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The Prop
Builder's Mask-Making Handbook (Paperback)
From School Library Journal
YA-- Well illustrated and clearly written, this handbook offers
invaluable information for those getting started in this venerated
art form. James gives a brief contextual history of masks, and
then organizes the informational sections by type. The last and
longest section describes masks made in the tradition of the commedia
dell'arte. Ample black-and-white photographs accompany step-by-step
directions, written in a nontechnical and informal style. The
appendix contains a list of sources for supplies.
- Sheri Maeda, Jefferson Sci-Tech, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Sound but slightly dated, July 13, 2005
Reviewer: L. Rubin "Historical Costumer" (Santa Cruz,
CA) - See all my reviews
I purchased this book as a text for a maskmaking class
for my theater degree. I'll repeat the instructor's gist, if not
her words: This is a great book on the basic technical aspects
of maskmaking. However, there are a lot of other materials that
are now available if you have the budget that aren't covered in
this book. The photos are good but not always clear, and I agree
with some other reviewers that there is a definite lack of practical
information such as where to buy maskmaking supplies.
Worth a read, particularly if you're into Commedia masks or working
in community theater on a small budget.
Review: a good idea
I am confused...I look at the star ratings and read the reviews...but
they don't even come close to my thoughts. This book was an interesting
read. They do show a huge variety of techniques that are used
for the stage... but they only give you a small taste of the process...Vacuum
forming for example, a wonderful process, but zippo info on whereto/howto/whoto
contact to buy or to make one. Read this book to get an overview
of some ideas...but know that the technology shown is old and
past its prime. I know stagework is seen at a distance..but you
will not be impressed with the craftsmanship of the projects.
Heads up on some safety issues..they skip right over that. oh
my.
Review: Comprehensive and user friendly!
This is a great book about making masks. It covers the making
of molds, including using alginate for a life-casting. He talks
about making masks of different materials -- from hex-a-cel to
paper mache to neoprene to leather! There's a really *nice* section
on leather masks, and he also talks a little bit about the history
of the leather masks and how they were used in Renaissance Italy
by the Commedia. This book is filled with plenty of black and
white photos illustrating the various steps in each mask-making
or mold-making process, and the instructions are very clear. Highly
recommended for those with an interest in making their own masks.

Special
Effects Make-Up
Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A severed hand reaches across the red cover of this paperback,
and the images in Vinther's book get progressively more gruesome
from there. A European special effects expert, Vinther clearly
specializes in the fare of horror and science fiction films-his
how-to book is devoted to explaining the tricks behind making
life-like imitations of body parts, monsters and bloody wounds.
For those readers who wonder how to portray a mangled face or
a chopped-off finger, Vinther's is a work without peer-but they
must be ready to stomach the book's more than 300 gory color images.
The author certainly knows his business, running his private company
SPFX, which handles these unique demands for film producers. Each
sub-genre ("gouged eye," "blown-off limbs,"
etc.) requires a certain recipe of materials, which Vinther enthusiastically
share. The latter third of the book branches off from generic
wounds, and touches on the makeup required for classic monsters,
including Dracula, Freddie Kruger and the Terminator. The illustrations
are rather gruesome, but for the Halloween amateur or the Hollywood
professional, this book is a veritable King James Bible of the
macabre.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information,
Inc.
Book Description
From bullet holes to severed fingers, from slashed throats to
wounds and burns, Special Effects is a complete easy-to-use guide
to creating horrifying make-up. As storylines become more sensational
and technology more sophisticated, special effects have become
an increasingly important element of both film and theater production.
Janus Vinther provides fully illustrated, step-by-step instruction
for creating grotesque and horrifying effects. There is also a
chapter on specialized character make-up, covering familiar figures
such as Dracula and the Terminator. Illustrated throughout in
gory full color, Special Effects for Film and Theatre describes
both techniques and materials. It will be an essential tool for
those involved in film and theater make-up or design, and for
anyone out to make Halloween a very special evening.
About the Author
Janus Vinther teaches special effect design. He lives in Denmark.

Special Make-Up Effects Book
Description
Special Make-Up Effects concentrates on the genre of horror characters
and other special creations (fantasy, sci-fi, etc), giving tips
about the materials, techniques, and 'tricks of the trade' necessary
to create unique make-up effects.
This focused volume is a scaled-down
version of Vincent Kehoe's encyclopedic reference for professional
make-up artists. It contains new segments and photographs. This
book shows how many of cinema's most famous characters and effects
were developed. It gives students and make-up artists the techniques
they need to perform their own magic.
A volume dedicated solely to special
make-up effects.
Contains new material from several Academy Award winning make-up
artists.
Written by a make-up artist who has worked on more than 300 films.
From the Publisher
Concentrates on the genre of horror characters and other special
creations (fantasy, sci-fi, etc), giving tips about materials,
techniques, and 'tricks of the trade' for Special Make-Up Effects.
This focused volume is a scaled-down version of Vincent Kehoe's
encyclopedic reference for professional make-up artists. It contains
new segments and photographs. This book shows how many of cinema's
most famous characters and effects were developed. It gives students
and make-up artists the techniques they need to perform their
own magic.

The Halloween Handbook : 447 Costumes (Paperback)
Book Description
It's dress-up for grown-ups, and the liveliest, most imaginative
collection of Halloween costume ideas--447 costume ideas to be
exact--from two hip, inveterate lovers of all things Halloween
. . . plus dozens of other ideas for enjoying the holiday.
Bridie Clark and Ashley Dodd are the
dynamic duo, in or out of capes. For every level of interest,
time--and irony--they offer suggestions. There's the ultra-quick:
Pin several pair of underwear to a shirt, and voilà, A
Chest of Drawers. With a bit more time, wrap yourself in aluminum
foil and don a beret--mmm, French Kiss. There are Angels and Devils,
all with variations (add roller skates to your Satan costume,
and go as Hell on Wheels). Come Hither costumes--Lady Godiva,
Chippendales Dancer, Stripper Emerging from a Cake. Celeb sightings,
from the Dalai Lama to Madonna (six Madonnas, actually, from all
of her phases). Costumes for couples--Sweethearts Caught on Lover's
Lane, Fred and Wilma Flintstone--and costumes for whole groups
of friends, including how to appear as the Sopranos or the hapless
castaways on Gilligan's Island. And for the children, check out
Nursery Rhymes, Fairy Tales, and Other Costumes for the Young
and Young at Heart.
Finally, for the friend who just can't
bear the thought of dressing up but still wants to join the fun,
suggest the Time Traveler from the Day Before Halloween.
About the Author
Bridie Clark lives in New York and works in publishing. Halloween
is far and away her favorite holiday--originally for the candy,
and now for the once-a-year opportunity to play dress-up. Ashley
Dodd lives in New York and works in public relations. Halloween
is far and away her favorite holiday--originally for the candy,
and now for the once-a-year opportunity to play dress-up.
Review: Showcases 447 do-it-yourself costume concepts
The collaborative effort of Halloween costume experts and enthusiasts
Bridie Clark and Ashley Dodd, The Halloween Handbook: Dress-Up
For Grown-Ups showcases 447 imaginative, easy-to-make, do-it-yourself
costume concepts. From traditional favorites such as Wonder Woman
or Peter Pan, to more eyebrow-raising unique costumes like the
One-Night Stand (the costumegoer appears as an actual stand with
lampshade over the head, bra and pantyhouse dangling on the tablecloth)
or the Green Card (wearing a large green sandwich board humorously
displaying a parody what a real green card looks like). Black-and-white
photographs illustrate fun, zany, sometimes edgy ideas with practical
suggestions to efficiently and frugally make a Halloween guise
to remember. Especially recommended not only for Halloween, but
as a source of ideas for costume parties year round or even school
and community theater apparel.

Monsters (Paperback)
Review: Intriguing
The book's author takes a kind of "scientific" approach
to the subject matter. This book is intended for the novice and
does include some creatures not necessarily thought of monsters,
like angels and mermaids. Nine different types of "monsters"
are described here, starting with vampires, ghosts and werewolves,
and finishing off with demons. Things that go bum pin the night,
indeed.
Greer takes great pains to debunk
a number of "facts" about each of these creatures. For
example, vampires who in most lore are thought of to be almost
"glamorous," are portrayed here as something completely
different. He also talks briefly about "psychic vampires,"
which in some cases can be just as nasty as a "real"
vampire.
He also devotes chapters to "monster
investigations," what to look for, what to watch out for,
the "tools of the trade," and cautions the reader to
never go alone when "looking" for one of these creatures,
and the book's final chapters are devoted to defending yourself
by the use of magic.
While this is not the definite guide
to "monsters," it is a good overall book on the subject
and there's a long bibliography of related books listed at the
book's end for those who wish to learn more.
Review: Not intended for those
already knowledgeable on the subject.
This book is clearly a primer, intended for beginners and disbelievers.
As such, it does what it sets out to quite well; if it is a disappointment
to those who expect advanced tracts from Mr. Greer, as some of
the other reviews suggest, the problem is with their expectations,
not with the material at hand. One wouldn't rate a first-year
calculus book poorly simply because it fails to increase one's
understanding of differential equations.
For those inclined to learn a bit
about the lore of occult creatures, whether or not they actually
believe in the reality of said creatures, this is a very good
book. Even if one doesn't believe, and is somewhat put off by
Greer's unapologetic stance that magic and occult monsters are
real, nonetheless, one must concede that he is very practical
in his approach; he repeatedly reminds the reader to consider
all other explanations before assuming true occult activity, including
hoaxes and simple misunderstanding of "normal" happenings.
He states repeatedly that true paranormal activity is much rarer
than such other happenings, and is clearly attempting to discourage
people attempting to live out their Fantasy Role Playing Games
in the real world, a phenomenon that he is obviously all too familiar
with.
For those who ARE inclined to believe
in the possibility of the occult, this is a very good beginning
text on the subject.
Review: Interesting, but empty
in the end
I guess this book would be better appreciated by those who actually
believe in magic, protection spells and things like that. The
book does offer it's fair share of information to those who are
just interested in monsters generally, but there are far more
better books for that kind of research.
The book has chapters for ghosts,
demons, angels, werewolves, vampires and other things that go
bump in the night. Greer has included sightings and legends from
the history, but I always found myself wanting more details. Most
portions of the book are about monsters generally and they also
offer magical means to defend oneself from monsters. If you are
not interested in magic and spells, the book offers only a brief
glance into the monster lore.
I was somewhat disappointed in the
book, it had only a few interesting bits and pieces of information.
Most of the times I found myself reading about Greer's own theories,
which I am sorry to say, didn't seem too convincing. If you are
offering an example from the history or news, you should include
more information about it, otherwise the example has no real use.
If you are interested magic and it's
involvement with monsters, this might be the book for you. If
you want to really read about monsters, I recommend you find other
books for your reading pleasure.
Review: An Ok Book and truly
Interesting.
I found this book very interesting, but, some where missleading
to the reader(s) (i.e.:"ghosts","spirits")
which are pretty much the same thing no matter how you look at
it.However, some of the points he makes about certain creaturs
are interesting and make sense. This is a really good book, but,
its not that great. I say if you want to learn about certain folklore
then this book is for you if you truly want something thats interesting.
Review: This book shatters
some common perceptions of Monsters,
I found this book to be interesting, thought-provoking and overall
one of the best I have read on paranormal and fatastical creatures.
He hit upon ideas I have held for years, but had never ran into
in a book. He shatters Hollywood created stereotypes for ancient
creatures such as werewolves and vampires and provides theories
that make perfect sense and finally shed light on all the "missing"
evidence in relation to fairies and alien abductions. Also included
are easy-to-use ways of removing negative and/or unwanted energies
from houses ..ie ghosts. The only negative thing I can say about
this book is that he labels the Unicorn as a true Mythical creature!
::my inner child weeps:: If you have even a small intrest in magick
creatures...get this book. It is an easy to read, down to earth,
explanatory guide to things considered "unknown"!
Review: Interesting but irrelevant.
As someone who has spent most of my short life trying to understand
the paranormal and occult I believe this book poses some very
interesting ideas. Interesting as they are they mean nothing to
anyone who is at all serious about the paranormal. There is an
interesting talk about the abduction phenomena and Faery that
I have seen parralleled in other works. The rest is just dribble.
I showed the book to some of my Wiccan and other "magically
inclined" friends (of which I am still puzzling over the
validity of magik) and they were all very angry at some parts
of the book. However it is a fun read if you want to read something
that is ultimately much more fiction than fact.
Review: More bull from Llewellyn
There seems to be a new fad in the magic section these days. If
being a witch with fluffy bunny superpowers doesn't make you feel
special enough, you can spend $20 and call yourself a monster
hunter! You can now do battle with the horrible dangers we all
face in life: vampires, werewolves and disgruntled fairies!
Vampire and werewolf wannabees beware! Mr. Greer's readers are
packing heat! I consider this one of the more dangerous books
out there because it not only confuses the reader with fabricated
idiocy but it also inspires violence between the lines. For instance,
after stating that physically shifting werewolves are indeed a
present threat the author advises loading a gun with silver bullets
or purchasing a silver tipped staff and taking up martial arts.
He even recommends discretion when committing a slaying as it
would be difficult to justify the act to the authorities by stating
the victim was a werewolf. Due to the supernatural nature of the
"werewolf" he also states the corpse might appear in
an inconvenient location in human form. Perhaps the author would
be more apt at writing books on committing crimes!
Review: In-depth Research
Guide to "Imaginary" Beings & "Monsters",
I accidentally dismissed this book, because of the cover, until
my wife brought me a copy to peruse. The cover doesn't really
do the book justice--although, I am sure it sells many copies,
normally. If this book had an entirely different cover, I believe
it would be taken Very Seriously by many students of The Mysteries,
Anthropology (especially), and could possibly be used in a College
Course on Mythology.
Greer's explanation of Occult, Ghost, UFO, Fay, etc., Phenomena
makes more sense than most of what I have read on the subject,
throughout my life. I have read Secret School materials that do
not make as much sense as this amazing treatise on the Paranormal.
I am especially Impressed with the UFO-Fairy connection. This
theory not only makes tremendous sense, but resolves Numerous
issues I have experienced and debated, over the years. For those
who research the Paranormal and have experienced UFO, Ghost and
such "Otherworld" activities, this book makes tremendous
sense, and often makes the reader realize things in a very ( "So,
that's it !" ) revelatory manner.
I could have really used this book, when I was younger and silly-enough
to go looking for trouble. Throughout my life, I have experienced
various Hauntings and Paranormal Events, and often went looking
for them, as Inspiration for writing books. Personal experience
leads me to conclude that Greer is an Expert and should be taken
very Seriously by Anthropologists, Psychologists, et al.
I doubt that most people who are not psychically inclined or Initiated
will "get it," but this guide is Certainly well-worth
owning just to discourage people from "Dabbling" in
Occult Matters. Amazingly, this is the first "Occult"
book I have ever read that would be perfect material for Christians
to encourage their teenagers to read. The usual Christian theory
of "Don't Dabble" (in the Occult) is repeated throughout
the book. However, the book is written from an Initiated, Mystical
perspective, coinciding with Common Sense.
To make a long review short.... This is a perfect guide to "Monsters"
(the Paranormal, Mystical, Hauntings, Vampires, Werewolves, etc.)
that should be on the shelf of every "Occultist," Christian,
Psychic, Psychologist and Anthropologist.
Please, do not "judge the book by it's cover." This
is not a sensationalist, copy-cat, or un-researched book written
to capitalize on Vampire Trends and such. I sincerely expect this
book to make it's way into college courses. Greer has obviously
researched this material in-depth and first-hand. This is the
only Serious work on the subject that I have encountered. If you
are expecting sensationalized UFO encounters, this book isn't
for you. However, this book does explain, Rationally, the UFO
phenomena. This book does not "debunk" monsters, ghosts
and fairies--but, it does Explain them, logically
Greer obviously has the Credentials to back-up his theories. "Monsters"
is being used as a "Reference book" at Libraries (a
book you cannot check-out: "for Research purposes, only").
For those who may be interested, several chapters included in
this book involve Natural Magick and Ritual Magick, with detailed
instructions and diagrams.
Review: On Things That Go
Bump In The Dark
This is one of the most fantastic books I've read in ages. Note
that this has very little to do with cryptozoology; most of the
creatures discussed are not always material.
In this surprisingly readable book, we have a discussion of various
common preternatural and supernatural monsters. Not all of these
would ordinarily be considered monsters (such as mermaids and
angels), but are classified as such for ease of use.
Mr. Greer covers a lot of very useful
ground, such as investigative techniques for the amateur monster
hunter, a detailed explanation of the different levels of reality
that is the most internally consistent I've ever seen, and one
of the best bibliographies in print today. He freely admits that
many so-called monster sightings are, in fact, possibly something
much more mundane.
The meat of this, though, is the section
on actual monster descriptions. Here, we learn the nature of real
vampires, what Nessie *really* is, and what demons might have
to do with mental illness (and no, it's not necessarily a cause-effect
relationship, either...). Information is given on the history
of said monsters, various sightings, and what to do if one encounters
said monster...realistically, most are treated as any other rare
creature (i.e. be quiet, look, take notes and pictures if you
can). Finally, he also discusses vulnerabilities and has a section
on quick ritual magic if one does, in fact, have to go all Buffy
on that vampire.
In summation, this is one of the best
New Age/magical book I've read in years. He writes very well,
and very entertainingly, and keeps a very level head. If you're
at all interested in supernatural creatures, this is one of the
best books for you.
Review: Fascinating, practical,
down-to-earth and very readable.
Greer defines monsters as "beings that cannot exist, according
to currently accepted scientific theories about the way the universe
works, but which are routinely encountered by credible witnesses
and described in traditional folklore". The major portion
of the book extracts the common threads from world-wide folklore
and modern day sightings of vampires, ghosts, werewolves, creatures
of faery, mermaids, dragons, spirits, angels and demons, while
dispelling modern TV myths. Although cultures vary in their interpretation
of what monsters are, there is surprising agreement about what
they do. This suggests that there are common phenomena that have
been subject to different interpretations.
I was particularly attracted to the book because of this well-structured
and systematic distillation of the evidence, old and new. It is
written in a sensible style that gives one a great deal of confidence
in the author. However, there is much more that is of interest,
and different audiences will take different things from the rest
of the book. For the complete newcomer to the field, there is
an introduction containing a cogently argued defence of the idea
that evidence shouldn't be discarded just because it doesn't fit
our current theoretical models. However, the main thrust of the
book is as a guide for psychical researchers, ghost hunters and
other investigators of spontaneous anomalies. It contains some
extremely practical information about e.g. equipment to take,
questions to ask and how to ask them, how to detect hoaxes and
how to do research. This should be required reading for any person
involved in field work of this kind.
The monster catalogue itself contains
two parallel threads. Besides describing reported monster behaviour
and the development of associated folklore, the author also provides
an interpretation, based on Western magical philosophy, of what
the monsters are and how to deal with them. Fortunately, he keeps
these threads fairly separate, so that one can extract a lot of
useful information about monster sightings, even if one chooses
to ignore the magical perspective. That said, the framework that
he presents is internally consistent and seems to be an interesting
way of analysing monster lore. The notions that he draws on could
also be interpreted in terms of other cultural philosophies, and
students of e.g. eastern mysticism or holistic medicine will find
parallels in their own philosophy to the concepts used here.
While reading this book, I was consistently
impressed by the author's clear mind, down-to-earth approach and
considerate nature. While each element of it may be covered in
more detail in other books, this is an extremely useful synthesis
of many ideas. I found a lot to think about in it, and I recommend
it highly.

A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other
Subversive Spirits (Paperback)
Amazon.com
The Macks divert our gaze from our contemporary red-faced, cloven-hoofed
misrepresentation of demons to remind us of the ancient roles
demons were originally assigned to play. From the Tommyknockers
of North American mountain mines to the South African Mbulu that
waits in the river for lone travelers, A Field Guide to Demons
classifies these creatures by their domains--water, mountain,
forest--rather than in alphabetical or cultural order, dishing
out antique and contemporary lore on these most misunderstood
of spirits. A Field Guide to Demons melds folklore and mythology;
maintains a surprisingly evenhanded view of demons; and reveals
their role as the necessary challenger to established order, the
antagonist--without which there could be no hero--and the darkness
through which goodness shines brightest. --Brian Patterson--This
text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Reviews
"A round of applause for this
demonic cast of characters . . . They let us glimpse other people's
demons, and many of our very own." --Anna Deavere Smith,
author of Fires in the Mirror
"An array of the most dreaded
demons mythology has to offer." --Robert L. Carniero, Curator
of South American Ethnology, American Museum of Natural History
Robert L. Carniero, Curator of South
American Ethnology, American Museum of Natural History
"An array of the most dreaded demons mythology has to offer."
Review
"A round of applause for this demonic cast of characters
. . . They let us glimpse other people's demons, and many of our
very own." --Anna Deavere Smith, author of Fires in the Mirror
"An array of the most dreaded
demons mythology has to offer." --Robert L. Carniero, Curator
of South American Ethnology, American Museum of Natural History
Book Description
Watch your back! . . . How to spot and identify demons
and other subversive spirits . . . And what to do next.
Demons, fairies, and fallen angels
are everywhere. They lurk at crossroads, crouch behind doors,
hide in trees, slip into beds, wait in caves, hover at weddings
and childbirths, disguise themselves as friends, relatives-even
disguise themselves as you. They are powerful; they are protean;
they are enchanting. And, to the uninformed, they are often invisible.
This illustrated guide-the first of its kind-reveals the remarkable
permutations of the demon and fairy species worldwide. Packed
with lore about each demon, detailing its origins, the culture
surrounding it, and its reputed antics and exploits, A Field Guide
to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits
is a fascinating exploration of global mythologies. Perfect for
the armchair traveler and the intrepid, seasoned demon-spotter
alike, this complete guide to subversive spirits offers a behind-the-scenes
look at the devilish mishaps, impish irritations, and demonic
devastations that punctuate our lives.
About the Author
Carol Mack is an award-winning playwright
with a master's degree in religious studies. Her daughter, Dinah
Mack, a writer, earned her master's degree in cultural anthropology.
Review: Forewarned is Forearmed
This is a great reference work: useful, accessible and well organised.
The demons, fairies and other mythical beings featured in this
book were taken from the legends and folklore of several cultures
and they are grouped according to their place of residence: water,
mountain, forest, desert, domicile and psyche. Each chapter includes
a short description of the creature's appearance, habits and preferences;
one of two stories of encounters with it; and a section on disarming
and dispelling techniques.
This guide includes some fascinating creatures, such as the Japanese
Kappa and its surprising eating habits, the helpful and friendly
Norwegian Nisse, the extremely fragile Australian Mimi, and the
Chinese Madame White, who gives a whole new meaning to the expression
femme fatale. Some better known beings like mermaids and werewolves
are also featured. The Macks' writing style is clear and engaging,
sometimes tongue-in-cheek but never disrespectful to other cultures.
The detailed information on how to deal with these creatures is
particularly useful; if you ever encounter any of them you'll
know what to do to be able to tell the tale.
Review: Great Reference Book
You could spend lots of money on all kinds of folklore & mythology
books, and still not have as much information on the "darker
entities" as this book.
Each entry is very detailed with description,
habitations, sightings, etc.
I think this book would make a great
gift for anyone interested in the supernatural, or even RPG GM's
looking for new ways to torture their players... ;)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Review: Casual entertainment
Though the serious researcher or folklorist won't find much new
content here, it's a fun and easy read with a unique format and
a wide variety of entries. Most of the entries have associated
stories, and some wonderfully unexpected things turn up (yes,
Jung's Shadow is identified herein). And for that serious researcher?
The bibliography is priceless, and I will probably go bankrupt
amassing it. Do not, however, confuse this with an occult volume.
This is simply legend and folklore.
Review: Not a serious demon
book
This is not a serious demon book, and I doubt that the "protection
rituals" will do anyone any good. If you have a real demon
or haunting problem, buy a different book! Having got that out
of the way... this is a great entertaining book... many mythical
creatures are included that you would not expect to be there from
this book's title... if you are looking for lots of really cool
mythical creatures... each with just enough about it to be interesting,
but not going on and on... then this is super-ultra-cool!!!

Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore,
Legend, and Myth (Paperback)
From Library Journal
There are three criteria for inclusion in this near-comprehensive
reference work on a relatively narrow aspect of folklore: the
creature cannot be divine, it must be a supernatural being from
mythology, legend, folklore, or classic literature, and it may
be a cryptozoological or symbolic being, such as a heraldic beast.
Although various other sources treat giants, monsters, and mystery
animals, none seems to cover them all at once, and this work's
inclusion of the symbolic element appears to be unique. Entries
give basic descriptions of each creature as well as its activities,
region, culture, and historical period, and each entry is both
cross-referenced and referenced to a selected bibliography. Appendixes
categorize beings under country or region as well as such headings
as "Beings Associated with Catastrophe." While works
as modern as J.R.R. Tolkien's are cited, the Harry Potter series
is not, though several monsters described here are present in
J.K. Rowling's books. Perhaps Rose (Spirits, Fairies, Gnomes,
and Goblins) does not consider Potter classic literature, but
for a current reference work, this may soon prove a serious oversight.
Recommended for public and school libraries where similar references
are used.DKatherine K. Kaigler-Koenig, Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh,
PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Choice
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! have nothing on Rose, at home
in a thicket of menacing creatures.
Choice
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! have nothing on Rose, at home
in a thicket of menacing creatures.
Book Description
We have always conjured up creatures never seen in nature, from
flying horses and two-headed birds to fire-breathing dragons and
enormous killer skunks, as well as fantastic distortions of our
own image, from giants to nubile maidens. In these pages you will
meet extraordinary beings from Hindu and Navajo religions, Scandinavian
tales, Russian folklore, Lithuanian stories, Irish oral history,
American tall tales, and Aztec myth. Just some of the monstrous
entourage:
• Baku, a benevolent Japanese monster
with the body of a horse, the head of a lion, and the legs of
a tiger, who helps people by devouring their nightmares.
• Kurma, the giant tortoise of Hindu
myth, whose upper shell forms the heavens and lower part the earth.
• Missipissy, the feared fish serpent
of North America's Great Lakes region.
This illustrated encyclopedia not
only identifies and describes individual beasts in their cultural
context but also groups them together across cultures and discusses
common mythological strands and conceits. 60 b/w illustrations.
About the Author
Carol Rose is a research member at the University of Kent and
a senior lecturer at Canterbury College, England.
Review: Fantabulous!
Reviewer: John J Clements (FPO, AP USA) - See all my reviews
Carol Rose has done it again! The companion to her much-acclaimed
Spirits, Faeries, Gnomes, and Goblins: an Encyclopedia of the
Little People, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons provides the same
thorough lexicon of the fantastic. More of less everything her
previous book left out (ie. the large mythical creatures) that
I complained about in my review of the said book, this book covers.
Got a question on Qanekelak? Wondering about Wendigo? Tired of
asking about Asipatra? Just plain curious about the Cockatrice?
Well this well-documented book provides all the answers to the
questions you might ask (and even answers to wuestions you might
NOT have asked).
Not only does it include the traditional monsters, Griffins, Dragons,
Ettins, etc. but it also includes folklore monsters from the American
Old West (Fearsome Critters). Also, some of the more popularized
monsters like Werewolves and vampires are carefully restrained
within the pages of this book.
Anyone who's had bad experiences with
so-called encyclopedias of beasts-that-aren't, need not fear this
book. It is not, repeat, NOT a re-telling of old folktales. This
book states the physical description of each creature, in a clear,
concise manner, and goes about with helpful information about
it. If your trying to find their countries of origin, simply turn
to the back for a thorogh cross-index of all the creatures.
So why does it recieve four-stars
from me? The artwork is sub-par. Rather than original pictures,
which, I admit, can rapidly become tacky, she has chosen to reprint
old drawings and wood-prints from ancient texts and her private
collection. Not that I'm against old-school pictures, but I prefer
a more modern-touch. Maybe I'm just being picky. Before this book,
I had just purchased a Monster Manual, mistakenly believing that
it was a serious encyclopedia of monsters. Carol Rose's book certainly
throws the Dungeons and Dragons book on their tails in the way
of sheer informative value, but falls rather short in the visual
department.
Review: Really fun text
Books of this type are nothing new. There are probably dozens
of encyclopedia-style texts out there dealing with magical creatures
and mythical beings, but this one is easily one of the more enjoyable
volumes I've had the pleasure of reading. As has been pointed
out in another review, this is not a book for those who are longing
for visuals over text. This is not one of Froud's Fairy books
or one of the Gnome texts. As fun as those books are, there is
a heavy if not predominate focus on their original illustrations.
Carol Rose's book is focused instead on textual descriptions and
summaries. There are plenty of great illustrations in the book,
mostly woodcuts from Rose's own private collection, but these
are not the key focus of the book. But I highly recommend this
to anyone who wants a good, searchable reference guide to creatures
of myth and magic.
Review: Happy happy joy joy!
I am madly in love with this book. I have been looking for a book
like this since I was old enough to read. I've read several dozen
monster encyclopedias. This book is very similar to "The
Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were," except that everything
that Never Were did wrong, THIS book did right! You can actually
find what you're looking for in this book!
This book does NOT make things up
as it goes along. It does not mix the author's opinions with ancient
opinions; its voice is neutral, but not dry. It does not contain
illustrations which are irrelevant to the text. It is not messy
in its layout- everything is perfectly organized. The bibliography
is truly perfect, and is referred to constantly.
This book does indeed cover giants,
monsters, and dragons; and it also covers a lot of gods, spirits,
undead, goblins, fictional famous people, and so on. It covers
ALL the mythologies of the world, concentrating on them equally.
Most books like this will, say, tell you all about European mythics
at great length, but only touch briefly on Thunderbird or Rainbow
Snake, often the sole representatives of the entire continent
they come from, and all their fascinating brothers are neglected
completely. This book doesn't mix in movie monsters with the ancient
ones (as some books do) although there are some fairly recent
entities listed, such as Paul Bunyan. Rather than using modern
illustrations drawn by an illustrator who is clueless about how
the monster is supposed to look aside from the text description,
and so produces something totally useless for reference, this
book uses old illustrations, woodcuts and steel engravings- my
only complaint may be that those illustrations are few and far
between, and all grayscale, but it has a perfect bibliography,
so you always know where to look for more- this book is designed
to start you off, tell you where to go for more if you want to.
Every single entry tells you which books it came from. It's full
of some really seriously obscure creatures, too, so that's good.
As I was reading an entry about a
creature which was born in the mythologies of an area near where
I live, I thought to myself: "The only way this book could
be any better was that if there was an index in the back that
listed all the mythics by location! But of course there won't
be, nothing is that perfect."
And lo and behold, I looked in the
back, and it was THERE. As a counterpoint to the fully indexed
alphabetical listing of all the monsters, the appendixes in the
back list all the monsters by category, so you may look them up
that way. There are category listings such as Thailand, or United
States Native. And then there are category listings for type of
monster, such as "beings that are horses or part horse,"
or "dragons- occidental." And so on. You can seriously
find whatever you're looking for in this book, and there's plenty
of it.
Review: Mistical..
This book has all merfolk, Paul Baunyan, and dragons. It even
has jabberwocky.
Review: A good reference, but unforgivably
overpriced
I'm not sure if this is Carol Rose's fault or her publisher's,
but this book cost me eighteen dollars brand new with the older
cover. This was only a few months ago. While this is an excellent
reference book, one of the best I have seen, the price is a bit
steep for casual readers.
Monster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about monsters as a kind of legendary creature.
For other uses, see Monster (disambiguation).
Monster is a term for any number of legendary creatures that frequently
appear in mythology, legend, and horror fiction.
Saint George versus the Dragon, by Gustave Moreau (1880)Contents
[hide]
1 Etymology
2 Monsters in history
2.1 Social concept
2.2 Religion and mythology
3 Monsters in literature
4 Monsters in cinema
4.1 Pre-World War II
4.2 Post World War II
5 Miscellaneous
6 See also
Etymology
The word originates from the medieval vulgar Latin verb monstrare
(plural monstrum), which translates either "to exhibit"
or "to point out".
Monsters in history
Social concept
At one time, the monster was an important social concept. Monsters
were often associated with unknown lands and unknown things. For
instance, historically, unexplored areas on maps would be marked
indicating that monsters such as dragons lived there. This connection
between monsters and the unknown meant that the monster was an
important concept in the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, as
Western society began to use science and other academic disciplines
to try to understand the unknown. Monsters were seen as scientific
puzzles; things science needed to understand. In the Enlightenment,
the cabinet of curiosities would often include monsters in amongst
the scientific instruments and toys. Similarly, the monstrous
was an important concept on aesthetics during the enlightenment,
often closely associated with the wondrous and the sublime.
Religion and mythology
Many Eastern religions such as Hinduism, as well as ancient religions
such as Greek mythology and Norse mythology, depict monsters as
the enemies of the gods. Ragnarok in Norse mythology was the final
battle between the gods of Asgard and the many monsters of the
world.
Ancient peoples considered the birth
of "freaks" representations of the wrath of the gods,
a demonstration, as it were. The first so-named monstra were the
showpieces in traveling carnival freakshows, people afflicted
with body deformities or diseases like elephantiasis.
Occasionally, there are monsters who
act out of legitimate motives and their monstrous appearance leads
to serious misunderstandings. Some well known examples are King
Kong or the Horta in the Star Trek episode, "The Devil in
the Dark".
Monsters in literature
The relationship between science and monstrosity became an important
theme in many Victorian-era horror novels, where science was often
depicted not merely as studying monsters, but as producing them.
Notable examples include Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein.
This change corresponded with a decline in the popularity of science
among the general public.
Some traces of this classic relation
to monsters can be found in the popularity of tabloid newspapers
such as the Weekly World News. Contemporary philosophers such
as Lorraine Daston have written at length about the relationship
between how society depicts monsters and the role of science in
that society. Monsters also occur in a variety of philosophical
works (Aristotle, Augustine, Montaigne, Locke, Leibniz, Diderot
...); see 'Monsters and Philosophy', ed. by Charles Wolfe (forthcoming;
and www.monstersandphilosophy.com).
Monsters in cinema
Pre-World War II
During the age of silent movies, representations of monsters were
the size of a person played by an actor in a costume: Frankenstein's
monster, the Golem, and vampires are the most well-known ones.
The film Siegfried featured a dragon that was a giant puppet on
tracks. A few dinosaurs were presented by stop-motion animated
models, something that was carried over into RKO's King Kong,
the first giant monster of the sound era.
During the sound era, the film studio
Universal specialized in monsters, offering Bela Lugosi's portrayal
onscreen of his role in the stage play, Dracula, and Boris Karloff
as Frankenstein's monster. They also made many lesser films, such
as Lon Chaney, Jr.'s portrayal of an electrified zombie in Man-Made
Monster.
The entire notion of the werewolf
was introduced by the movies in this era, and a similar type of
person afflicted with traits said to come from an animal was presented
in Cat People. Mummies also became a fearsome type of monster,
and a variant of Dr. Frankenstein was played by Peter Lorre. His
mad surgeon, Dr. Gogol, transplanted hands that embodied a malevolent
temperament, which would then re-animate in Mad Love, which became
another genre. As for giant monsters, the serial Flash Gordon
had a man in a monster suit, who played a huge dragon by attacking
a doll dressed like the title character. The "monster"
cycle eventually played itself out becoming comedic in Abbott
& Costello meet Frankenstein of 1948.
Post World War II
After World War II, however, giant monsters returned to the screen
in a pattern that has been causally linked to the invention of
nuclear weapons. The first was American: The Beast from 20,000
Fathoms was a dinosaur that attacked a seaport. But later there
were Japanese, British, and even a Scandinavian giant monster
attacking cities. The tantalizing proximity of other planets brought
the notion of alien monsters from outer space to the screen; some
were huge, but cheaper movies had those of a more human scale.
In this age as well, the monster type of the fish-man was developed
in the series Creature from the Black Lagoon.
The British studio of Hammer brought
color to the human-sized monster in the late 1950s. At this time,
the earlier Universal films were shown on US television by independent
stations (rather than being scheduled by a network) by mocking
announcers, and these together gained a large number of young
fans. Since that era, although the type of monster has changed,
it has not disappeared as it did in the late 1940s.
Occasionally, monsters are depicted
as friendly or misunderstood creatures. The monsters of Monsters
Inc. scare to create the energy to run their secret world, and
the furry monsters of Sesame Street live as complete equals to
their fellow humans and animals.
Miscellaneous
They are also a mainstay of role-playing and video games in general.
"Monster" often, but not always, implies that these
creatures are larger than or equal to human size. It also almost
always implies that the creatures are powerful and hostile to
the hero (and consequently evil), and must be defeated to progress.
The monster par excellence is the dragon.

Clever Costume Creating for Halloween (Paperback)
Review" Prrrfect booook
for the costume inclined!
From Boys to adults, everyone loves being someone (or someTHING!)
else for Halloween. Singleton's book provides a wealth of ideas
and resources, and the interior illustrations, photographs, and
black-and-orange two-color printing make for a very attractive
product.
Review: Fun! Fun! Fun!
This is such a fun book for Halloween! I have enjoyed looking
at the photographs and illustrations. I can't wait to try some
of the creative costumes out on my children. The book makes it
so easy to put together and understand! In this day of rush, rush,
rush, its so wonderful to have a book that makes life simple.
Thank you for such a great tool!
Review: Clever Costume Creating
for Halloween
I found this book to be very enlightning for ideas on creating
Halloween costumes. It is full of so many good tips, many requiring
a minimal amount of effort in putting together a costume. I would
recommend this book to many, both young and old and particularly
to parents who every year need to come up with a new and unique
costume for their children to dress for Halloween.
Review: Clever Costume Creating
for Halloween
Suzanne Singleton has certainly outdone herself on this release.
Clever Costume Creating for Halloween is jam-packed with unique
ideas for easy to make, NO SEW costumes. The illustrations help
you visualize the overall effect and the instructions are packed
with appropriate props and accessories.
Although I am an artist and consider myself to be pretty creative,
when it comes to Halloween costumes I go blank. The creative part
of me wants to do something original, unique. I definitely could
never bring myself to buy those mass produced, plastic-masked
versions available in the stores. When I flipped through Suzanne
Singleton's book, my mind began to race with all the possiblities.
I found myself thinking, "Why didn't I think of that? This
is sooooooo clever!" Now my only problem is choosing which
idea to try first!
Review: FUN & EASY NO
SEW COSTUME Ideas w/visuals!
This title had just been published a view days when I purchased
it. If you are like me and love Halloween but panic at the thought
of what to be? what to wear? This is for you! Singleton has written
a book with A to Z costume ideas that are fun and refreshing and
all NO SEW!
What you also receive with this book purchase are pages filled
with fun to view black and white visuals of the costume ideas.
The pages are bordered with corn candy and various halloween graphics
which only adds to the fun and festive halloween spirit.
Year after year, my husband and I
along with our children are invited to dress up Halloween costume
parties.These parties are usually fun and yet I am always feeling
pressure for myself and my family. What to do? Like many women
of today, I do not sew which only adds to my frustration. Well
now here is the perfect remedy, this title is not only packed
with fun and easy costume ideas but each page is sure to bring
a smile with each costume visual!
It is cute, fun, festive and fills
a need! Never again will you lose sight of the Halloween fun that
costume panic brings!
Halloween
Ideas and Tips
So you'd like to... Have Great Halloween Festivities
Out of all the holidays in existance, none can surpass my love
of Halloween. Typically a holiday set aside where children dress
up in costumes and go house to house in search of candy, there
is so much more to this holiday which I hope to highlight. Halloween
cheer encompasses parties, decoration, goodies, scary movies and
friendly comradery.
First let's start off with the basics.
You can't start off Halloween with an undecorated house. Atmosphere
lends to establishing a great holiday mind-set. With that, there
are a few books I recommend to help in transforming your home
to a frightfully fun place to visit. 'Ghostly
Frights for Halloween Nights' is a book the whole family can
participate in using. The book covers basic projects from cutting
and tying to more complex papier-mâché and stitching. The book
'Haunt
Your House For Halloween: Decorating Tricks & Party Treats'
is also a great tool to use in decorating your home for a more
country Halloween style than spooky. And let's not forget the
book 'Halloween
Crafts: Eerily Elegant Decor' for some very decorative ideas
for cleaver doorways and memorable parties. You might recognize
the author Kasey Rogers as the actress who played Louise Tate
on tv's 'A
Bewitched Halloween'. Better Homes and Gardens covers all
the main basics in 'Halloween
Fun : 101 Ideas to get in the spirit'. Martha Stewart even
gets into the act with her highly popular 'Halloween
: The Best of Martha Stewart Living'. For even more tips on
decorating you can also read through '101
Spooktacular Party Ideas' and 'The
Halloween Book'. The books 'Tricks
and Treats' and 'Halloween
Pumpkins & Parties : 101 Spooktacular Ideas' are also
fulled with great tips and ideas. If you have entertained the
idea to turn your entire house into a walk through haunted house,
the books 'The
Do It Yourself Haunted House Guide' and 'Haunted
House Halloween Handbook' are very helpful in supplying ideas.
There are also some good scare tips found in 'Give
Them a Real Scare This Halloween'.
So, you have your house looking fabulously
spooky, how about some music to add that final important touch?
Some of my favorite Halloween music for atmosphere are: 'Just
Can't Get Enough: New Wave Halloween', 'Halloween:
Monster Mix', 'Halloween
Sound Effects', 'Halloween
Big Screen Thrillers', and for little kids: 'Spooky
Favorites'.
Now that you have the atmosphere created,
you can tackel the next step in providing a memorable Halloween:
the food! For this I HIGHLY recommend some of the recepies published
in the book 'Halloween
Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family (Holiday Celebrations)'.
Not only do you get the wonderful cookies and treat ideas, but
there are a couple imaginative ideas for enchanting brews for
your friends to drink. The book 'Halloween:
Customs, Recipes & Spells' also has some great recipe
ideas, covering Halloween doughnuts, pumpkin bread, candied apples
and even something called "Sugar Snakes In Graveyard Dust". Yum!
For food a little more on the 'weird' side, try 'Creepy
Cuisine'.
So you've got a spooky house and yummy
treats, what else could you decorate? Why YOU of coarse! 'Halloween
Costumes (Singer Sewing Reference Library)' brings to light
some very cleaver and festive costume ideas. Dressing up the kiddies
is pretty easy also with 'Illegally
Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids' and 'Easy
Halloween Costumes for Children'. You can even get really
great face painting tips in the book 'Fun
with Face Painting'. The book 'A
Halloween How-To: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations'
does cover some aspects of costumes, but very generally.
Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without
a few good scary movies. When getting friends together, you want
to decide on the type of movie you want to see. If your children
are having a little get together with friends I would highly suggest
'Garfield
Holiday Celebrations'. This DVD set collects the three Garfield
holiday specials made in the 80s. But don't let the date fool
you. "Garfield's Halloween Adventure" is one of the best Halloween
cartoons made to date! In this movie Garfield and his best friend
Odie go out trick or treating and find an exciting adventure along
the way involving ghost pirates! 'Lumpkin
the Pumpkin', 'The
Halloween Tree', 'It's
the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown', 'The
Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (Disney Gold Classic Collection)',
'The
Scooby-Doo Show: The Headless Horseman of Halloween' and 'The
Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror' are also great Halloween cartoons.
If live action is what the kids want, 'Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Widescreen Special Edition) (Harry
Potter 1)', 'The
Little Vampire' and 'Hocus
Pocus' are wonderfully entertaining and fun to watch.
But if you're more for an adult party
several movies can be viewed for scary good fun. A staple of any
good Halloween party is the movie 'Halloween'.
It's been bringing a good scream to Halloween parties since 1978.
Other great Halloween movies are 'Silver
Bullet', 'Bram
Stoker's Dracula (Superbit Collection)', 'Sleepy
Hollow', 'A
Nightmare on Elm Street' and 'Fright
Night'. And if you're in for a total scare,who could forget
the classic 'The
Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen)'. But if you're in
the mood for some hysterical Halloween laughs 'Elvira,
Mistress of the Dark', 'Abbott
& Costello Meet Frankenstein', 'Scary
Movie' and 'Ghostbusters'
are just the ticket.
A guide by Peter Saenz, Spooky Holiday Lover for Amazon

A Halloween How-To: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations
by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne
Review:
Last fall, I checked this book out of the library looking
for ideas for our annual Halloween bash and to decorate our yard.
The book not only has a great wealth of ideas and tips, but also
historical and sociological information on the holiday. This is
one of the few books that I have found more geared towards adults
wishing to celebrate the holiday. Most of what is out there leans
towards the juvenile side of Halloween festivites.
I agree with past reviewers' main gripes about lack of graphics.
The book doesn't need to have glossy coffee table book-type spreads,
but it is seriously lacking in useful illustrations
This is a great book with many decorating ideas and references.
This is the best book I found on the market. I applied a few of
the ideas to my decorations last year and had a few children afraid
to approach the door (though that was not my intent, nothing truly
gory last year). Highly recommended!
If you are looking for a Halloween how to book for grownups, this
is it. It is full of magnificent ideas for everything from parties
to yard haunting. I love Halloween and I have many Halloween books.
This one is the one I use the most. I especially loved the life-sized
Grim Reaper. I made it for my yard haunt last year and received
more compliments on it than anything else. I highly recommend
this book.
Since so many other reviewers give a good overview of the book,
let me tell you what I found unique and helpful about this book.
The best section of this book tells you how to hold a themed adult
Halloween party. It covers everything from the invitations (really
cool invitations, with relevant literary quotes), to the decorations,
music, and costumes. There are many themes listed. I have never
seen this in any of the Halloween books I have bought. This chapter
alone makes it worth the price.Full-disclosure: My tombstone-making
instructions are featured in the book. But I don't get a cut of
the profits, just the recognition (Thanks for the mention Lesley!)

The Halloween Book (Hardcover) - by Jane Bull
Review:
The Halloween Book is a veritable gold mine of creepy crafts to
make Halloween the most spine-tingling night of the year. Unearthly
decorations ("Silhouette Windows," "Flickering Faces," "Jeering
Jars"), exquisitely eerie dress-up ideas ("Fearsome Features," "Creepy
Costumes,"), and delectably ghastly goodies ("Buckets of Treats,"
"Beastly Buffet," "Hanging Horrors," "Cauldron Cocktails," "Spooky
Potions") will provide days of creative fun leading up to the haunted
holiday. The perfect resource for a Halloween party, with DK's superb
photos and clever activities, games, and recipes, this volume is
a steep step above the standard craft book. So pour yourself a mug
o' vampire broth or hot chocolate bones, dig into some sausage fingers,
and get started on your screaming streamers and menacing masks.
(Ages 6 to 11) --Emilie Coulter
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-This is the "Martha Stewart" book of craft, costume, food,
and party ideas for the ultimate Halloween experience. It shows
how to carve a pumpkin, make hanging glass-jar lights, spooky window
cutouts, and decorated flashlights. There are descriptions and photos
of additions to fairy, pirate, witch, vampire, and ghost costumes,
with elaborate face painting and perfectly cut-out, acrylic-painted,
paper-plate masks. There are directions for a paper-m ch pumpkin
and a cr pe-paper-decorated sand bucket for holding treats. Refreshments
include sausage fingers, "bread roll monsters," gorgeous-looking
creepy cupcakes, and "cauldron cocktails." Finally, there are instructions
for a shadow theatre and other traditional party games. The photographs
are stunning, but all of the projects look like they were made by
adults or particularly handy, older children. One hopes that youngsters
will not be disappointed when their creations don't look quite so
perfect.
Cathie Reed, The Montessori School, Lutherville, MD
This is a fun book aimed at the younger set filled with a nice sprinkling
of Halloween costumes, recipes, crafts, and party ideas. The ideas
are by no means original, but as a mom and Halloween-freak , I found
this book to be a good inspiration to cooking up your own ideas.
(The monster sandwiches are priceless! )The photos are lovely, the
printed varnished pages crisp and bright -- I can practically smell
the pumpkin pie when I crack it open.

Halloween Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family
Cocoa Cobweb Cupcakes, Black Cat Cookies, and Stained-Glass Spooks
are just a few of the spirited tastes you'll encounter in Donata
Maggipinto's delightful Halloween Treats. But it's not just recipes--you
and your favorite little goblin will love creating spooky craft
projects such as Candy Cauldrons, Leaf Lanterns, and Paper Bag
Pumpkins together in anticipation of All Hallows' Eve. Maggipinto
includes craft ideas for "Pixies" (children 4-8 years old) as
well as older children, and nearly every recipe includes a safe
task for younger helpers. (For example, while mom or dad should
heat the milk for hot cocoa, kids can roll and stamp out marshmallow
ghosts as accompaniment.) A few of the craft ideas will require
a trip to the art supply store (such as lampshade paper for the
very nifty flashlight lanterns), but Maggipinto leaves plenty
of room for the magical combination of imagination and found objects.
Her great "fanciful masks" are dime-store masks decorated with
autumn leaves, candy wrappers, feathers, or anything else you
might have at hand.
Maggipinto believes that Halloween festivities should last for
at least a week; you'll find enough project instructions and recipes
here for a month of Halloween fun. Grownups will love her Halloween
dinner party menu (with Pumpkin Crackle Custard for dessert!)
and kids can help by making corn kernel napkin rings and three-tiered
pumpkin centerpieces. If you're looking for costume ideas, you
won't find them here--the book is focused firmly on kitchen and
decoration fun--but the beautifully illustrated Halloween Treats
is a wonderful treasure trove of tricks and treats that every
family will enjoy working on together. --Rebecca A. Staffel
Denver Post
Ghost Witches Join Party Menu "Don't reserve your Halloween cookie
cutters just for cookies. Consider these boo-tiful ideas from
'Halloween Treats', by Donata Maggipinto:
Flatten large marshmallows with a
rolling pin, then use mini cutters to make a ghoulish garnish
for hot cocoa.
Make 'ghost-wiches' by cutting sandwich
bread or lunch meats (or both) with the cookie cutters; a pastry
tip to poke eyes and mouth into the bread.
And here's a tip from Good Eating:
If you're determined to think sweet, you can also use those cookie
cutters for devilish brownies and cakes. Either cut the cakes
into scary shapes, or use the cookie cutters as stencils to make
designs - with frosting or colored sugar on top of the icing."

Halloween: Customs, Recipes & Spells
Silver Ravenwolf has finally taken on a subject she is aware of-Halloween.
There was a lot of material to cover here. She has put forth her
strongest effort. Halloween has become a truely American holiday.
Silver combines her knowledge, research and experience into a
coherent volume. Gasp!
That brings us to her self proclaimed
"most popular Witch in America". Come on now, maybe
the Billy Graham of witchcraft. I feel everyone who practices
is the most powerful witch. I dont like preachers of any philosophy,
let alone witchcraft! So much for free will..
All in all, many of the Llewellyn
authors are full of themselves. I wished they knew how to be humble.
Maybe this is why so many witches got burned in the middle ages.
I have read many of silver's books, and they are all basicly fluff
and crap. One of my biggest issue with this book, is that Silver
was always quoting other neo-pagan authors (who tend to mess up
their history anyway...) than actual historical facts. Besides
that, some of the history in the book isn't right anway. What's
up with that? In her teen-witch books, so much of her writing
was historicaly false and just not-true, that i almost threw it
in the river. But enough of that.. Moving on to the rituals and
spells. What is up with all the pumpkin!? Pumpkin has NOTHING
to do with Samhain or Halloween historically. Pumpkin is native
to North America, none of the Celts, or ancient "pagans"
used pumpkin in anything. And all the "spells" in this
book were fluffly, and completly un-magical. I wouldn't reccomend
this book to my goldfish, and this time, i think non-neo-pagans
would recignise the bad writing style (momma silver!? o.O) and
history and false facts. This book just goes to show that just
because your Wiccan dosen't mean that you know about the Sabbats
and "pagan" festivals.
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.
In here the history of the holiday Halloween is explored as well
as the second half is interesting recipes for Halloween goodies.
Halloween is actually a neopagan holiday but a lot don't celebrate
it because it scares them. Well it doesn't scare me. Finally a
book that is a non-condemning tome about the subject.
Halloween is my favorite time of the year, so this book was a
welcome addition to my library. It works best as a simple introduction
to the history of this maligned cultural event (which has nothing
whatsoever to do with dark and evil forces) and as an idea maker
for recipes (two of which I plan to test at an upcoming party)
and spells (if you are into that magic scene, I am not). I also
hope to try out the Passion Pumpkin Dinner (minus the mumbo jumbo)
at some point in the future, because it sounds so deliciously
romantic. My only wish is that I could have tried it with my late
wife - I think she would have loved it. I thought the book got
a tad dull when it started its litany of spells, which I've already
said is not my thing, so it did not interest me, and I just scanned
over it. The speaking to the dead segment also offered some comfort,
all my 'thinking out loud' and speaking to my deceased wife's
pictures is normal and healthy, and maybe she hears it, I don't
know. I do know that if you like Halloween, you will find much
to enjoy in this book.

Halloween
Pumpkins & Parties : 101 Spooktacular Ideas (Paperback)
Half of this book features Halloween celebrations and entertaining,
while the rest highlights creativity with pumpkins.
All-new ideas for both crafters and
noncrafters.
One-of-a-kind Halloween how-to with detailed instructions, patterns,
and recipes.
Third in a series of highly successful Halloween books
Review: HALLOWEEN FUN
I FOUND THIS BOOK TO BE VERY USEFUL & EASY TO CONJURE UP SOME
HALLOWEEN FUN. IT SHOWS STEP TO STEP INSTRUCTIONS WITH PICTURES
YOU CAN FOLLOW. I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE PINATA, VERY EASY TO
MAKE. IT RANGES FROM DECORATIONS TO FOOD & BEVERAGES. I LOVED
IT, SUPER EASY.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All about Halloween from Wikipedia
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Halloween"
Halloween is an observance celebrated on the night of October
31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door
collecting sweets or money. It is celebrated in much of the Western
world, though most common in the United States, Puerto Rico, the
Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.
Irish, Scots and other immigrants brought older versions of the
tradition to North America in the 19th century. Most other Western
countries have embraced Halloween as a part of American pop culture
in the late 20th century.
The term Halloween, and its older
spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it
is the evening before "All Hallows Day". In Ireland,
the name was All Hallows Eve and this name is still used by some
older people. Halloween was also sometimes called All Saints'
Eve. The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various
northern European pagan traditions, until it was appropriated
by Christian missionaries and given a Christian interpretation.
In Mexico November 1st and 2nd are celebrated as the Day of the
Dead.
Halloween is also called Pooky Night
in some parts of Ireland, presumably named after the púca,
a mischievous spirit.
On Great Britain and Ireland in particular,
the pagan Celts celebrated the Day of the Dead on All Hallows
Day (1st November). The spirits supposedly rose from the dead
and, in order to attract them, food was left on the doors. To
scare off the evil spirits, the Celts wore masks. When the Romans
invaded Great Britain, they embellished the tradition with their
own, which is both a celebration of the harvest and of honoring
the dead. Very much later, these traditions were transported to
the United States, Canada and Australia.
Halloween is sometimes associated
with the occult. Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween
is one of the liminal times of the year when the spiritual world
can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most
potent (e.g. Catalan mythology about witches).
Halloween in the UK
In some parts of the United Kingdom, Halloween was formerly known
as Mischief Night. People would take the doors off their hinges
on this night. The doors were also often thrown into ponds, or
taken a long way away.
In England it is said that elves rode
on the backs of the villagers' cats. The cats had fun but the
villagers did not and would lock their cats up so that the elves
could not catch them.
Children were told not to sit in the
circles of yellow and white flowers where fairies have danced
as they may be stolen by the fairies. It was also bad to sit under
the hawthorn tree since fairies loved to dance on these and if
they saw children their tempers would be prickled.
In England, the black cat was considered
to be good luck, whereas a white cat was considered to be bad
luck.
In England children make "pumpkin
men" from large pumpkins. They cut out designs into the pumpkin.
Then they place them on display in their windows to go along with
the scary theme of Halloween.
Halloween in North America
Anoka, Minnesota, USA, the self-proclaimed "Halloween Capital
of the World," celebrates with a large civic parade.
Salem, Massachusetts, USA, also has
laid claim to the title "Halloween Capital of the World,"
though Salem has tried to separate itself from its history in
the subject of witchcraft. Despite that, the city does see a great
deal of tourism surrounding the Salem witch trials, especially
around Halloween.
New York City, New York, USA, hosts
the United States' largest Halloween celebration, The Village
Halloween Parade. Started by a Greenwich Village mask maker in
1973, the parade now attracts over 2 million spectators/participants
as well as roughly 4 million television viewers each year. It
is the largest participatory parade in the country if not the
world, encouraging spectators to march in the parade as well.
It is also the largest annual parade held at night.
In North America people believed that
it was unlucky for a black cat to cross one's path, to come into
homes, or to travel on ships.
In the United States trick-or-treaters
are welcomed by placing lighted pumpkins known as jack-o'-lanterns
in their windows.
The North American tradition of trick-or-treat
comes from the original idea that you must be kind to dead ancestors
or they will play a trick on you.
The War of the Worlds, a radio adaptation
by Orson Welles based upon H. G. Wells' classic novel of the same
name, was performed by Mercury Theatre on the Air as a Halloween
special on October 30, 1938 and the live broadcast reportedly
frightened many listeners into believing that an actual Martian
invasion was in progress.
Halloween in Australia
Halloween is not celebrated as much as it is in the U.S., despite
this, most children still believe in "trick or treating".
And most houses are decorated with a Halloween themed style, by
carving pumpkins and placing a candle in the middle of the hollowed
pumpkin, and are usually placed in their windows or in their living
room. It is also a tradition in Australia for children to leave
the candy on people's door mats.
In Adelaide, South Australia, a large
festival takes place at the Norwood Oval (an oval close to the
city) and people celebrate in a huge parade. Stalls include activities
such as; Bobbing for Apples, Discos, carving Pumpkins, Rides,
Candy and many more Dark Attractions.
Symbols
Jack-o'-lanterns may be carved with funny faces.Halloween's theme
is spooky or scary things particularly involving death, magic,
or mythical monsters. Commonly-associated Halloween characters
include ghosts, ghouls, witches, bats, black cats, spiders, goblins,
zombies, skeletons and demons, as well as certain fictional figures
like Dracula and Frankenstein's monster. Homes are often decorated
with these symbols around Halloween.
Black and orange are the traditional
colors of Halloween. In modern Halloween images and products,
purple, green, and red are also prominent.
Elements of the autumn season, such
as pumpkins and scarecrows, are also reflected in symbols of Halloween.
The carved jack-o'-lantern, lit by
a candle inside, is one of Halloween's most prominent symbols.
In the British Isles, a turnip was and sometimes still is used,
but immigrants to America quickly adopted the pumpkin because
it was more readily available; additionally, it is much larger
and easier to carve. Many families that celebrate Halloween carve
a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their
home's doorstep after dark. The practice was originally intended
to frighten away evil spirits or monsters.
Neopagans of North America honor their
ancestors on October 31. It was once believed that on this night
any souls who had not yet passed into the paradise of the summer
lands might return to wander the streets and visit their old homes
once more.
Trick-or-treating and guising
The main event of modern US-style Halloween is trick-or-treating,
in which children dress up in costume disguises and go door-to-door
in their neighborhood, ringing each doorbell and yelling "trick
or treat!" This is a watered-down version of the older tradition
of guising in Ireland and Scotland. The occupants of the house
(who might themselves dress in a scary costume) will then hand
out small candies, miniature chocolate bars or other treats. Some
American homes will use sound effects and fog machines to help
set a spooky mood. Other house decoration themes (that are less
scary) are used to entertain younger visitors. Children can often
accumulate many treats on Halloween night, filling up entire pillow
cases or shopping bags.
In Ireland, great bonfires were lit
throughout the breadth of the land. Young children in their guises
were gladly received by the neighbors with some "fruit, apples
and nuts" for the "Halloween Party", whilst older
male siblings played innocent pranks on bewildered victims.
In Scotland, children or guisers are
more likely to recite "The sky is blue, the grass is green,
may we have our Halloween" instead of "trick or treat!".
They visit neighbours in groups and must impress the members of
the houses they visit with a song, poem, trick, joke or dance
in order to earn their treats. Traditionally, nuts, oranges, apples
and dried fruit were offered, though sometimes children would
also earn a small amount of cash, usually a sixpence. Very small
children often take part, for whom the experience of performing
can be more terrifying than the ghosts outside.
Tricks play less of a role in modern
Halloween, though Halloween night is often marked by vandalism
such as soaping windows, egging houses or stringing toilet paper
through trees. Before indoor plumbing was so widespread, tipping
over or displacing outhouses was a popular form of intimidation.
Casting flour into the faces of feared neighbors was also done
once upon a time.
Typical Halloween costumes have traditionally
been monsters such as vampires, ghosts, witches, and devils. In
19th-century Scotland and Ireland the reason for wearing such
fearsome (and non-fearsome) costumes was the belief that since
the spirits that were abroad that night were essentially intent
on doing harm, the best way to avoid this was to fool the spirits
into believing that you were one of them. In recent years, it
has become common for costumes to be based on themes other than
traditional horror, such as dressing up as a character from a
TV show or movie, or choosing a recognizable face from the public
sphere, such as a politician (in 2004, for example, George W.
Bush and John F. Kerry were both popular costumes in America).
In 2001, after the September 11 attacks, for example, costumes
of Islamic terrorists, firefighters, police officers, and United
States military personnel became popular among children and adults.
In 2004, an estimated 2.15 million children in the United States
were expected to dress up as Spider-Man, the year's most popular
costume. [1]
"'Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF"
has become a common sight during Halloween in North America. Started
by UNICEF in 1950, the program involves the distribution of small
boxes by schools to trick-or-treaters, in which they can solicit
small change donations from the houses they visit. It is estimated
that children have collected more than $119 million for UNICEF
since its inception.
BIGresearch conducted a survey for
the National Retail Federation in the US and found that 53.3%
of consumers planned to buy a costume for Halloween 2005, spending
$38.11 on average (up 10 dollars from last year). An estimate
of $3.3 billion was made for the holiday spending.
A child usually "grows out of"
trick-or-treating by his or her teenage years. Trick-or-treating
by teenagers is accepted, but generally discouraged with genial
ribbing by those handing out candy. Teenagers and adults instead
often celebrate Halloween with costume parties, staying home to
give out candy, listening to Halloween music, or scaring people.
Visiting a Haunted house or a Dark
Attraction are other Halloween traditions. Notwithstanding the
name, such events are not necessarily held in houses, nor are
the edifices themselves necessarily regarded to possess actual
ghosts. A variant of this is the haunted trail, where the public
encounters supernatural-themed characters or presentations of
scenes from horror films while following a trail through a heavily
wooded area or field.
Games and other activities
There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween
parties. The most common is dooking or bobbing for apples, in
which apples float in a tub or a large basin of water; the participants
must use their teeth to remove an apple from the basin. A variant
involves kneeling on a chair, holding a fork between the teeth
and trying to drop the fork into an apple. Another common game
involves hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings;
these must be eaten without using hands while they remain attached
to the string, an activity which inevitably leads to a very sticky
face.
Some games traditionally played at
Halloween are forms of divination. In Puicíní (pronounced
"pooch-eeny"), a game played in Ireland, a blindfolded
person is seated in front of a table on which several saucers
are placed. The saucers are shuffled and the seated person then
chooses one by touch. The contents of the saucer determine the
person's life for the following year. A saucer containing earth
means someone known to the player will die during the next year,
a saucer containing water foretells travel, a coin means new wealth,
a bean means poverty, etc. In 19th-century Ireland, young women
placed slugs in saucers sprinkled with flour. The wriggling of
the slugs and the patterns subsequently left behind on the saucers
were believed to portray the faces of the women's future spouses.
In North America, unmarried women
were frequently told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed
into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband
would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to
die before they married, a skull would appear. The custom was
widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from the
late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The telling of ghost stories and viewing
of horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Television
specials with a Halloween theme, usually aimed at children, are
commonly aired on or before the holiday while new horror films
are often released theatrically before the holiday to take advantage
of the atmosphere.
Foods
Main article: Poisoned candy scare
Because the holiday comes in the wake of the annual apple harvest,
Candy Apples (also known as toffee, taffy or caramel apples) are
a common treat at Halloween. They are made by rolling whole apples
in a sticky sugar syrup, and sometimes then rolling them in nuts.
At one time candy apples were a common treat given to children,
but this practice rapidly waned after widespread rumors that some
individuals were embedding items like pins and razor blades in
the apples that they would pass out to children. While there is
evidence of such incidents occurring they are very rare and have
never resulted in any serious injuries. Nonetheless, many parents
were under the assumption that the practice was common. At the
peak of this hysteria, some hospitals were offering to x-ray children's
Halloween haul at no cost in order to look for such items. Almost
all of the very few Halloween candy poisoning incidents on record
involved parents who poisoned their own children's candy, while
there are occasional reports of children sticking needles in their
own candy (and that of other children) more in an effort to get
attention than cause any harm.
A Halloween custom which has survived
unchanged to this day in Ireland is the baking (or more often
nowadays the purchase) of a barmbrack (Irish "báirín
breac"). This is a light fruit cake into which a plain ring
is placed before baking. It is said that whoever finds this ring
will find his or her true love during the following year.
Other foods associated with the holiday:
candy corn
bonfire toffee (in the UK)
Toffee Apple (in Australia, instead of "Candy Apples")
hot apple cider
roasted pumpkin seeds
"fun-sized" or individually wrapped pieces of small
candy, typically in Halloween colors of orange, and brown/black.
Cultural history
Main article: History and folklore of Halloween
Christian festival
Pope Boniface IV established an anniversary dedicated to the Virgin
Mary and the martyrs when he consecrated the Pantheon on May 13,
609 (or 610). This Christian feast day was moved to November 1st
from May 13th by Pope Gregory III in the eighth century in order
to mark the dedication of the All Saints Chapel in Rome — establishing
November 1st as All Saints Day and October 31st as All Hallows'
Eve. Initially this change of date only applied to the diocese
of Rome, but was extended to the rest of Christendom a century
later by Pope Gregory IV in an effort to standardize liturgical
worship.
The feast day of All Souls Day, celebrated
to commemorate those souls condemned temporarily to Purgatory,
was inaugurated by St Odilo, at the time the abbott of the influential
monastery at Cluny, on November 2, 998.
Halloween's Origin: Celtic observation of Samhain
According to what can be reconstructed of the beliefs of the ancient
Celts, the new year began around November 1 or on a New Moon near
that date, a day referred to in modern Gaelic as Samhain ("Sow-in"
or alternatively "Sa-ven", meaning: End of the Summer).
Just as sundown meant the start of a new day, shorter days signified
the start of the new year; therefore the harvest festival began
every year on the night of preceding the autumn new year date.
After the adoption of the Roman calendar with its fixed months,
the date began to be celebrated independently of the Moon's phases.
As November 1 is the first day of
the new year, the day also meant the beginning of Winter, which
the Celts often associated with human death. The Celts also believed
that on October 31 (the night before the new year), the boundary
separating the dead from the living became blurred. (There is
a rich and unusual myth system at work here; the spirit world,
the residence of the "Sidhe," as well as of the dead,
was accessible through burial mounds. These mounds opened at two
times during the year, making the beginning and end of Summer
highly spiritually resonant.)
The Celts' survival during the cold
harsh winters, depended on the prophecies of their priests or
Druids. They believed that the presence of spirits would aid in
the priests' abilities to make future predictions.
The exact customs observed in each
Celtic region differ, but they generally involved the lighting
of bonfires and the reinforcement of boundaries, across which
malicious spirits might cross and threaten the community.
Like most observances around this
season, warmth and comfort were emphasized, indulgence was not.
Stores of preserved food were needed to last through the winter,
not for parties.
Norse Elven Blót
In the old Norse religion an event believed to occur around the
same time of the year as Halloween was the álfablót
(elven blót), which involved sacrifices to the elves and
the blessing of food. The elves were powers connected to the ancestors,
and it can be assumed that the blót related to a cult of
the ancestors. The álfablót is also celebrated in
the modern revival of Norse religion, Ásatrú.
Halloween customs
Observance of Halloween traditions faded in the South of England
from the 17th century onwards, being replaced by the commemoration
of the Gunpowder Plot on November 5. However, it remained popular
in Scotland, Ireland and the North of England. It is only in the
last decade that it again became popular in the south of England,
but as an entirely Americanized version.
The custom survives most accurately
on the island of Ireland, where the last Monday of October is
a public holiday. All schools close for the following week for
mid-term, commonly called the Halloween Break. As a result Ireland
and Northern Ireland are the only countries where children never
have school on Halloween and are therefore free to celebrate it
in the ancient and time-honored fashion.
The custom of trick-or-treating is
thought to have evolved from the European custom called souling,
similar to the wassailing customs associated with Yule. On November
2, All Souls' Day, beggars would walk from village to village
begging for "soul cakes" — square pieces of bread with
currants. Christians would promise to say prayers on behalf of
dead relatives helping the soul's passage to heaven. The distribution
of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace
the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits
at the Samhain.
Further information: Puck
In Celtic parts of western Brittany, Samhain is still heralded
by the baking of kornigou. Kornigou are cakes baked in the shape
of antlers to commemorate the god of winter shedding his "cuckold"
horns as he returns to his kingdom in the Otherworld.
In the Isle of Man where Halloween
is known as Hop-tu-Naa children carry turnips instead of pumpkin,
and sing a song called Jinnie the Witch.
"Punkie Night"
"Punkie Night" is observed on the last Thursday in October
in the village of Hinton St. George in the county of Somerset
in England. On this night, children carry lanterns made from hollowed-out
mangel-wurzels (a kind of beet; in modern days, pumpkins are used)
with faces carved into them. They bring these around the village,
collecting money and singing the punkie song. Punkie is derived
from pumpkin or punk, meaning tinder.
Though the custom is only attested
over the last century, and the mangel-wurzel itself was introduced
into English agriculture in the late 18th century, "Punkie
Night" appears to be much older even than the fable that
now accounts for it. The story goes that the wives of Hinton St.
George went looking for their wayward husbands at the fair held
nearby at Chiselborough, the last Thursday in October, but first
hollowed out mangel wurzels in order to make lanterns to light
their way. The drunken husbands saw the eerie lights, thought
they were "goolies" (the restless spirits of children
who had died before they were baptized), and fled in terror. Children
carry the punkies now. The event has spread since about 1960 to
the neighboring village of Chiselborough.
Sources: on-line report from the Western
Gazette and a National Geographic radio segment. Chiselborough
Fair is memorialized by Fair Place in the village. The National
Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) reported that there
was "a fair for horses and cattle on the last Thursday in
October."
"Mischief Night"
The night before Halloween, known alternately as "Devil's
Night", "Mischief Night", "Mizzie Night",
"Gate Night", "Cabbage Night", "Mat Night",
or "Goosie Night" is often associated with pranks or
destructive activities performed by adolescents. Some of the acts
range from minor vandalism to theft (e.g. of door mats — thus
the name "Mat Night" in some areas), or even arson.
Many youths involved in Mischief Night would be considered too
old for traditional trick-or-treating. One of the most common
wrong-doings is "egging", the act of throwing eggs (sometimes
left out for several days to rot) at neighbors' houses, the eggs'
yolk causing damage to the paint. Another common Mischief Night
act is "T.P.ing", in which people's houses, lawns, and
trees are covered in toilet paper streamers.
In parts of northern England, "Mischievous
Night" occurs on the 4th of November, the night before Bonfire
Night(associated to Bonfire night because the last phases of the
plot were coming together). It is celebrated in the same way,
although minor vandalism often includes fireworks, which appear
in shops in the United Kingdom around this time for legitimate
reasons — to set off alongside bonfires on the following night.
Religious viewpoints
The majority of Christians ascribe no doctrinal significance to
Halloween, but the Celebration of Halloween by the support of
Catholic and other Christian sects exist because how it mocks
Pagan beliefs by presenting outrageous superstition and religious
concepts, and supports the more easily accepted Christian beliefs.
The mingling of Christian and Pagan
traditions in the development of Halloween, and its real or assumed
preoccupation with evil and the supernatural, have left many modern
Christians uncertain of how they should react towards the holiday.
Some fundamentalist and evangelical along with many Eastern Orthodox
Christians and Orthodox Jewish believers consider Halloween a
pagan or Satanic holiday, and refuse to allow their children to
participate. In some areas, complaints from fundamentalist Christians
that the schools were endorsing a pagan religion have led the
schools to stop distributing UNICEF boxes at Halloween. Another
response among conservative evangelicals in recent years has been
the use of Hell houses, which attempt make use of Halloween as
an opportunity for evangelism.
Other Christians, however, continue
to connect the holiday with All Saints Day. Some modern Christian
churches commonly offer a fall festival or harvest-themed alternative
to Halloween celebrations. Still other Christians hold the view
that the holiday is not Satanic in origin or practice and that
it holds no threat to the spiritual lives of children: being taught
about death and mortality actually being a valuable life lesson.
Likewise, to many Protestant churches,
October 31 is also the date of Reformation Day, a minor religious
festival. Some families, churches, and religious schools combine
the holidays.
Halloween Costumes
Halloween costumes are outfits worn on October 31st, the day of
Halloween. Halloween is a modern day holiday (spun off of the
Gaelic/Druidic/Pagan holiday of Samhain (in Christian times, the
eve of All Saints Day). Originally a day to remember the dead
by celebrating the darker and more gruesome side of human existence,
celebrants would dress as their deceased relatives. It has now
become a very commercialized celebration. Because of this, popular
costumes are often mass manufactured and sold in specialty stores.
What sets Halloween costumes apart
from costumes for other celebrations or days of dressing up is
that they are often designed to be gruesome or scary. Popular
monsters of legend or fiction are regular themes for Halloween
costumes, as are pop culture figures like presidents, film or
television characters.
Some of the most common and popular
Halloween costumes are:
Ghost
Vampire
Frankenstein's Monster
Witch
Skeleton
Mummy
Fairy
Giant baby
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