The Future of Halloween

The Future of Halloween

While we can't say for certain exactly how Halloween will be celebrated one hundred years from now, we have a pretty good idea about the next two years. But before we get to that, here are some thoughts on how the particular day of the week that Halloween falls on influences this holiday.

For Christmas, it is not uncommon for people to start putting up decorations as early as Thanksgiving and they may leave them up all the way through New Years. Since the Christmas season lasts literally weeks, you have much more time to spread out special events such as parties.

Halloween on the other hand, usually does not become visible until October 31st, or at best a few days before and then vanishes like dust in an Autumn breeze the following day. You may spend weeks or even months in preparation for Halloween night, but all you get is one night.

When Halloween falls on a week day, except Friday, celebrating tends to be smaller, particularly on a Wednesday or Thursday. These days are too far removed from the preceding weekend to have a Halloween party, and it's virtually unheard of to hold a party after October 31st. If you have a party on a week night, it usually has to be short in duration as kids have school the next day and most adults have work. The best Halloween falls on either a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, giving more time for parties, haunts and Halloween fun.

Here's the best news for the next two years: Halloween will fall on a Saturday in 2009 and on a Sunday in 2010.

Saturday - This is our favorite day for Halloween to fall on. Kids are out of school and have plenty of time to get ready. They can stay up later since they don't have school the following day. Adults have all Friday night to hold or go to a Halloween party and then Sunday night to greet their costumed visitors.

Sunday - Our second favorite day for Halloween to be, you can host or go to that party on Saturday and then have all Sunday to prepare for your trick or treaters.

So, what can we expect over the next two years? More Halloween parties, more business related events such as costume contests, a larger selection of Halloween products in stores and more haunted events like haunted houses popping up around towns. The next two years look to be great for Halloween lovers everywhere!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

Jumbo Inflatable Tombstone

Jumbo Inflatable Tombstone

Add some graveyard fright to trick-or-treat night with this giant vinyl tombstone! With a purple bat perched on top, this decoration will turn your yard into a scary cemetery. Fun for greeting your guests at a haunted Halloween bash or vampire party!

Hanging Skeleton Halloween Decoration

Hanging Skeleton Decoration

Scare up some frightful fun with this Halloween decoration! Ideal for hanging in a doorway or from a ceiling, this 3-ft. bony spook will be a ghostly greeting for your party guests and trick-or-treaters. A haunted house essential! Includes a foam face and hands and a tattered fabric cloak.

Eyeball Bounce Halloween Party Game

Eyeball Bounce Game

Take ping pong ball and decorate with markers to look like blood shot eyes. Then get a plastic pumpkin or party cups.

Now give each child an eyeball and place the plastic pumpkin or cup at the bottom of stairs or across the floor. Works best on wooden stairs and floors. Have each child toss or bounce the eyeball down the stairs or across the room. The goal is to see if their eyeball bounces into the pumpkin.

You can give a prize to those that get it in the pumpkin. Also for young kids, you may want to place 20 cups together and have each cup worth a secret prize. This increases the chance to get a prize and it makes the prize a complete surprise.

Pirate Costume

Pirate Costume

Aye, Aye maties. Your treasure awaits you! This Pirate Costume features a red pirate bandana with dreadlocks and skull and cross bones design, pirate vest and shirt combo, cropped pirate pants with sash, an earring and an eye patch.

Queen Arwen Lord of the Rings Costume

Queen Arwen Lord of the Rings Costume

This costume is fit for a queen. Costume features a long flowing dress and a tiara with ornate design and detail. From the movie The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King.

Palmer Dr. Scab’s Monster Lab Chocolates

Palmer Dr. Scab’s Monster Lab Chocolates

Shaped like assorted body parts and individually wrapped in matching foil wrappers, trick-or-treaters will lose their head (or at least an eye, a finger or an ear) to get these chocolates!

Halloween Twister Game

Halloween Twister Game

Party guests will bend over backwards for this Halloween game! A creepy twist on a classic game, Twister, kids will love curling and turning around on the 6-ft. x 5-ft. vinyl mat! Each spooky square shows off a monstrous character! Includes a cardboard spinner.

Halloween Recipe - Meatball Creepy Crawlers

Meatball Creepy Crawlers

Meatballs:
1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury Golden Layers refrigerated flaky original biscuits
20 frozen cooked beef meatballs, thawed (from 16-oz bag)
1/4 cup shoestring potatoes (from 1 3/4-oz can) or chow mein noodles
Sliced olives, pickles and carrots, as desired

Dips:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
1/2 cup cheese dip

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray, or cover with cooking parchment paper.

2. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Wrap 1 biscuit piece around each meatball; seal. To make 1 crawler, line up 10 biscuit-wrapped meatballs on cookie sheet, making sure each is touching, to make a curved line. Poke shoestring potatoes in both sides of each ball for legs, at head for antennae and tongue, and end for tail. Repeat with remaining 10 wrapped meatballs to make second crawler.

3. Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with olives for eyes and mouth. Top every other section with layer of sliced pickle, carrot and olive. In small bowl, mix ketchup and mustard. Serve crawlers with ketchup mixture and cheese dip.

Bobble Head Reaper Costume

Bobble Head Reaper Costume

This Bobble Head Reaper costume is BIG TIME SCARY! Costume includes a full-cut robe with drape sleeves, an oversize hood with collar, gloves, belt and a giant, lightweight head with bobble eyes and interior elastic head support.

Pink & Silver Diva Dress Costume

Pink & Silver Diva Dress Costume

Our Deluxe Pink & Silver Sequin Dot Diva Dress features a pink sequin dot poly flapper dress with a marabou hem and silver sequin trim.

Make A Monster Party Game

Make A Monster Party Game

Break your guests into teams and tell them that they are going to Make a Monster. Now give each group a variety of magazines, paper, glue (glue stick) and scissors and tell them they must make monsters from the contents of the magazines.

Then tell them how many and what type of monsters you want. (Print on sheet of paper)Example: 3 Monsters & 1 Monster face

Tell them to use different body parts (legs, arms, head, feet, etc… to make 1. Scary Monster2. Funny Monster3. Bad Fashion Monster (target one to your theme/attendees) 4. Create a face monster cut out different eyes, lips, nose, hair to make this monster.

Give each team a time limit 10, 15, or 20 minutes (5 minutes per monster) and send them off to create their Monsters.

Once time is up call then back and have each team present their monsters based on the category and parents can independently judge you monsters and select a winner for each category. This is a fun activity and does not require a prize.

To accommodate young kids have adults cut out various body parts in advance and just have the kids put the pieces of the monster together. (This removes the scissors issue)

Bat Rings

Bat Rings

For a simple touch of Halloween flair, add a plastic bat ring to your outfit! Dress up your costume and jewelry ensemble with these dark-winged gems! Hand them out in kids' goody bags to wear on each finger!

Halloween Picks

Halloween Picks

Stick these 3" plastic picks in Halloween appetizers for a spooky look! You can add a frightfully fun touch to meat and cheese trays with these spiders, bats, pumpkins and ghosts. They’re also perfect for cupcakes! Ideal for a haunted house party or Halloween bash!

Candy Corn Catch Party Game

Candy Corn Catch Party Game

Divide guests into groups of 3 teams, 4-5 per team or if couples into pairs. Then announce that you are going to play Candy Corn Catch where team members will toss candy corns into the pumpkin that will be tied around a team member’s waist.

To make things fair give each team member the same amount of candy corn, so if some people choose to eat it rather throw it, they will have a choice. Suggest 10 per person.

Now select a team member to wear the pumpkin (these should be the ones for trick or treating so there is a hole on top) and tie the plastic pumpkin around one team member's waist. Now establish a throw line for those with the candy and place the pumpkin wearing teammate 5, 7 or 10 feet away.

Once everyone is set let the tossing begin. The kids and adults can throw candy corn all at one time or one at a time. You person wearing the pumpkin can move around to try to catch the candy corn as it is thrown. Once everyone has thrown the candy corn, take the pumpkin and count how many went in and also have the kids pick up any that is on the floor.

Switch team members and go again. Add up how many go in each round and then total the amounts after everyone has had a turn. Winning team is the one to get the most candy corn in the pumpkin.

Pretty Potion Witch Costume

Pretty Potion Witch Costume

You'll be simply bewitching in this Pretty Potion Witch Costume. Costume features a black, purple and fuschia dress with attached crinoline, black and purple sleeve puffsand a witch hat with tie.

Red Flapper Sequin Dot Velvet Dress Costume

Red Flapper Sequin Dot Velvet Dress Costume

Charleston! Charleston! Bring back those exciting days of the Roaring 20's when Flappers were all the craze with this Deluxe Red Flapper Dress. Features a red sequin dot velvet dress with fringe and a flower decoration. A matching red sequin headband with red boa feathers is included.

Halloween Straw Assortment

Halloween Straw Assortment

Dress up your Halloween drinks with these festive plastic straws! Sure to add some trick-or-treat pizazz to your party beverages, these orange and black straws have ghost, black cat and pumpkin designs. Fun for witch’s brew, too!

Halloween Candy Rings

Halloween Candy Rings

Jewelry you can eat! Place these fruit-flavored accessories on each finger for a fun and frightful appearance! Kids love wearing these Halloween candy rings in black cat, green monster and ghoulish ghost styles! The perfect accessory for every costume!

Halloween Recipe - Bewitched Double-Crust Cheese Pizza

Bewitched Double-Crust Cheese Pizza

Trick or treat! Cookie cutters make fun, quick work of uncovering the cheesy filling in a celebratory pizza.

3 cups Original Bisquick mix
2/3 cup very hot water
1 can (8 oz) pizza sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (8 oz)
1/2 teaspoon spicy pizza seasoning

1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 450°F. Spray 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix and hot water with fork until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Divide dough in half. Press half of the dough in pizza pan, using fingers dipped in Bisquick mix; pinch edge to form 1/2-inch rim. Spread pizza sauce over dough. In medium bowl, mix cheese and pizza seasoning; sprinkle over pizza sauce.

3. Place remaining dough on surface dusted with Bisquick mix; roll in Bisquick mix to coat. Shape into a ball; knead 5 times. Roll dough into 14-inch circle. Use cookie cutters in Halloween shapes to cut shapes from dough (leave 1 inch of dough between cutouts and leave 1 inch of edge of dough uncut). Fold dough circle in half; place over pizza and unfold. Seal edges. Place dough cutouts on top of pizza if desired.

4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Hot Dog Pet Costume

Hot Dog Pet Costume

Yes, pun is intended. Comical costume features a body suit with branded "Hot Dog" buns and a hat with mustard on the back.

Doodlebops Deedee Deluxe Costume

Doodlebops Deedee Deluxe Costume

Musically creative, this costume will whisk you to a magically musical land. Costume includes dress, gloves, shoe covers and wig.

Colorful Bats

Colorful Bats

Scatter these colorful bats on tabletops or put these batty toys in treat bags.

Jack-O’-Lantern Lanterns

Jack-O’-Lantern Lanterns

Hang these jolly tissue paper pumpkins from the ceiling at your haunted house party! With a variety of goofy smiles, these orange decorations will add a frightfully fun touch to your Halloween event!

Witch Hunt Party Game

Witch Hunt Party Game

Cut out paper witch hats. Whatever number you think would suit the number of people at the party, 3 - 5 per person is recommended. Color two hats a different color from the rest. Hide all the witch hats throughout the house (area where you would be doing this game).

Now let the kids know that there are witch hats hidden and the guests must find them. The guests finding the most hats will in prize (show prize) and there are two special hats that will result in special bonus prizes. Now send the kids to find all the hats, stagger the release if the age group varies a lot and give the younger kids a head start.

The kids who find the different colored hats get the biggest prize and the two who got the most hats collected get the next biggest prize. Have extra prizes in case of ties. Also, you might want some small prizes for the people who didn't get a prize.

Witch Maternity Costume

Witch Maternity Costume

Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Whichever you are, you'll be positively bewitching in this beautiful Witch costume. Costume features a black and olive green dress with jagged hem, mesh and sheer sleeves a stone brooch. A matching witch hat with brooch is also featured.

Go Diego Go Costume

Go Diego Go Costume

From the cartoon show Go Diego Go! comes Diego Marques, an 8-year old rough and tumble action adventure hero. Your little one will love dressing up as this animal lover and rescuer and bringing one of their favorite cartoon characters to life. The licensed Deluxe Diego costume features a shirt, shorts, vest and backpack.

Hanging Bat

Hanging Bat

This flying mammal likes to “hang out” indoors or outdoors and makes a fun addition to your décor! Hang this 30" latex bat above the buffet table at your Halloween party or outdoors on your front porch to scare trick-or-treaters — they’ll “go batty” fearing this prop is real!

Inflatable Halloween Beach Balls

Inflatable Halloween Beach Balls

These vinyl beach balls are perfect for a backyard Halloween party! Printed with “Happy Halloween” and a variety of ghosts and goblins, these orange and black pool toys will add some spooky fun to trick-or-treat night.