Halloween Experts

We are sure you will find a creative way to use the following Halloween riddles, but here is an idea for a great party ice breaker. Print them out and cut the sheet into strips, separating the question from the answer. Put all of the questions in one bowl, and all of the answers in another. Have each guest choose one strip from either one bowl or the other, but instruct them not to look at it until you give the signal. Once all the guests have arrived and all Questions and Answers have been distributed, give them 5 minutes to either find the Answer to their Question, or the Question to their Answer. They may read their strips aloud to get another guest to respond to them. This makes for a noisy, but fun way for guests to mingle and meet each other.

Here are the riddles:

Q: Who won the skeleton beauty contest?
A: No body

Q: What do you get when you divide the circumference of a jack-o-lantern by its diameter?
A: Pumpkin Pi.

Q: Why was the mummy so tense?
A: He was all wound up.

Q: How do you make a witch stew?
A: Keep her waiting for hours.

Q: Where do ghosts go on vacation?
A: Lake Erie.

Q: How do ghosts begin their letters?
A: “Tomb it may concern…”

Q: What did the skeleton say while riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle?
A: “I’m bone to be wild!”

Q: What happened to the guy who couldn’t keep up payments to his exorcist?
A: He was repossessed.

Q: How do you mend a broken Jack-o-lantern?
A: With a pumpkin patch.

Q: What kind of street does a ghost like best?
A: A dead end.

Q: How do you know if a ghost is lying?
A: You can see right through him.

Q: How is a werewolf like a computer?
A: They both have megabytes.

Q: What do you get when you cross Dracula with Sleeping Beauty?
A: Tired blood

Q: Who did the ghost invite to his party?
A: Anyone he could dig up!

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Our project for this week will help you provide atmosphere and charm to your Halloween decorating! Luminaries are most traditionally made from small paper bags, and contain a small votive candle or tea light to add the soft glow with which to line walkways and stairs. Our luminaries will be sturdier, reusable, and nearly free! They can be used for any occasion, but lend themselves particularly well to the Halloween season.

Here is what you will need:

Empty soup cans, washed and dried with the labels removed.

A permanent marker

A towel

A hammer

A couple of nails of different sizes

Orange and/or Black spray paint (try metallic colors too!)

Wire coat hangers

Here is what you do:

Choose a simple Halloween graphic to use as a pattern. Clip art, which can be found for free online, is an excellent resource for patterns. Using the permanent marker, draw your pattern on the clean, dry soup can. Any marks will eventually be covered by paint. Fill the soup cans with water, and freeze them overnight.

Lay the towel on a flat surface to soak up any water from the ice melting and keep the cans from slipping around while you work. Using the hammer and nails, punch holes in the can, about every ¼ to ½ inch along the lines of your pattern. The ice will keep the can from collapsing while you work on it. If you want to hang your luminaries, make sure you punch 2 extra holes at the top on either side of the can for the handle.

Once your pattern has been “punched”, put the cans in warm water to melt the ice inside, and then dry the cans thoroughly. Spray paint the sides and bottom of the cans. If you are making hanging luminaries, cut a length of coat hanger wire about 12-14 inches long, and thread it through the top holes on either side of your lantern, like a bail handle.
When your luminaries are completely dry, add a votive candle or tea light.

This is a great family project, and your finished luminaries will add a touch of Halloween charm to your sidewalk or patio! As stated earlier, luminaries can be used for any occasion: weddings, Christmas, 4th of July, birthdays… Don’t wait for Halloween to let your imagination light up your decorating!

Nestled in the hills of southern Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi, and Missouri Rivers, lies the small town of Alton, Illinois. It’s rich history includes prehistoric settlement by Native American peoples, whose cliff paintings of a monstrous bird, the Piasa bird, have become the town’s symbol. It was home to musician Miles Davis, author Phyllis Schafley, and the tallest man in the world, Robert P Wadlow, who stood 8′ 11.5″. Alton, with its quaint, Victorian, and Queen Anne style homes, fine stone churches, and panoramic views of the Mississippi River, has a reputation. It is widely believed to be the most haunted small town in America.

Because of its location, Alton was a hub for the Underground Railroad, a network of homes with hiding places and tunnels to aid slaves escaping to freedom in the North. Alton was also the site of the seventh Lincoln-Douglas debate. It was the site of the first penitentiary in the state of Illinois, and during the Civil War, housed some 12,000 Confederate prisoners of war. During the smallpox epidemic of 1863-1864, thousands of prisoners died, and a memorial marks the site of a mass Confederate grave of over 1,300 casualties.

The Mansion House on State Street in Alton was once a hotel. In the 1830’s an old Indian fighter named Tom Boothby retired to the back downstairs apartment in the house. He had lost an arm and an eye in his adventures, and lived as a recluse, never leaving the hotel. The screams from his nightmares about the Indians coming to get him frequently woke his neighbors. Finally, after 2 years of uncomfortable retirement, Tom died in the night, still tormented by dreams of vengeful Indians. His screams and footsteps are still heard by visitors and residents of the Mansion.

The First Unitarian Church, built on the burned out ruins of a Catholic Cathedral, may still be the home to the spirit of a pastor who committed suicide there. The old Cracker Factory, which has been operated as an office building and antique store for many years, is supposedly occupied by several prankster spirits, who whistle, change radio stations and move objects around.

The Milton School in Alton was built in 1904, and in the 1930’s may have been the scene of the brutal murder of a little girl. The janitor, who was believed to be the culprit, committed suicide shortly thereafter. Both spirits are still said to haunt the school, which is now used as a factory which makes decorative glass objects.

Residents and visitors to Alton have experienced encounters with spirits and ghostly presences in many other locations in and around the city. A bus and walking tour of haunted locations is offered during the spring and summer, and special tours run during October for Halloween season. These tours are hosted by the author of “Haunted Alton” and are reportedly the only historically accurate tours of the many haunted sites in the city.

Masks have been used for protection, disguise, religious ceremony, sign of rank, punishment, and entertainment since the Stone Age.

Ancient Egyptians used masks in their burial ceremonies, often painted gold and adorned with gems. The death masks were believed to be imbued with spells that would protect the deceased on the trip to the spirit world.

In Asia, masks were influenced by Hindu, Buddhist, and Indian tradition and were used in both religious ceremonies and in traditional theater. Japan’s ancient art form of Kabuki combines dance and theater. The performers wear elaborately painted masks to represent specific characters.

The Comedy and Tragedy masks that have come to symbolize theater, were developed by ancient Greeks for both religious and theatrical purposes. The masked fool was also introduced by the Greeks. This character would distract and entertain children in the audience to keep them from disrupting the performance.

Native American cultures used masks not only for religious ceremonies, but also for medicinal purposes. Some tribes also used masks for entertainment.

During the Middle Ages, masks, called “branks” were often used as punishment for crimes committed. A man who mistreated a woman might be forced to wear a metal “swine mask”. A student who failed to learn might be required to wear the “hood of shame”. A woman could be forced to wear a mask if she was a nag or a gossip. The masks had to be worn on public display, and sometimes contained a sort of bit in the mouth that made talking painful.

The association of masks with Halloween began in the Celtic celebration of Samhain. During this festival, humans would wear masks to confuse the spirits of the dead who were thought to walk the earth at this time of year. Frightening masks were worn in an attempt to scare away malicious spirits.