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                Creating traditions that will last through generations is a wonderful tribute to your family Halloween festivities. Whether it's a yearly party or having dinner with the kids before trick-or-treating, start your traditions!

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CONTENTS

Featured Articles Featured Articles
Articles from the staff of Halloween Online and beyond.
Makeup & Costumes Makeup & Costumes
Halloween Costume ideas & Makeup techniques.
Special FX & Props Special FX & Props
Build your own Special FX and Props for your Halloween haunt.
Pumpkin Carving 101 Pumpkin Carving 101
Pumpkin carving lessons and tips for Halloween.
Halloween Safety Guide Halloween Safety
S
afety information and tips for a safe Halloween.
Halloween Toys Halloween Toys
Lots of creepy action figures and more for Halloween.
Halloween Games Halloween Games
13 games for kid's parties. Can be modified for adults.
Halloween Traditions Halloween Traditions
Halloween Traditions and Party plans for the Dark Month.
Halloween Decorations Dark Decorations
Create your own creepy decorations for Halloween night.
Halloween Reading Hardcopy Showcase
Reviews of Halloween related videos, books,  zines and music.
Halloween Recipes Tricks and Treats
Check out our growing cookbook of Halloween recipes.

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HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS


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Our "Thirteen Days of Halloween" tradition is our way of beginning the haunting season and jump starting our Halloween mind-set.

On October 17th Wraith and I decorate the backyard of the house. Several dozens of candles are arraigned around the backyard and pumpkin scented incense is lit to fill the air with the wonderful aromas of the Halloween season. A large circle is made from plaster skulls (80) with an old stump in the center to act as the altar. Sitting on the altar is a large Jack o' Lantern. A long picnic table, painted black and orange awaits with apple cider, freshly baked pumpkin pie and other refreshments. Orange plates, glasses and plastic-ware are provided.

Our group, made up of thirteen Halloween enthusiasts assemble at our house at 11:30 pm. All come dressed in black robes and each has a small pumpkin carved into a Jack o' Lantern for this occasion. Wraith and I stand on opposite sides of our gate and as each member arrives we great them. "Welcome (NAME), child of the Halloween spirit." until the last person had arrived.

Just before midnight, everyone lights a candle and puts it in their jack-o-lantern. Silently, we all move into the circle. At Midnight we play a CD of Big Ben chiming twelve o'clock.

I welcome in October and the thirteen days of Halloween then say a few words about what lies in the haunting time ahead. We go around the circle and each person says something about the upcoming celebration.

Then we form a single line and walk around one or two city blocks, wearing our black robes and carrying our lit jack-o-lanterns to the graveyard.

When we return, we reform our circle and then I say a few more words and put on a CD of Danse Macabre. We all "frolic", i.e. we dance around the circle, kicking up our heels and singing silly words to Halloween songs.

We then call the official ceremony to a close and we put on Halloween music and party with pumpkin pie and a variety of Halloween treats, all of which are surprisingly easy to find a few weeks before Halloween.

And so begins The Thirteen Days of Halloween

Spooky

 

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