Archive for March, 2007
Halloween in the United Kingdom and Ireland is a family tradition. Cabbages, apples, potatoes and nuts as well as oats are celebratory foods. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland still host games, wear disguises, and use trickery in celebrations, but children are now encouraged towards politeness by saying, “Anything for Halloween” rather than “Trick or Treat!” Fireworks are also prevalent in Canada and Ireland.
Deceased loved ones graves are visited in Europe, on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, interspersed with the frivolous activities. European cities have large celebrations as do Australia and New Zealand and Halloween parties abound to cater to tourists.
Halloween is not accepted everywhere, however. China remains suspicious of the frivolity, and in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) although celebrated with food and drink is not a traditional Halloween. Spanish Catholic beliefs here are combined with Native American traditions. Italy and Poland regard Halloween that does not relate to their cultures, and children don’t celebrate it often.
This is a good one for warming up your party. Just be prepared to set up your house for it, but it will be worthwhile !!
What you will need is a ball of string for every 2 guests.You then wrap the string around chairs and tables,to form a web leading in to the next room.
If you are daring , the next room could be the bedroom upsatirs.
Just be carful not to get the string in knots.
Party games
Men go in to room 1 and women in to room 2
and each person takes one end of a string to start with.
Now he or she starts to wind it up and continues unitl they meet the person at the other end and when they find them, kiss them.
As you will see you just dont know how you are tied up with until the very last moment.
Yuo may be disspaointed or overjoyed.
But then, that’s the game!!
Technorati Tags: Party games
Foods are also associated with Halloween, and apples and nuts play a large part of lore. In one fortune telling game, peeling an apple by a young woman and throwing it over her shoulder, would land the peel in the shape of the person’s soon to be betrothed. These connections to apples and nuts are ancient and Nutcrack Night and Snap Apple night are noted. Tarot cards and palm readings have replaced these now.
‘Mischief Night’ is the name given to the night before Halloween. Soaping windows and winding toilet tissue around trees are common ‘mischiefs.’ Because mischief can spiral out of control many communities now ban this type of behavior.
Halloween has many symbols. Witches and black cats have their roots in European beliefs of the 1500s and 1600s when people thought witches and cats rode through the night on Halloween. Superstitions also included fairies and ghosts and pleas for help to these entities became popular. Lanterns with grotesque faces were used to scare off malicious spirits. The Scots lit bonfires to discourage evil spirits. This led to remembrances of the dead by bonfires on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Bonfires are no longer as common but have been replaced by Jack-o-Lanterns. Ghosts, goblins and witches still remain as symbols.
