The tricks to a frighteningly good halloween party

Halloween is only a week away so there is a lot to get done if you are planning on having a party.

Before we pass on our tricks for a great Halloween, here’s a little history lesson for you. Did you know that Halloween is an old Celtic tradition, based on the pagan holiday Samhain, where it was believed that the veil to the “other side” is at it’s thinnest. It is also known as All Hallows Eve, or A spirit night (in Wales only).

To help celebrate this night, many people dress up and go trick or treating. Other people host a party, and these tricks should help you to host a great Halloween party.

Carving a Jack O’ Lantern

Carving pumpkins may be a messy job, but it is a lot of fun to do.

There are some simple steps to carving a pumpkin:

  1. Cut a hand sized circle in the top of the pumpkin
  2. Scoop out all the guts, leaving the inside of the pumpkin smooth and free of seeds and pips
  3. Draw on whatever face you want with a thin pen.
  4. Cut out the drawn-on face with a short & sharp carving knife
  5. Pop in a tea light candle (to dry the pumpkin out, leave the candle burning for 24 hours), pop the top back on, and you’ve made a scary and brilliant Halloween decoration.

Can’t be bothered with all the mess? Why not pick up a Jack O’ Lantern Mud Cake from your local Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses, then you’ll have a great looking Jack O’ Lantern which can double up as treats for your party!

Decorate Your Haunted House

As well as the Jack O’ Lantern, make sure to stock up on fake spiders webs, skeletons, fake blood and other Halloween decorations that are available at many stores.

For maximum effect don’t go overboard with the spiders webs: drape them over a lot of things, but make them thin. There’s nothing less effective than a clump of obviously fake spiders webs everywhere.

Have your skeletons hidden out of sight for the best frights. Or rig them to drop from doorways so that when the doors are opened, then drop down on your victims.

If you cant afford real fake blood then use red food colouring that isn’t watered down. splash it around outside or leave it in a puddle with a false severed hand in the centre of the puddle.

Party Food & Drinks

Obviously you need finger food as well as snacks, but what you could do for something different is serve Halloween inspired food. Why not pick up a Party Favourites Pack, then spook up your Party Pies with a dollop of red sauce, with a tiny spot of barbeque sauce in the centre like a zombie’s eye!

Small Sausage rolls could become fleshy fingers wrapped in a pastry skin, dripping with tomato blood of course. Really with your imagination, you could make anything spooky…

To make the food more interesting, then why not make a game of it. Blindfold your guests and then tell them they are eating brains, organs, bones and eyeballs. Then watch them squirm.

In terms of drinks, keep it simple, as well as soft drinks, juices, waters and alcohol, why not make a Halloween punch? You can even add food colouring to make it blood red for that spooky touch

Spooky Lighting

By either dulling the lights or using low wattage coloured bulbs, you can make the whole house seem spooky and dangerous. Or use a black light if you are dressing up as a skeleton to make you look more like a skeleton.

Haunting Music

Who doesn’t love a good old Halloween themed song like ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ by the stones or ‘Thriller’ or something from ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’. All are good, fun songs. Don’t forget to pop ‘Ghostbusters’ by Ray Parker Jr onto your playlist. That goes without saying!

Halloween Party Games

Every party needs games and a Halloween party is definitely no exception. A classic Halloween party has to have some bobbing for apples. Grab a bucket, or a paddling pool, pour in some water and add some apples, then sit back and laugh as everyone gets involved.

We’d recommend putting anything water based outside though as this game can get messy! It doesn’t matter what age your guest are are, if the games are fun they will join in.

Party Bags

Every party should have party bags. Remember when you were a kid and you left a party and got a party bag full of treats. Give your guests that feeling again with a bag full of Halloween Tricks and treats.

Why not have an award for the best costume. If you can afford it, or if you don’t have too many people at your party, why not give a Frighteningly Tasty Treat to everyone!

Have a Spooktastic Time

No matter whether you are hosting or attending a Halloween Party this week, the most important thing is to have fun. Happy Halloween everybody!