Halloween Invitation for Scary Halloween Party

Halloween Invitation for Scary Halloween Party

Now is the time to start putting together the plans for your Halloween Party, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/. Of course, there are plenty of other ways to spend the holiday, too, including carving pumpkins, going trick or treating, and exploring haunted houses. You might have considered having a masquerade invitation Halloween party with guests all wearing costumes – maybe even themed costumes, such as favorite famous couples or most infamous evil characters. No matter what you want to do for your party, the first step is getting those personalized Halloween Invitation, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween-invitations/ in the mail. You want to make sure everyone receives your Ghost Halloween Invitations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/ or costume invitations in time to make arrangements to attend your event.

The good news is that we have made purchasing Halloween Party Invitations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-party-invitations easier than you might have imagined possible. That way you can get started with the more important parts of party planning, such as location, decorations, and entertainment. And don’t forget to bring along plenty of tasty refreshments, including some delightful sweets. Here are some other tips to consider:

· Send all Halloween Invitations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-invitations at the same time · Make sure you let guests know with costume cards if they should come dressed up as a favorite character or in “street clothes” · Establish the time line of the party so everyone knows when the activities begin and end · Include RSVP information so guests can let you know if they will be able to attend

Of course, there are some people who avoid throwing any kind of party or event for the celebration of Halloween Birthday Invitations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-birthday-invitations. They believe something about the day is inherently evil. That’s just not the case. In fact, Halloween used to be part of a religious holiday and was known as All Hallow’s Eve. October 31st was on the verge of All Hallow’s Day that was a special Catholic celebration for the saints. The day is no more evil than any other in the calendar year.

No matter what type of Kids Halloween Invitations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/kids-halloween-invitations you need for your celebration, you can find what you want in our selection. We carry photo cards, invitations, business cards, thank you cards and blank stationery. Plus, our selection is always expanding because we strive to have what our customers want in stock any time they visit. Plus, we can customize any of the Halloween invitation you want to meet your own design specifications. If you have a photo, for example, that would make a great graphic we’d be happy to add it to any of the cards on our site.

Even better than our selection, however, is the free Halloween Thank You Cards, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-thank-you-cards shipping offer we make to clients like yourself. When you purchase a minimum order, the shipping is covered by us not you. Plus, you won’t have to wait forever to get your cards: we do printing and shipping the same day. And if you’re worried that your custom orders won’t turn out as you had hoped you can use our Instant Preview feature to check for yourself first.

Once you’ve done all of that, be sure not to leave the site until you’ve checked out our samples of Scary Halloween Invitations Wording, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/scary-halloween-invitations for your Halloween invitation. It makes one more chore easier.

Look for other Halloween topics such as Halloween Costumes, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-costumes, Halloween Decorations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-decorations, Halloween Games, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-games and Halloween Pumpkin, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-pumpkin

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What is Halloween & Samhain?

When the night of October 31st comes around most of the Western world will witness a surge of spooky activity. So many people these days join in the fun of Halloween!

But what is the origin of these spooky festivities? Why do we dress up as ghouls, skeletons, tortured victims, headless lords, witches and warlocks?

Why do we carve out pumpkins and Turnips, bob for apples and trick or treat?

The truth is it’s a mish mash of cultures, traditions and belief systems.

Both Samhain and Halloween are celebrated on October 31st – Northern Hemisphere, but what’s the difference between the Festival of Samhain and that of Halloween?

One notable difference is that most people are not even aware of Samhain and only know the night to be called ‘Halloween’.

So how do we know for sure what we are celebrating? Firstly, it’s necessary to look back in time to see which came first!

Samhain pronounced ‘sow en’ reaches thousands of years back into early European Celtic roots. The Celtic culture, religion and beliefs were strongly tuned into the earth and sky around them, including the cycles of nature, the arrival of the different seasons & stages of the sun, moon and stars.

The important dates on their calendars were marked by these seasonal changes. They gave great respect to nature and knew that winter would be a harsh time for them and they must prepare well and work with the season in order to survive. They believed that they were part of this continuous regeneration of the earth – the sacred circle of life!

Samhain became the mark of the first day of winter and the start of the Celtic New Year. The ancient astrologers had calculated that November 1st was the exact half way point between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice (winter solstice was midwinter – the return of the sun).

There is some debate over whether the Celtic New Year started at Samhain or at winter solstice but, as their days always began at sunset, when darkness came, it seems significant that the New Year should start at Samhain, when the winter darkness begins

The astrologers also believed that this time was a kind of no-mans land and signified a thinning of the ‘veil’ between those who lived on the earthly plane and those on the spiritual and in other realms! Therefore, the doorways to and from these other worlds opened up for a time!

When Samhain was approaching, the earth was beginning to draw it’s energy within, preparing for sleep and regeneration, the vegetation was dying and the cold, dark winter months and baron lands lay ahead. And so communities would work together harvesting and storing crops, berries and herbs, bringing cattle out of the open fields and into the sheltered barns & homes. They would sacrifice animals to their Gods, in order to give thanks for the food & to gain protection, then prepare and preserve the meats to sustain them through the long winter months.

The climax of the harvesting would be to hold a feast at the sunset of October the 31st, the first day of November – Samhain and the start of the New Year!

The feast was known as ‘The Feast of the Dead’ (‘Fleadh nan Mairbh’) and, in tune with the sleeping earth, it was a time for reflection of the year just passed, introspection & to commemorate those loved ones that had passed over and to welcome them back in through the ‘open door’ to share the feast.

A verse may have been chanted at the beginning of the feast and would have been similar to this known one:

“And so it is, we gather again, The feast of our dead to begin. Our Ancients, our Ancestors we invite, Come! And follow the setting of the sun. Whom do we call? We call them by name (Name your ancestors that you wish to welcome.) The Ancients have come! Here with us stand Where ever the country, where ever the land They leave us not, to travel alone; Flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone! Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Great be their Power! Past ones and present-at this very hour! Welcome within are the dead who are kin, Feast here with us and rest here within Our hearth is your hearth and welcome to thee; Old tales to tell and new visions to see!”

Not only this, but as the door was open to ‘other realms’, this would include the Lands of the Sidhe – pronounced ‘shee’ – or the Faery Realm! Gifts of food for these unseen ones was an intention to gain favour and avoid any ill fortune or mischief by these powerful beings – early Trick or Treat!!)

Samhain was said to be a very potent time for magic and divination. Druids would perform rituals for communicating with the dead and of divining the future.

Roasted nuts and cakes would contain tokens of luck to predict favor to those who found them.

It was custom to light a candle to signify the ‘New Year’ and a great bonfire was set by the chief Druid. On this, members of the communities would sacrifice animals and crops to the Celtic deities and the fire would become sacred.

Hearth fires would be extinguished only to be re-lit by family members lighting a torch from this great, sacred fire and carrying it all the way back to rekindle their own hearth fires. These hearth fires were kept continuously burning until Beltan or Bealtaine arrived – the start of the Celtic summertime. It was extremely bad luck if the fire was left to go out before this!

The tradition of carving out turnips, beets and potatoes and lighting a candle inside was said to ward off evil spirits. This practice obviously led to the ‘Jack-O-Lantern’ fable about a damned soul, popular with the later Catholic religion, particularly in America where the turnip was replaced by the Pumpkin.

Winter apples were one of the main harvest fruits and therefore used prominently for the festivities. The Roman Goddess of Pomona, symbolized by the apple, was NOT the reason for ‘apple bobbing’ nor had it anything to do with Samhain. They were celebrated on completely different dates and not merged as some may think

Christianity & Halloween

Several hundred years after the death of Christ, the Christian church had gathered enough influence within Celtic lands to establish a day of honoring the deaths of their Martyrs, it was on 609AD that Pope Boniface IV designated May 13th to remember all martyrs.

However this date was changed in 837AD, Pope Gregory IV extended the festival to include all of the saints and changed the date to November 1st, the day was called ‘All Hallows Day’.

Moving the date was an attempt to Christianize the pagan festival of the dead. The evening of October 31st was changed to ‘All Hallows Eve’ – the evening before ‘All Saints Day’. Or, as we call it today, Halloween – Hallow’en!

In A.D.1000 the church further made November 2nd ‘All Souls Day’ to include all those who had died in the name of Christianity, not just the Saints and Martyrs. It was celebrated similar to that of Samhain with big bonfires, parades and dressing up with Christian symbolism of devils, the bloodied & tortured Saints and biblical angels!

The combination of the three days was then called Hallowmass.

How Should We Celebrate Halloween Today!

The Christian festival of Halloween is ONLY about commemorating those who have died in the name of Christianity and perhaps a reminder about our own fragile mortality.

If you see those dressed as evil witches remember, it is Christianity and it’s infamous witch hunts that originally portrayed witchcraft as evil. The Christian philosophy has always been to convert others to Christianity and it’s damnation of paganism was (and still is) a mightily effective one!

The Celtic or Wiccan ‘Witch’ in fact, treasured the earth and it’s sacred cycles. Rather than ‘evildoers’, they were the highly respected and important healers of the society. They had knowledge of herbal remedies and medicine and worked in tune with the forces of nature to help others. They felt the earth and all of it’s creatures should live in harmony and balance!

The modern Witch of our day will more likely spend the evening of Samhain meditating in quiet reflection. Remembering those that have passed over, the year just gone and all they have learned. Perhaps they will partake of ‘the feast of the dead’ and offer a plate for those missing at their table.

Perhaps, and let us hope so, they will perform their dignified ceremonies of thanks, forgiveness and hope for the future of ALL mankind!

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Halloween Bingo Cards

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the October 31st each year, especially in the United States of America, but nowadays in many other countries as well. Halloween is traditionally associated with ghosts, witches and scary stories. Pumpkins are carved with faces and a candle placed inside to make a Jack O’Lantern. Kids love to dress up to play games or go trick-or-treating.

Halloween is also often marked by schools and community groups. It is not uncommon for schools to hold Halloween themed events, and teachers to organize Halloween games in their classrooms. One particular game that is ideal for classrooms at this time of year – it can be a lot of fun, is easy to place, can be educational, and does not require expensive or specialist materials – is a game of Halloween bingo.

Halloween bingo is played very much like a normal game of bingo. Each student is given a bingo card or bingo card containing a grid of items. However, Halloween bingo cards are printed with words or phrases relating to Halloween (“ghost”, “Jack O’Lantern”, “pumpkin”, “witch”, etc.) instead of the usual numbers. The teacher takes the part of bingo caller, and calls these items out in a random order, until a student achieves a winning pattern of marked off squares on their bingo card.

One question that many teachers have is where to get Halloween bingo cards. This isn’t difficult however. You can download a set of ready-made printable templates from the Internet, or using bingo card making software to print custom bingo cards in whatever quantity and containing whatever items that you want.

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Why We Do What We Do on All Hallows Eve

Halloween is a time that appeals to many and is frowned on by a fair few too. But where did it all begin?

For some spooky fun this year you could tell your kids the story of Halloween by candlelight before they hit the streets on their trick or treating jaunts.

Halloween itself is a combination of several traditions, both Christian and Pagan that all occurred around the beginning of the winter months, which for the ancient Celts was also the marker of the New Year, November 1st.

October 31st was therefore New Years Eve, the end of summer and the beginning of a long cold dark winter. It was believed that during this transition between seasons and years, the veil that separates the living from the spirit world of the dead was at its weakest, and the living were quite likely to come face to face with evil spirits and other ghoulish creatures. Dressing up as ghosts was designed to disguise the living as being one of the dead so as not to attract any unwanted attention from spirits.

Many practices such as lighting bonfires, and carrying candles were all designed to create bright light which would scare off any potential evil spirits. 

Years later other traditions developed, carving out any kind of root vegetable became a popular Irish tradition, beetroots, potatoes, turnips and pumpkins were hollowed out and evil faces carved upon them. They were then placed on the front step or window of a house to ward off evil spirits.

November in early English times once held a tradition known as ‘Mischief Night’ where boys had license to go about turning things upside down and creating general mischief. This was later combined with the tradition of dressing up as ghosts on Halloween and eventually became what is dear to our children’s hearts today…Trick or Treat. 

We can thank the Romans for Apple Bobbing which came from their Day of the Dead, also in October. On this day, dead relatives were remembered with a variety of different practices involving apples, a symbol of life. And these games and beliefs were combined with Celtic traditions when the Romans invaded Britain. 

And so Halloween is a festival steeped in ancient traditions which are as much about life as they are about death. 

Make sure you get the kids a decent pumpkin to carve a spooky Jack ‘O’ Lantern to place on your step and if you are throwing a party, make a lot of noise to keep those spooky spirits away, even ghosts don’t like headaches.

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Famous Halloween Appetizers That You Can Prepare Easily at Any Time

You can try Halloween appetizers for any occasion such as a birthday party, of bridge or just as a crunchy snack in any of your get togethers. These Halloween appetizers are very easy to make and at the same time very easy to east. Try out some of these amazing Halloween appetizers.

* Black and Orange Pinwheels- mix cream cheese, bell pepper, black olives and Feta in a bowl thoroughly. Take 5 large wheat tortillas and spread the mixture evenly on them. Then top each tortilla with creamy cheese layer and a thin layer of tapenade. Then sprinkle chopped carrot in an even direction over the tapenade. Roll each tortilla tightly pressing the ends firmly. Wrap them in plastic and allow it to chill for a night in a refrigerator. Male slices of the rolled tortillas and serve them.

* Pumpkin Pancakes- take a mixing bowl and add one cup of pancake mixture, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, egg white skimmed milk and pumpkin. Bea the ingredients well till they become smooth. Then bake it on a lightly sprayed griddle. Spray the coating, pour two cups of batter and bake it for 10 minutes till the top becomes dry and the edges become golden brown in color.

* Chocolate Jack-o-Lanterns- cut the top of the oranges and using a spoon clean the inside part of the orange as much as possible. You can carve your favorite funny faces on it. Then fill your orange or the jack-o-lantern with any of your favorite ice cream flavors. Put your “Jack-o-Lantern” in the freezer till you eat them.

* Pumpkin Bread- mix 2 cups of smashed pumpkins, sugar, shorterning, eggs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cloves thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Pour this mixture in 2 bread pans. Put the pans in an oven and bake for an hour at 350 degrees C. then make two loaves out of it and your extra ordinary pumpkin bread is ready to it.

* Black Cats- take 2 cups of sugar, half cup of milk, cocoa powder, and margarine in a pan and boil it well. Cook the mixture and then add peanut butter and vanilla extract in it. Pour quick oats to this mixture and stir it again well. When the mixture is warm, roll crushed nuts in the pan. Keep the litter scoop besides it for people to help them serve themselves.

* Pita Pizza- cut the pita pocket bread in half by making a zigzag pattern on the bottom of both the edges. Place this on a baking sheet. Put some tomato ketchup on the bread and use mozzarella cheese, sliced black and green olives for its topping. Bake it in an oven till the cheese gets melted. For assembling the bat, the wings should be placed along the sides of the plate. You can also add an extra piece of the bread for making the head.

These are some of the famous Halloween appetizers that you can prepare easily at any time and any occasion to get a change for your normal and regular cuisine.

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