Halloween Experts

In the glittering salons of 1930’s society, from New York to Hollywood, and all over Europe, a small, round woman, possessed of an indomitable spirit and exquisite taste, reigned over entertaining. Elsa Maxwell was a gossip columnist, whose elaborate parties were well-attended by the wealthy, the famous, and the infamous. Elsa believed that people should be actively involved in a party, and so, she invented and introduced the Scavenger Hunt to her guests.

A list of objects or goals to be hunted is provided by the organizer. Hunters can work individually, or in teams. The goal is to accumulate as many items on the list as possible in a given period of time. Items may be hidden, or hunters may ask others, often strangers, neighbors, or friends, to help them acquire the items they seek. The hunting ground can be limited to a house or property, a mall, a neighborhood, or it can be unlimited, and bound only by the time restriction. The items may be collected, photographed or video taped, as directed by the organizer. The winning team or individual will be the one who has collected the most listed items by the end of the time limit. In the event of a tie, some judgement of the quality or value of the collected items may determine the winner.

Scavenger Hunts have become very popular Halloween entertainments. Sending guests out into the dark night to retrieve treasures lends itself to a spooky Halloween tale to start the evening. Make sure that your guests do not go out alone, and carry flashlights and/or reflective items. Depending on the age of your party guests, the hunt may be limited to the backyard or expanded to include the neighborhood. Be aware of any local curfews and inform your neighbors, in case they stumble upon one of your guests snapping a photo of their scary jack o’lantern, or creepy tree.

Here’s a idea for a Scavenger Hunt for kids. Purchase a posable plastic or cardboard skeleton, of nearly life size. Trace the skeleton on a large sheet of paper, and hang this outline up on the wall or door. Next, carefully take the skeleton apart at the joints. Hide the various parts around the house or back yard. Send your hunters out to unearth the body parts, and let them tape the pieces they have found onto the outline until the skeleton is reformed. Award a prize to the team that finds the most skeleton parts!

There is nothing like a good book to put you in the spirit of the holidays. In the case of Halloween, that would mean a good, scary story to get the blood pumping, adrenaline flowing and inspiration bubbling. I have listed some favorites, here, to get your Halloween reading list started. For those pressed for time, most of these wonderful reads have also been developed into movies, although I urge you to read the originals for the full effect and genuine spirit of the tales.

For adults and children over the age of 10, I would recommend some classics:

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. Still vibrant and scary, this short story was written by Irving in 1820, and survives as one of the earliest examples of truly American fiction. The story tells of a superstitious young school master, Ichabod Crane, whose courtship of the young Katrina Van Tassel, sets off a competition with the town bully. The hapless Crane also runs afoul of the local ghost of a headless Hessian soldier, with a penchant for midnight rides. If you haven’t read this story since you were required to for school, it’s time to pull it down from the shelf and read it again!

“The Halloween Tree” by Ray Bradbury. One of the undisputed deans of American science fiction and fantasy, Mr. Bradbury has given us some of the creepiest and most readable stories for the season. In this book, we meet 8 young boys who are all meeting to go trick or treating together. On the way to their meeting place, young Pip is whisked away by a great, dark Something. The boys meet the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud, who takes them on a journey through time and space to save their friend. From a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, Druidic rites, witch trials in Medieval Europe, and the catacombs of Mexico on the Day of the Dead, the boys learn about the origins of Halloween and how attitudes about death have been influenced it, while trying to save their friend.

“Something Wicked This Way Comes”, also by Ray Bradbury. This novel introduces us to two 13 year-old boys in a small midwestern town, who are conflicted about their upcoming 14th birthdays. On October 23, various townspeople tell the boys that they can feel that something is about to happen. The boys are delighted to learn that a carnival has set up just outside of town and are determined to be among the first to attend. The carnival, a sinister group, led by Mr. Dark, promises that a visit to Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show can make all one’s deepest desires come true. And wishes do come true, but always at a heavy price. In the case of this story, I will also heartily recommend the movie, for which I have linked the trailer here. It has brilliant performances by Jonathon Pryce and Jason Robards, and character actor, Royal Dano, and stays true to the feeling of the novel.

Just for fun, you may want to add the book “Halloween”, by Jerry Seinfeld. This picture book is based on Jerry’s own holiday experiences as a child. From pajama costumes to the quality of treats, he makes us smile remembering our own youth. This is a perfect book to share with younger children, aged 4 and up.

There have been photographs taken of ghosts. Their barely audible voices have been recorded on special “EVP“ recorders. You can see all of this supposed proof of these alleged restless spirits on one of several ghost-hunting reality shows on television. You can see them posted at some credible websites, and some not so credible. According to a CBS News poll, 48% of Americans believe in ghosts and 23% believe that they have witnessed paranormal activity for themselves. What would it take to prove the existence of ghosts to YOU? Would you have to see it with your own eyes? Would you take the opportunity to witness paranormal activity, if it were available to you?

In 1870, Willard Carpenter dreamed of seeing a library built in his hometown of Evansville, Indiana. He purchased the land and financed the construction of a Victorian Gothic style building to house it. In 1883, Willard died after suffering a paralyzing stroke, before seeing the library completed. He left most of his wealth and property to the Library Board for the ongoing project. In March of 1885, The Willard Library opened its doors to the public.

In 1937, the night janitor trudged to the library at 3 AM to stoke the coal furnace. Upon entering the basement, he was startled to see what he described as an “all grey lady”, dressed all in grey, from face veil to shoes. He was so shocked that he dropped his flashlight as the apparition faded before his eyes. The night janitor resigned his position shortly thereafter.

The Willard Library’s Grey Lady roams the building in silence. Some say she is the ghost of Louise Carpenter, Willard’s daughter, who was snubbed by her father in his will. Others say not, because there is nothing malevolent about this apparition, as they assume Louise would be. The current library employees consider the Grey Lady as a member of the staff, and know that, every so often, they will see her. And they do see her…often! Hundreds, perhaps thousands of incidences of ghostly activity have been reported. She has been seen among the bookshelves, perusing titles. She moves books and lights, rearranges furniture, turns on water faucets, leaves strange objects. Her presence is sometimes announced by the strong scent of an old-fashioned, musky perfume. Who is she? No one knows for sure, but she may not be the only spirit connected with the library.

So, are you ready to see for yourself? The Willard library provides live “ghost cams” positioned in rooms of the building where the apparitions are frequently spotted. They are available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you do spot something you think is unusual, just click the screen to save it and submit it to the library for their gallery. They are always looking for new ghost watchers, so pay them a visit at www.WillardGhost.com or www.LibraryGhost.com and check out the cams and image galleries. In October, the library hosts “ghost hunts” on the property, so if you are in the area, visit them. Then, let us know if you are one of the 48% of Americans who believe!

If your idea of the perfect Halloween is to curl up on the couch, in the dark, with a bowl of popcorn and someone to scream with, then you are going to need a list of the scariest movies of all time. I just happen to have such a list. You may agree or disagree on the scariness factor, but all the movies on the list are certifiably creepy. Here are my top 5 scary Halloween movies, in no particular order:

“Halloween” (1978) – Jamie Lee Curtis establishes herself as the scream to be reckoned with! Honestly, who would have guessed that an old William Shatner/Captain Kirk mask, painted white, could inspire more horror than his rendition of “Mr. Tambourine Man”?

“The Exorcist” (1973) – The movie that made me stay out of my attic for a year and throw away my recipe for pea soup. Demonic possession is one of those subjects that can inspire ongoing trauma. Just look at Linda Blair’s career! (It will make your head spin!)

“Dawn of the Dead” (1978) – Banned in 17 countries, this film has some of the goriest scenes ever committed to film. If that isn’t recommendation enough, then, let me just say..”ZOMBIES!” Still not scary enough? This movie is…. (dun, dun, dun) a SEQUEL!!!!!

“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978) – Much creepier than the 1956 original, this movie made the term “Pod People” a part of Americana. And honestly…any movie that makes Donald Sutherland look like this picture gets my vote for seriously creepy!

“The Thing” (1982) – Possibly the scariest movie of all time. This movie combines the absolute worst possible scenarios: a small group stationed in Antarctica (really…where are you going to run?), being stalked by a shape-shifting alien, and knowing that one of your buddies has to be that alien.

So, pick out your movie. Pop the corn. Grab a friend. Buy a nightlight. Enjoy!