Favorite Halloween Traditions

[The Deadman]

What do you usually do for Halloween? Do you cuddle around the television and do nothing but watch horror movies? Do you take your kids out for Trick or Treating? Do you go to Halloween parties?

[Cowabung-Gal]

I watch horror movie marathons on cable. Man, 80’s horror was sooo cheesy

[Mad Dog McMutt]

Originally Posted by Cowabung-Gal

I watch horror movie marathons on cable. Man, 80’s horror was sooo cheesy

80's horror was the absolute best in my opinion. Most of my favorite horror movies are from that decade. You have They Live, The Thing, From Beyond, Re-animator, The Fly, Videodrome, The first like 5 Nightmare On Elm Streets and so many more. I like practical effects far more than special effects.

[IndigoErth]

I don't do much on Halloween night since my neighborhood is one of those whare Halloween died, sad to say. My fave holiday even...

But I'm one of those people that decorates the yard and will be dragging my stuff out soon. Right now I'm working on a new homemade piece.

[IndigoErth]

Update, she's mostly done. Here's my newly made skeleton ghost lady on a swing.

I guess you could definitely say some kind of project is frequently my tradition.






Wish someone would make skeleton (and the "bag of bones" I used) hands that are articulated. But lord knows they'd prob be a lot more expensive than they already are this year.

I have this big-ass drill bit I got somewhere years ago on clearance thinking it might be handy some day. Without even thinking of it I picked a dowel and rope exactly the right size.

[KROW]

We go to the a local pumpkin farm near the end of September/beginning of October to kick things off and buy a few pumpkins. I string up lights on the porch while the children carve a large pumpkin. My wife bakes the seeds and my oldest daughter visits her grandparents to paint a smaller pumpkin. Then we take the kids trick-or-treating and hang out at my parents' house for a spell before heading home and dividing the candy (have to separate anything with peanuts).

I like to watch a few Halloween specials or themed shows throughout the month. Maybe watch some old Addams Family episodes or the Beetlejuice cartoon.

[Mayhem]

Quite a few things, for better or worse, have migrated to British Hallowe'ens from the US, in the same way schools now seem to do proms. We did some trick or treating as kids, a bit of pumpkin carving, but now that is ramped up a lot more (with lot longer lead time selling things in shops) compared to when I was a kid. My daughter really enjoyed going out last year, so hopefully she will be in the mood this year.

[Cowabung-Gal]

One of my favorite scenes from the franchise



Jason practically dared her to jump out that window

Again, 80s horror entertains me

[Powder]

My favorite tradition is turning off all the lights & not giving out candy because I hate my neighborhood & the feeling is mutual!

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Powder

My favorite tradition is turning off all the lights & not giving out candy because I hate my neighborhood & the feeling is mutual!

[IndigoErth]

Yeah, Vern "The Falcon" would do that.

[IndigoErth]

I call this shot "Jealousy."

Just bought the cat sitting on the ground and those annoyed ears are what sold it for me. lol He/she is so mad at not getting the lap for his/herself... Brings back memories of some of ours, esp our last one who had rather expressive ears.




Yard pics:

Spoiler:

[newfan]

Been quite busy there Indigo, do your family take any interest too?

I decorate indoors but not outdorrs, I have two small displays each side of my living room, my cat suits the display when she sits in it

Though my eldest lost interest in the Shrek Halloween tales it did become a thing when my children were little to watch them when we put the decorations up, so that kinda stuck.

Mayhem Quite a few things, for better or worse, have migrated to British Hallowe'ens from the US, in the same way schools now seem to do proms. We did some trick or treating as kids, a bit of pumpkin carving, but now that is ramped up a lot more (with lot longer lead time selling things in shops) compared to when I was a kid. My daughter really enjoyed going out last year, so hopefully she will be in the mood this year.

Oh yes it was poor costumes, they wanted money rather than candy (where I lived anyway) and I'm sure they used to knock in the days surrounding Halloween as well as just on the day. I prefer it now. I never really got to do anything for it as a kid.

[IndigoErth]

To a point, but I've always been the big outdoor decorator for Halloween. Though the skeleton with the lawnmower (think that one gave up) was another family member's idea and was the first thing out there.

Don't have any of the big expensive pieces some people around here buy, my bigger stuff is homemade.

If you don't have anything outside... maybe you just need the one huge $300 skeleton that's popular over here. Just stick that outside, nothing else. People will either envy it or just ask what the hell... Finally have one of those in our neighborhood a few doors down. Not sure how people even store then, I'd never have a place for it.

edit: Though in a couple cases I've seen them left outside a while and decorated for other holidays. Americans are weird, but you prob knew that. lol

[Cowabung-Gal]

My, my! You’ve been busy, Indigo!

What’s it like at your house during Christmas?

[IndigoErth]

Christmas? Minimal.

Lights in the bushes, yard light wrapped, around the door and overhang, and I did use leftover chicken wire from my ghosts to make a few cone-shaped "trees" to wrap lights around a couple years ago. That's about it. People who want to spend more time doing more outside in the cold... more power to them, they can have the spotlight. lol

[Storm Wolf]

Never been much of a decorator, but we'll get a few lights up and some pumpkins carved/painted. I love baking the seeds. I usually try to make a sweet and a savory batch. I love going out for candy, but it's not like when I was a kid. My parents would drive me to several different neighborhoods and we'd be out for hours....now I'm lucky if we hit more than one street.

Once the kiddos grow out of trick or treating I'll probably start handing out candy.

[IndigoErth]

Love cooking the seeds, but I'm also an expert at overcooking them. The last two years I did pretty good on them, keeping fingers cross for a 3rd! lol



Side note... I never had much reason to dislike squirrels before, but now? Oh, now one or more little jerk(s) decided to change that.

Not only had to go and take bites out of two of my pumpkins I just got a week ago -- one of which I wanted to carve and the rest to keep through Thanksgiving, but good luck on them even making it to Halloween now -- they had to go and chew up edges and corners of some of my Styrofoam tombstones. Wtf? Including one of my better more unique ones that cost me more.

I have hardware store wooden garden stakes RIGHT THERE holding up a "fence" of plastic chines that you could grind your teeth on, why not gather up two brain cells and chew on those instead of foam that accomplishes nothing?? They're cheaper and easier to replace, plus a couple of them are already broken and unusable in the garden now. But nooo... it's funner to pointlessly destroy the foam stuff.

[Storm Wolf]

The squirrels in my area have been particularly suicidal this year. Not sure what's going on but they always seem to be chilling in the middle of the road.

[IndigoErth]

Wish this problem one would... Chewed a bigger spot on my pumpkin