Trick or Treat’ night is a term used for Halloween, celebrated worldwide on October 31. Children traditionally dress in costume and go door to door in search of treats, and if denied the treats, according to legend, become little ‘beasts’ and then can use ‘tricks’ to get even with those that refuse to treat them.
Other traditions exist such as costume parties, hayrides, the visiting of haunted houses such as the celebrated house in Anoka, Minnesota, which is also known as the Halloween Capital of the World. In Anoka, the entire city is decorated, and individuals many times decorate their homes and properties. Parades are also held to further celebrate the holiday. These activities started in Anoka in 1920, to prevent the ‘trickery’, a.k.a. vandalism that occurs sometimes during Halloween.
Children that get the chance to enjoy such festivities and dress up repeatedly in glorious costume and who get to go door to door in supervised activities enjoy Halloween much more and of course, do not engage in the ‘trickery’ as often.
Another vibrant display of Halloween partying is the world-renowned New York Village Halloween Parade, which draws tens of thousands per year. Held in Greenwich Village and the roots of this parade are also far reaching. Halloween, began its mythology under the name of ’samhain.’ It was a Pagan festival among the Celtic peoples of Ireland and Great Britain. Irish and Scottish immigrants then transported versions of the tradition to North America in the 19th Century. Halloween now is totally accepted by Americans.
The holiday of Halloween is most common in United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Peru. Parts of Western Europe started celebrating Halloween recently. Increasing popularity of this holiday is evident in Australia and New Zealand.
As you can see, Halloween is historically rich yet filled with fun, games, and ingenuity. It doesn’t need to be expensive to enjoy yet there are myriad ways to enjoy it.
Remember, make your own costumes, visit places that are thrifty in price if purchasing, use your imagination when finding activities, do up your own parties and you’ll be good to go for each Halloween. Your children will build memories, you will build a repertoire for future activities and everyone will view you as the ‘Halloween Maven.’
1. Camera Roulette
Buy a cheap auto focus camera with a flash and a self-timer. Set the timer and the game begins. Each player must hold the camera at arm’s length and point it at themselves (or an intimate part of their body e.g. up their skirt, down their top etc.) very briefly, before passing it on to their left.
2. Egg Roulette
Get a box of eggs, enough for one per person. Boil all but one of them leaving one raw. Mix them up so no one knows where the raw one is. Everyone has to take an egg and one-by-one smash them on their foreheads / over their heads. The loser is the one with the raw eggs. Very messy!
3. Banana
Divide the group into pairs or couples. The one lady will blindfold the other who holds a long banana in her hand. When the music starts, she is required to spin around in circle. Once music stops, the lady stops spinning and attempts to feed the banana to her partner, who will be squatting like a monkey. The one with the banana in her mouth first wins.
4. Unwrapping
Wrap up a small gift. Then wrap this box in a succession of larger boxes/paper. Use DUCT tape for the wrapping. Don’t tell anyone about the layers of boxes. Get two dice and a flowery nightdress, a pair of washing up gloves, a pair of big knickers. Get everyone in a circle and put the box in the middle. Choose a number to roll for a person to get a chance at opening the box e.g. 4. Begin rolling the dice. Each person gets one roll then passes the dice. When someone rolls the number of choice e.g. 7 they have to put on all the clothes and try to open the box. They only get to try until a new person rolls the same number.
