Halloween

      Halloween is an annual holiday, celebrated each year on October 31st, that has roots in age-old European traditions. It originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.
      In the 18th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as a time to honour all saints; soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween.
      Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating and carving jack-o-lanterns. Around the world, as days grow shorter and nights get colder, people continue to usher in the season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.
      If you are interested on some more intormation about this festivity, perhaps, you should have a look on the following website: http://www.halloween-website.com/
It is a must to be aware about the most important traditions in English speaking countries so I am going to give you the MOST IMPORTANT TIPS to celebrate Halloweeen:

1. HAVING A PARTY:

      I) Have everyone wear a costume. Part of the fun of Halloween is dressing up. If you're hosting a party, invite all your guests to wear costumes. If you want, you can even have a contest where guests win different categories like "Scariest Costume," "Funniest Costume," and so on.

 

• You can have a specific theme and have guests dress for that theme. For example, try a sci-fi Halloween party or a Dracula-themed party.
• Remember, not everyone likes dressing up. If guests don't want to wear a costume, don't push it.

      II) Bob for apples. Bobbing for apples is a classic Halloween tradition that many people love. Simply place some apples in a bucket of water and have guests try to lift them out with their mouths. This can be fun if you want a more lighthearted holiday party instead of something scary.

      III) Watch scary movies. If you want, you can have a film screening at your party. Show your favorite scary "movies" that are perfect for the season, like The Exorcist, The Sixth Sense, and films from the Halloween franchise.

• If you're serving alcohol at your party, have a drinking game where guests have to drink for a variety of reasons. For example, "Drink every time someone screams." Make sure to drink responsibly, however, and stop drinking if you start to feel dizzy or disoriented.

      IV) Play spooky music. Make a spooky playlist with disturbing songs like "Somebody's Watching Me" and the theme music from Halloween classics. Something like the theme to Rosemary's Baby can really set the mood.

• Keep in mind, not everything about a Halloween party has to be scary. You can also play lighthearted Halloween favorites, like the theme to Ghostbusters or "The Monster Mash."

      V) Provide Halloween treats. There are a wide variety of treats you can provide for the event. You can provide classic candy that's often handed out to trick or treaters, like small candy bars. You can also try making your own Halloween-themed baked goods. For example, make cutout cookies in shapes like pumpkins or cats and frost them with orange and black frosting.

• Be sure to provide healthy snacks, like fruits and veggies, for more health conscious guests.

 

      VI) Welcome in the trick-or-treaters throughout the night. If you live in a residential area, you may get some trick-or-treaters throughout the night. Have a bowl of candy on hand and give a few pieces of candy to anyone that comes to your door.

• If you have any pets, it's a good idea to lock them up before trick-or-treaters arrive

2. DECORATING FOR HALLOWEEN:



      I) Carve pumpkins. You can buy pumpkins at the supermarket around Halloween. Cut open the top, remove the seeds and pulp from the insides, and cut out fun shapes or faces onto the sides of the pumpkins. Place a candle on the bottom of the pumpkin and light it to create an eerie, glowing pumpkin.

• Here, you can find a demonstrative video which shows how to do  it step by step: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cudw2faobPA&feature=youtu.be

       II) Hang up fake spiderwebs. You can buy fake spiderwebs at most department stores around the Halloween season. Place the webs in areas like staircases and the corners of ceilings to give your home a spooky look.

• You can also add a few rubber spiders to the webs for an extra scary look.

 

      III) Make a ghost candy stand. Take a large glass or plastic bowl and place it on an end table. Drape a white sheet over the bowl and then fill the bowl with candy. The sheet should fall down around the bowl and over the table. Cut out pieces of felt, or a similar material, into the shape of eyes and a mouth and pin them somewhere on the sheet so it looks like a ghost.

 

 

      IV) Make a mummy door. A simple way to decorate is to make a mummy door. Simply string toilet paper or white crepe paper along your door. Then, make two eyes out of construction paper and tape them on the door so it looks like a mummy.

      V) Decorate with balloon ghosts. Blow up a balloon and then place it in a white garbage bag. Twist the bag around the end of the balloon and secure it on with a rubber band. Use a marker to draw eyes and a mouth on the balloon for a spooky Halloween decoration.

 

3. PARTICIPATING IN HALLOWEEN EVENTS:

 

      I) Go trick or treating: Trick-or-treating can be fun. Go from house to house with a bucket or bag and ask for collect candy from neighbours. This is a fun way to show off costumes and indulge in some Halloween treats.

• Practice basic safety precautions, however. Stick to residential areas where most people are still awake and inspect all your candy before eating it.
• Remember, not everyone is open to trick-or-treaters. Make sure you don't go to houses if the lights are off. A lack of decorations may also indicate someone does not want to participate.

      II) Visit a haunted house. See if there are any haunted houses in your areas. As Halloween is meant to be a scary holiday, get a group of friends together to go to a haunted house. This can be a fun way to get a little scared and still mark the event.

• However, keep in mind not everyone likes haunted houses. Don't force anyone to go if they're not interested. Some people may genuinely get scared.

      III) Participate in any contest: Your High School is going to organize contests, such as Halloween Pumkins decorated, cooked terrifying sweets, haunted houses detorated by students... whatever will be enough to enjoy it, and, who knows? maybe you win it. Here, you will find a link with several good recipes por this purpose: https://google.es/amp/www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/halloween/gmp2981/Halloween