Halloween is a true movie buff’s holiday! Historic events on Halloween include ‘The Witch’s Dungeon’, located in Bristol, Connecticut. This museum is privately owned by Cortlandt Hull, professional makeup artist and illustrator since 1966. An old witch’s house is constructed on the property deep in the woods, and several classic American icons ‘populate’ this ‘fairy tale home.’
A dungeon exists where visitors encounter the ‘Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Dracula’, the ‘Mummy’ and other well-known movie ghouls and goblins. Replicas of the famous classical movie icons are in each nook and cranny and the replicas are created from live casts of the character’s head. Artistic painting, natural hair, and original costumes complete their ‘real life’ transformation. Voice tracks add realism using voice talents such as Vincent Price and John Agar, as well as June Foray and Mark Hamill.
Striking detail makes this a ‘must have’ Halloween visiting spot, and traveling through the dungeon brings a visitor ‘up close and personal’ with each character.
A night of fright can be had by you and your friends! A Halloween outing is just the ticket! Whether visiting a local haunted house or horror show at a theme park, or just going to see the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ again, Halloween is fun!
Try adding the following activities and have even more fun:
1. Invite everyone before hand to your home to carve pumpkins. Go to a pumpkin stand to pick them out first together and then take loads of pictures.
2. If going to a costume party, pick them out together. Pick hair coloring too and candy to eat.
3. Dress up together while playing Halloween tunes in the background.
4. Stop at a graveyard. This is great!
5. Have a picnic at a graveyard while telling spooky stories.
6. Take back roads while driving to and from your destinations. They are spookier!
7. Make sure to go through each town you can to see the decorations.
8. Let everyone sleep over at your home.
9. Play games that revolve around Halloween.
10. Have foods both on Halloween night and the morning after that are traditional foods for Halloween.
Having Halloween fun can be more enhanced by the above.
An annual celebration, Halloween has been called demon worship, as its roots are pagan. The word itself has its roots in the Catholic Church, and it’s a contraction of ‘All Hallows Eve’.
In the fifth Century, Celts in Ireland officially ended summer, with ‘Samhain’, the Celtic New Year. Fresh living bodies were said to be occupied by the dead at this time, as their hope for the afterlife. Celtic beliefs that laws of space and time were muted, and the spirit world came into the living world.
The living of course, did not want to be possessed, so the rituals of Halloween were initiated to prevent this. Fires were extinguished to make homes uninviting, and noisy parades drove off spirits. A Druidick fire was kept buring at Usinach, from which others then lit their fires again.
Burning at the stake of those thought to be possessed is one myth, as a lesson to the spirit world. Romans adopted Celtic practices, and ‘Samhain’ was incorporated into Roman traditions. Honoring Pomona, the Roman Goddess of fruit and trees is one of these, and bobbing for apples sprang from this.
Ritualized celebrations became common, and dressing up in costume became prevalent. Irish immigrants in the 1840s that fled the potato famine brought trickery with them, and the 9th Century custom of ’souling.’ Begging for ’soul cakes’ by beggars would result in prayers for the dead, as the dead were said to be in limbo until enough prayers were said.
Irish folklore is probably responsible for the Jack-o-Lantern, as a drunkard named Jack was suspended from both heaven and hell for tricking the devil. He traveled through time with a lantern in his hand made from a coal from hell. Jack captured the devil in a tree and refused to let him down bringing the wrath of both God and the devil on himself. Jack’s lantern was undoubtedly a turnip, but was replaced in tradition by the more attainable pumpkin.
Halloween is not an evil practice, but rather a cultural holiday that is enjoyable for merriment overall. Even churches today have Halloween parties, and events for children.
