning them on a stake. So the term bloody was an adjective used to describe her lust for sentencing people to their deaths. However, it was all in vain, as her protestant sister, Queen Elizabeth I was one of the longest-reigning monarchs at the time and cemented the Church of England as the primary faith in England.
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5. Symbols
Many symbols and mysterious artefacts are carved into Jack-o-Lanterns that are expressions of various different religions and beliefs.
Skulls and other death-related symbols were carved as a sign that even though you live now. You should be reminded of the transitions between this life and what comes after. These symbols have also been plastered over the back of the local church walls.
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As we conclude this blog, I hope that you have learned a fair deal about Halloween and the festivities that surround the event. I also hope that you now have a story to tell or a lot of new ideas for games and where they can be played on the next Halloween.
If you have any queries or really enjoy this blog, we encourage you to comment below or write to us at hello@apprintable.com and let us know. We'd love to hear all of your spooky stories and scary experiences on Halloween as the event is an absolute hit in our office!
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