Our favorite Teen Halloween Costumes for 2007

Well teens always are looking for something cool and different. We did when we were teens and the trend continues!

Teenagers and everyone seem to just love Willy Wonka costumes...but to tell you the truth teens really go for gothic costumes. There's nothing better than scaring the heck out of people with a pretty creepy yet decidely cool costume.

Zombie Skate Punk - The first time I saw this one I was amazed. It has got to be the ultimate teen halloween costume. I'm serious! I even want to wear it!

Gothic Lace Vampire Teen - Oh so cool, dark and gothic. You'll be your very creepy best with this long black gown with gothic collar and choker.

Go Go Girl - Head on back to the 1960s in this fashionable costume with a twist.
Goth Spider Princess

Angel of Death - A seriously creepy gothic costume for teen girls.

Vampire Vixen - A little blood sucker if we ever saw one.

Prom Queen - A little dark - 'ala Carrie I suppose but it looks better and much more Gothic without the creepy side.

Bride of Darkness - Ooops the wedding will be off when they spot you in the teen halloween hit.

Nocturna, The Club Vampiress Costume - Dance the night away Halloween style in this absolutely Teenager Halloween Hit!

Devil Fairy - a little bit good and a whole lot bad. This teen costume is out of this world.


Some seriously scary places to wear your Halloween costume this year:

Rocking parties for halloween this year include: Busch Gardens and Universal Studios. Both have very good Halloween Haunted Houses and are designed for teens who are serious about their Halloween party.


How to throw your own halloween party for teens
Ok if you feel seriously creepy trick or treating at the age of 16 we know the feeling. My last trick or treating night was when I was about 17 and I dared to go out in the neighborhood on Halloween. Well the last house the guy said "Aren't you a little old for this." Oh geez I felt busted.. Anyway o.k. if that's the case then you can have more fun throwing your own Halloween party anyway - besides do you really need all that candy?

First plan the party and decide on your halloween theme. It could be gothic, classic Alice Cooper, or whatever halloween theme you find interesting.Invite your friends to come in costume, and don't forget to put a start time and ending time on the halloween invitations.

Here are some drive by ideas:

1. Get a fog machine. By the way LTM Party sells them. Check it out.

2. Get some serious halloween props and special effects. You know we got em.

3. Bring out the old ouija board and tarot cards to get a little scared.

4. Don't forget the seriously creepy halloween treats. Check out some of the stuff in this book...

Review

From School Library Journal

-An artful arrangement of ingredients aided by imaginative titles transforms ordinary food into disgusting treats such as, "Pus Pockets" (pita stuffed with cheese, baked, slit, and squeezed) and "Worms au Gratin" (spaghetti and noodles). While some children will only browse through the book to exclaim at the yucky fare, those who try the recipes will find that they contain sensible advice, beginning with safety tips, cooking terms, measurements, and clean-up hints. Instructions are clearly written and list needed tools. The advice, "with an adult's help" is given whenever cooking, baking, or the use of a sharp knife is required. Burke's pen-and-ink cartoons are essential for their humorous portrayal of monsters and ugly characters and because arrangement of food is so critical for gruesome effect. Even so, some imagination may be needed to see the werewolf in the Waldorf Salad or Brussels sprouts as gorilla tonsils. The food itself is mostly healthful, with fruits and vegetables featured as prominent ingredients. Food coloring is used in some recipes and stuffed olives (eyeballs) appear more than once. Some titles may be over readers' heads, but the serving suggestions (e.g., crumpled facial tissues with the "Phlegm Brulee) will help them understand. Filled with clever ideas, this is an excellent choice for those who are looking for something creepy but fun.

"Filled with clever ideas, this is an excellent choice for those who are lookin for something creepy but fun."--School Library Journal.

Review: I used this book for an adult business halloween party. they all acted like kids grossing out at each item (yet eating them ALL and asking for more). I only made a few items last year to see their reaction and couldn't believe how they devoured them and started searching my refrigerator for more! this year i'll be adding many more of these recipes to my menu.

Review: If you can get past the names of the dishes (and your imagination doesn't go into overdrive), you will love this book! The instructions are simple, and there are plenty of opportunities to teach kids about good kitchen technique. This book belongs in every parent's collection.

Ghostly Frights For Halloween Nights (Hardcover)

Amazon.com
Filled with the requisite bats, skeletons, pumpkins, and lots of ghosts, Ghostly Frights for Halloween Nights offers dozens of projects to bedeck house and garden for a month of spooking. Wooden-spoon-face ghouls dressed in glittery fabric scraps cluster among dead leaves in the front yard. Papier-mâché spheres shaped over balloons become a bat piñata, an owl lantern, or skull-headed maracas. Kids can help with some of the easiest projects, or they can enjoy the fruits of grownups' labor by counting down to the big day with an October version of the advent calendar, or play Dr. Frankenstein by reassembling a brightly colored monster body. The sometimes-murky directions and occasionally confusing (though graphically appealing) illustration diagrams are generally clarified by the color photos of the finished products, and most of the projects are fairly simple anyway. With the exception of the more-complex stitching projects (stuffed chameleon, peek-a-boo quilt, witch doll), novices should be able to handle most of these items. --Amy Handy

Book Description
Turn your home into the neighborhood fright night center with fast and simple projects you can make yourself, or with the kids’ help. The windows of your front door become a goblin’s glowing, glaring eyes; add a malevolent toothy grin dripping with blood. Hang a papier-mâché Grim Reaper on a porch post, where the breeze will blow him to and fro. You can even make jack-o’-lanterns out of painted stones. Projects abound to create a truly haunted house.

Several hundred A-Z entries cover the history, folklore, symbols, rituals, artifacts, and activities of Halloween. Morton's research extends to Wiccan lore, Celtic observances, and Christian mythology, including the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead. She writes enthusiastically about folk customs and is sensitive to the controversies surrounding horror literature, witchcraft, and demonism. Without undue pedantry, she explains the house-to-house souling pilgrimage, the incorporation of cabbages in Scottish holidays, the source of the boogeyman in bogs, and the lengthy training of Druid priests in predicting the future. Contributing to data are detailed photos and line drawings--players enjoying a fireside game of snap-apple, an illustration from the Luttrell Psalter, a cook preparing holiday eggs, children around a bonfire. A lengthy entry on Guy Fawkes Day, which absorbed many Halloween traditions, includes a detailed history, an engraving of the gunpowder conspirators, descriptions of regional variations, and the texts of several popular rhymes.

Assisting teachers, researchers, and the media is a two-page chronology of Halloween, beginning with ancient Egyptian writings and a post-9/11 urban legend about going to malls on Halloween. A second appendix lists and summarizes literature and films from 1714 to 2001. The bibliography is thorough, covering early sources as well as recent works. The author could have improved on the list of books by separating primary and secondary sources.

This generously illustrated and indexed overview is a worthy addition to public and school libraries as well as the reference shelves of journalists and leaders of community events. Information on Halloween can be found in resources such as Folklore of American Holidays (3d ed., Gale, 1998) and Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary (3d ed., Omnigraphics, 2003), but The Halloween Encyclopedia offers much more detail. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
The concept of Halloween as a holiday and cultural phenomenon worthy of serious study is only a few decades old, and only since the mid–1980s have scholars started to accept that Halloween’s place in modern society (especially in American society) merits attention beyond horror fiction and children’s books. The first book devoted solely to Halloween was published just over a century ago, and now, Halloween has its own encyclopedia.

Major entries include Samhain, the Celtic ancestor of Halloween; witches, a major Christian addition to the mythology of Halloween and one that still generates interest and controversy; skeletons, a universally recognized symbol of death; the Day of the Dead, the Mexican holiday that is often compared to Halloween; the jack-o’-lantern, which has its roots in folktales starring the rascally Jack who always manages somehow to beat the Devil; and trick-or-treating, the most loved and misunderstood American Halloween ritual. Hundreds of small entries cover Halloween history and mythology, fortune-telling lore, harvest legends, and 20th century additions to the holiday’s rituals.

Halloween's Goblin Universe Disenchanted, September 19, 2005
Reviewer: J. E. Barnes (Bayridge, Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

Like Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud's A Dictionary of English Folklore ((2000), Lisa Morton's The Halloween Encyclopedia (2003) represents a factually sound but poetically reductive examination of its subject. Both books sacrifice an inherent sense of wonder in the name of scholarly and/or academic respectability, with fairly sterile results, unlike, for instance, comparable works by British historian Ronald Hutton. The tone of Morton's text would be equally suitable to a handbook on carpentry or automobile repair.

Morton's approach is doubly underscored by the unenthusiastic, almost parsimonious, design of the book: with very few exceptions, the illustrations, all of which are in black and white, are disappointing, uninviting, and undefinitive representations of their subjects. Considering the thousands of illuminating and visionary Halloween graphics available, those included suggest that Morton has little visual imagination whatsoever, and thus a probable weakness for interpreting the holiday's symbology.

Importantly, Morton's visual failing crosses over to the book's text: for example, in several entries, Morton expresses perplexity about the meaning and relevance of scarecrows at Halloween: "The popularity of scarecrows as a Halloween symbol is something of an anomaly, since scarecrows are not practical in late October, when crops have already been harvested." One might as well ask why images of snow and snowmen play such a large part in traditional Christmas iconography.

Morton clearly understands--at least intellectually--that Halloween has undeniable agrarian roots and is partially a celebration of harvest; thus she should perceive that the scarecrow, on one level, represents the "autumn other" who, by proxy, presides like a vigilant demi-god over the stages of the agricultural cycle, which, of course, have traditionally culminated with Halloween. On the most basic level, scarecrows and snowmen are simply personifications of the seasons and holiday each represents. But, as human doppelgangers composed largely of vegetable matter, scarecrows are also 'betwixt and between' liminal figures of the highest order.

Throughout the book, Morton's commentary often suggests that she is and always has been an urban dweller with little or no first-hand experience of country life. A leisurely road trip through the Midwest, New York State, and New England during August, September, and October might provide Morton with the broad insight she seems to lack.

Elsewhere, many of Morton's entries seem sadly imbalanced. The entry for 'Guy Fawkes Night' is over six pages in length and 'Pranking' over four, while 'Devil' receives three meager paragraphs, and 'Ghosts,' only six paragraphs. Likewise, Latin America's 'Days Of The Dead' receives over four full pages of text, but 'Harvest' only two paragraphs. Some entries are padded with questionable material, such as the extraneous paragraph on Edgar Allen Poe's 'The Black Cat' which supplements the entry on 'Cats.'

Morton has an easy appreciation for late twentieth century cultural products like John Carpenter's 'Halloween' (1979), but no apparent insight whatsoever into what the 'Jack-O'-Lantern' might have meant to twentieth century audiences, or might mean to celebrants of the present era. Is the American jack-o'-lantern of today merely a meaningless colored shell mechanically and thoughtlessly carved and placed on porches and in windows? Or does the yearly ritual mean something, however obscure, to many who participate?

Anthropomorphic vegetable figures were a prominent Halloween symbol during the early twentieth century, when most Americans were still living agrarian lives, and yet there is no entry considering them, which may leave readers with the impression that the numinous aspects of many powerful Halloween symbols are simply beyond Morton's range of understanding or expression.

The Halloween Encyclopedia should have been a feast for the mind, imagination, and senses, but is unlikely to inspire enthusiasm in either those new to the study of the subject or those with considerable interest in it. Morton's reference to "the gays in American," as if such a label, which many with preferences for their own sex reject, could identify millions of diverse individuals, is unintentionally hilarious, and readers may wonder what Morton's unqualified aside that Reagan Administration oppressed "gays and gay rights" is doing in a book on Halloween.

Review: A delightful collection of Halloween lores

I enjoyed this book very much. It is a sound scholarly work and even though it has all the meticulous research to appeal to serious folklorists, it will also be of interest to the general reader. Apart from the main dictionary entries, there are also two appendices (appendix 1 contains a chronology of Halloween and appendix 2 discusses how Halloween has been portrayed in literature and the arts - the cinema is included). In addition, the author provides us with a rich bibliography of mainly academic works as well as a useful index.

Halloween has long been a popular festival in Western christendom. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the equivalent remembrances for the souls of the dead occur on the 'psychosavvata' or 'soul Saturday'; yet these take place in spring (like the ancient Greek 'Antheseria', the entry for which is to be found on p.13). It is not surprising therefore that this book contains details about customs from mainly Catholic countries. Many of these ethnic customs and traditions relate to certain countries such as Mexico ( e.g. 'El Dia do los Muertes' or the Day of the Dead)and the Celtic cultures, especially the Irish , Scottish and Welsh. Indeed there are many entries that pertain to terms from these aforementioned cultures. However, in some of the longer entries, traditions from some other countries are also recorded. For instance, in the fascinating entry on All Souls Day we are informed about distinct celebrations from various European countries such as Poland, Italy, Portugal and Germany etc.

There are, however, just a few constuctive observations that could be made about certain very minor errors(which in no way detract from the exceptional quality of this book). For instance, in a few of the foreign language terms, especially those taken from Celtic languages, there could perhaps have been slightly more thorough editing. For instance, the Welsh 'hwch du gwta' mentioned on p. 166 as the 'black sow' is in fact the black tailless sow and the middle word should be 'ddu'(pronounced as the archaic English word 'thee') and not 'du' (even though the Welsh word 'du' does indeed mean 'black', the word in this context should undergo a mutation and thus be 'ddu'). On the subject of the Welsh black tailless sow, the equally important Halloween ghost from Wales called the 'ladi wen' (white lady) was not mentioned. Moreover, the reference to the 'tylweth teg' should read 'tylwyth teg' (i.e. 'fair people' - one of several Welsh names for the fairies). The Irish word for fairy is 'si' (with an accent called a 'fada' on the 'i') whereas the author uses the outmoded spelling of 'sidhe'.

From the fellow-Celtic land of Cornwall, there is an interesting but too concise entry on 'Allantide'. Here the reference to the 'Allan apples' does not connect these particular apples to the ritual of (Cornish) girls placing them under their pillows to inspire a dream of their future spouses (alluded to on p.16). This detail could easily have been cross-referenced to both the excellent entry on 'bobbing for apples' and perhaps to the equally interesting entry on 'fortune telling'.

Something else that is of interest in this book is the frequent conflation that is apparent between Halloween and Christmas. Prof. Jack Santino (for whom there is actually an entry) referred to Halloween as the 'Irish Christmas'. Indeed, there is much in common between the two festivals in several cultures, not only in Ireland. This is why we can notice common traditons such as the Christmas game of 'snapdragon' also being played at Halloween. Other common customs can be seen in the entries on 'belsnickling', 'mumming', 'hogmanay', 'mistletoe' and 'strawboys' (the strawboys also feature in Irish weddings). Another noteworthy feature is the wise inclusion of Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night (Nobvember 5th). Even though the 'Guy (effigy) was not burnt in the original fires after the 1605 Gunpowder Plot (this custom was introduced a couple of centuries later), the bonfire on November 5th gradually replaced the earlier bonfires that had formerly been lit at Halloween. This book provides a wealth of fascinating information and opens up so many interesting questions about Halloween - both old and new. It is my favourite title about this celebration and I thoroughly recommend it!

Review: Intended for the scholar seeking serious references
Lisa Morton's The Halloween Encyclopedia is no light reading, but intended for the serious scholar of world holiday legends and culture, and provides major entries about the origins and myths surrounding Halloween. The first book devoted solely to Halloween was published a little over a century ago, and most since have revolved around fairy tales and legends. Lisa Morton's A-Z encyclopedic reference is intended for the scholar seeking serious references on the topic, and will fit the bill for any college-level academic collection and many a public library refrence shelf.

Halloween: Customs, Recipes & Spells (Paperback)

Review: Great look at the feastival!

I thought this was a great book - especially for someone just learning about this like me. The writing is easy to get into (in some cases a bit too cutsy I'm afraid but I looked past that). I enjoyed the section on the history of halloween across cultures although in some ways it seemed like too much of a high level synopsis but it was an ok introduction. The section on halloween symbols was excellent since we see all these things typically at halloween (black cats, witch hats etc). There are some fun divinations which include runes. And there are of course blessings and recipes etc. I think this would be a great family book - to give kids (all of us really) a bit more meaning to the day rather than just getting a stash of candy from the neighbors. Definitely a great introduction and fun stuff to do. I'm giving it 4 stars rather than 5 since I was expecting a bit more substance but its fun nonetheless.

Review: Respect For Samhain While Celebrating Halloween Fun
This book combines excellent scholarship with creativity and a joyful sense of fun. It explores the popular holiday of Halloween as well as the more serious and spiritual side of the pagan sabbat Samhain. You don't have to be a pagan to enjoy this book because it has many, many lighthearted and clever ideas that will entertain even if Halloween is purely a fun night of make-believe for you. Fortunately it takes Samhain seriously enough to be satisfactory to pagans who require a bit more substance in this holiday's revels. Interspersed with seasonal artwork the book starts out with a thorough look at Samhain and Halloween history. Customs and traditions such as Jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, bonfires, among others are discussed. Superstitions and many Halloween symbols are detailed. The chapter on divination is informative and lots of fun. Colorful kitchen witchery offers up some delicious recipes that are wonderful for parties or just for seasonal family fare. A meaningful and enjoyable section on Halloween Magick shares ideas for spells, blessings, charms, and ritual. An important aspect of Samhain, that of honoring the dead, is discussed with helpful ideas for adding meaning and respectful reflection. Many delightful poems from various sources grace the opening chapter pages and they in turn can be used when crafting one's own sabbat rituals.
This book does not tippy-toe around and pretend to be a book that won't offend anyone. It is a book by a Wiccan for other Wiccans but as always, the door is open, step through and enjoy as you will.

Review: Halloween Traditions, Divinations, Recipes, Crafts and More,
"Harvest moon, velvet sky, pumpkins glowing, children laughing, costumes, candy, snapping breezes...scary stories, Indian corn, haunted houses, smiling scarecrows, blowing leaves...apples, parties, spindly spiders, dancing bats, grinning ghosts, sparkling stars...hayrides, dances, screeching cats, big bonfires...just where did this autumn gaiety begin?" - Silver RavenWolf

Magical holidays arise out of the mist in October. Whether named All Hallows Eve, Samhain, Saven, or Halloween, these autumnal celebrations are often a mixture of Pagan, Christian, and American practices. Each year, Americans spend billions of dollars for Halloween festivities, including costumes, candy, and decorations.

However, what are the origins of this holiday? What is the significance of jack-o-lanterns, black cats, trick-or-treating, and masks? Via her magic broomstick, author Silver RavenWolf takes the reader on a guided tour of Halloween history, customs, symbols, and lore in her book Halloween - Customs, Recipes, and Spells. From The Druids to the Romans, Colonial Pennsylvania to Ireland, RavenWolf searches for the roots of Halloween and examines celebration rituals from around the world.

Featuring superstitions, crafts, recipes and spells, Halloween - Customs, Recipes, and Spells is a phantasmagoric travelogue through foggy cornfields and gravestones laced with cobwebs. RavenWolf shows readers how to honor and contact the dead-including a pagan funeral rite-as well as how to construct divinatory tools for Guidance.

Some of the fascinating offerings you'll find in this book include:

* Superstitions and symbols of pitchforks, scarecrows, werewolves, vampires and bats
* Customs such as bonfires, Halloween processions, masks and costumes
* Divination methodology and instruction for casting lots, pumpkin seed divination for solitaries and parties, making a magick mirror, and Psychometry
* Tempting recipes like Green Man cake, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Easy Enchanted Punch, Frosted Grapes and Honeyed Apples, and Sugar Snakes in Graveyard Dust
* Magickal charm bags, pleasant dream sachets, corn husk magick, and pumpkin abundance lights
* Harvest Moon ritual, Halloween defense spell, Samhain protection powder, and Jack-o'-Lantern protection totem
* Spirit rattles and bowls, solitary Samhain ritual, ancestral altars, the dumb supper, offerings to the dead, and a simple ritual to receive answers from the dead

Written in an engaging, playful style, Halloween - Customs, Rituals, and Spells takes the "scare" out of this oft-misunderstood holiday, and shows how Halloween can be a time for sacred ritual, family bonding, self-discovery and FUN. I found the various mythos and customs absorbing, as well as the various symbols and superstitions. My favorite part of the book, though, was the section on Halloween divination used during this time of year; including instructions for making your own divination tools.

If you're interested in Halloween, Samhain, Day of the Dead and other "spooky" holidays, this book is a great way to indulge your fascination and learn a few new things along the way. In addition, Pagans, Wiccans, and open-minded folks will welcome the ideas for celebration and ritual.

Review: umm.....
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.

Review: My Favorite Holiday,
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.

Review: A light hearted look at a 'dark' 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.

Girls: What's So Bad About Being Good?: How to Have Fun, Survive the Preteen Years, and Remain True to Yourself (Paperback)

Review: Highly recommended
I have been reviewing books for girls who are in their preteen years. The interactive book I like best is "Girls: What's so Bad about being Good?" (Authors: Harriet Mosatche and 12 year-old daughter Liz Lawner). The format is teen friendly and inviting. A wide range of topics will captivate young readers. The book is written in a format that will guide and encourage young women to make positive choices. Highly recommended.

Review: Excellent Book
This book has everything I was looking for. The best part was that the information was down to earth, stuff I can actually use in my life. When I had my copy at camp, all the other girls kept grabbing it so they could read it too!

Review: Read this Great Advice Book
I just finished reading this book, and really loved the fact that you can get advice from a mom and a daughter. The book is funny, has lots of stuff to do, and has loads of interesting and very useful information. The authors really understand kids my age.

The Everything Tween Book: A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Turbulent Pre-Teen Years (Everything Series) (Paperback)

Book Description
Has your daughter started wearing makeup and thinking about boys—years before you dreamed it could happen? Are you concerned that your son has been acting up and talking back—while you’re sure you should still be his hero?
As you know, the "tween" years, which fall between the ages of eight and twelve, can often be a challenging time for both you and your child. The Everything® Tween Book, written by child psychologist Dr. Linda Sonna, helps you navigate the trying years between childhood and adolescence. From addressing such serious issues as eating disorders and school violence to learning tolerance for pink and blue hair, The Everything® Tween Book helps you understand and cope with your child’s psychological, social, and emotional needs.

The Everything® Tween Book provides sound, professional advice on:

·Understanding—and dealing with—rebellion
·Improving communication
·Disciplining
·Managing sibling spats
·Helping your tween face peer pressure
·Ensuring good health

·Teaching sex education
Packed with practical advice and reliable tips to help you get through the worst conflicts, The Everything® Tween Book ensures that you stay sane while your tween blossoms into a healthy, happy, and mature young adult.

About the Author
Linda Sonna, Ph.D., is a child psychologist and former foster mom. She is author of the highly successful The Everything® Toddler Book and The Everything® Potty Training Book, as well as The Homework Solution: Getting Kids to Do Their Homework and The Homework Plan: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Kids Excel. Dr. Sonna teaches psychology at the University of New Mexico.

Review:
Useful for parent and child, August 30, 2004
Reviewer: Lisa "Cyclothone" (Central CA, USA) - See all my reviews
Lots of insight and useful suggestions. My tween is also reading it, and "suggesting" I read certain sections. A lot of good conversations have started that way.

Review: Everything Tween Book
Finally a book that touches on the questions parents of "tweenagers" struggle with daily and offers workable solutions to the problems of homework, sex, drugs, moodiness, peers, etc. Dr. Sonna knows her stuff and shares it in a highly readable and understandable way.

Review: A good book for a hard age
Kids are trying to grow up too fast, acting like teenagers when they're still in elementary school. This book has lots of good advice for keeping kids on a good track at school, and at home, along with tips for sleeping,safety, keeping them off of junk food, and "everything" else. Already my daughter and I are getting along better

Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids

Review:

This is a beautiful book and so user-friendly! It was great to avoid frantically running around from store to store, since this book has such simple patterns and shortcuts where you don't even have to sew, as well as last-minute panic solutions. The 100 different costume choices (from well-known bunnies, pirates and witches to the amusing gingerbread house, octopus, swamp monster) will last the Halloween life of my kids (and probably their kids too!), making this book quite the bargain. Making and creating the costumes was a fun family project and encouraged everyone's imagination. I like the idea that a portion of the proceeds of the book go to UNICEF.

Review
I have made the squeleton costume for my 5 years old and it was a success. It was a great initiation to costume making for me. It also is easy to understand and do by them selfs for older kids. It is our favorite bedtime story.

Sam (age 5) and Kate (age 3) have been so excited about this book "reading" every page over and over and taking it to bed with them! Kate has memorized the names of each costume and has been able to ask for and describe a combination of costumes that she has imagined for herself!

Review
This book is wonderful for inspiring creative imagination and the costume tips and patterns ARE easy and versatile enough for you to whip up an original costume with very simple inexpensive ingredients or with whatever you have in the house even at the very last minute!

Review
I am very proud of Sam, who after much gleeful "study" of this book with his sister, decided to make his own costume modifying one of the ideas in this book - how satisfying for him to march in his school costume parade wearing an original costume that started from an idea from this book and made pretty much all by himself (hey, no sewing, or even glue gun needed for that one!) I'm sure we will get lots more year round dress-up inspiration from this truly "Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids" book to come... my mind is already brewing up some winter dress-up Birthday Party ideas!

Review
In Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes For Kids, Halloween costume designer Leila Peltosaari showcases one hundred easy-to-make costumes complete with matching treat bags and accessories. The simple, step-by-step instructions are enhanced with detailed full-color photos and illustrations. The color-coded, easy patterns for 3 to 12 year olds are well-organized and feature a wealth of "no-sew" shortcuts and "last-minute" solutions. Highly recommended for even the most novice costumer, Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes For Kids is enhanced further with a history of Halloween, safety tips, and anecdotal background stories. With designs ranging from traditional and storybook characters to animals and clowns, to celestial beings and cultural tributes, most of the costumes can be assembled without a sewing machine and in only one evening. Many of the costumes are made form Polarfleece (a perfect Halloween fabric which is soft and lightweight, slightly stretchy, warm, versatile, with no hemming or seam finished needed -- and hotglues like a dream!). Although specifically targeted for the Halloween holiday, these are delightful outfits that can well serve for costume parties and school plays at any time of year!

Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids is the best I have seen on this topic. The full color photographs of the costumes, complete with makeup, are spectacular. The directions are thorough and easy to follow. Any of these costumes would be a terrific for Halloween and the ideas could also be used for making costumes for plays or other productions. At the price of store bought costumes or patterns, this book is a bargain, as it contains 100 costumes and many additional ideas. You won't be disappointed!









Family Fun Tricks and Treats

Halloween is a time of transformation and not for just humans who don the face paint and masks!

Reviews

There are a number of Halloween books out on the market for decorating, baking and costume making, but this is one of the few that actually has something new in it!

The crafts are clever, but actually look doable wtih things you might already have on hand. The costumes ideas are fun and innovative, the food ideas are also really cute, but not overly-complicated. While some classic ideas never die, this book puts a nice twist on things like "body parts" games.

Of course, the ideas come from the monthly magazine that Disney produces, Family Fun, and if you get the magazine, you'll have already seen alot of these things in print or on their website. Still, the book is nicely layed-out, easy to flip through and a good resource of party and costume ideas for both kids and their grown-ups.

Review
This book is an awesome resource for make-at-home costumes and decorations. The ideas are so cute, easy to follow, and where else can you find a recipe for slime?

Review
This was great! My daughter & I love Halloween and when we saw this we bought it right away. There are so many wonderful ideas. A must have! There were a lot of spooky things to do with foods and great little ideas for those little helpers to decorate your home with lots of memories! You have to get this one!






The Halloween Handbook : 447 Costumes

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.





Dazzling Disguises and Clever Costumes

Reviews:

This book would be a really great book for kids.
It would be fantastic to use as inspiration for Halloween costumes.
There are some great ideas inside. The instructions seem easy for children to follow and most of the materials used to make the costumes are available around the house or at a craft store.






Dressed for Thrills : 100 Years of Halloween Costumes and Masquerade

From Publishers Weekly
From a 1930s waxed, painted buckram "Evil Bunny" and a mohair and cotton "Colonial Ladies Wig" from the 1940s to "Buddie Beatnik" and "Rubik's Cube" costumes, this colorful photographic survey by Galembo, a photographer and SUNY professor of art, shows vintage costumes worn by (sometimes rather unhappy looking) young models. Mark Alice Durant, a University of Maryland professor of Visual Arts, offers the accompanying essay, "Glowing Turnips, Pointy Black Hats, & Insomniac Aliens: The Hybrid History of Halloween," showing how we "shape rituals to fit the realities of the moment." The play versions of Groucho Marx, Olive Oyl, astronauts and Lady Liberty among the 123 full-color photos illustrate that principle whimsically and sometimes scarily.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description

A whimsical array of ghosts and goblins, spooks and skeletons, vamps and vampires parade through this unparalleled collection of more than 100 years of American Halloween attire. From Little Bo Peep with lamb in hand to beatniks and pirates, from monsters and witches to clowns and animals, this veritable "carnival" of costumes visually captures All Hallows' Eve like no other book before.

In her celebration of Halloween revelry, photographer Phyllis Galembo never settles for the ordinary; here instead are evocative scenes of dressed-to-scare young trick-or-treaters "modeling" their disguises, of undead spirits haunting their surroundings, and of costumes spanning over a century that take on an eerie new creepiness thanks to special lighting effects. Accompanying the costume shots is a history of this always-popular holiday and an essay placing the work in the wider context of fashion and costume. Of interest to enthusiasts, designers, and students alike, this devilishly diverting book is the perfect gift for all Halloween aficionados.

Review

If you have ANY feel for Halloween, BUY this book! It is THAT good! It will remind you of your childhood and the magic that flew through the air on Halloween. HIGHLY reccomended!






Halloween : A Grown-Up's Guide to Creative Costumes, Devilish Decor & Fabulous Festivities


Reviews

Finally, here's a Halloween book that's definitely for adults. It's brimming with practical and inventive ideas for parties, decorations, and costumes, and with an amazingly atmospheric design that's a luscious treat for grown-up eyes. Take the dread out of a costume party with creative and playful ways to dress for success on All Hallow's Eve; there are even actual costume elements to use, from wings and tails to masks and hats. You'll find ways to repurpose items right out of your own closet or benefit from a quick trip to the thrift shop. Unique make-up tips for a ghoulishly great appearance will complete the effect. An elegant "Pumpkin Primer" supplies projects to enhance the holiday spirit, including menacing hex dolls and simple, spooky candlescapes. Finally, a selection of theme party ideas, from Day o' the Dead to a Masked Ball, will make for a Happy Halloween. After all: why should kids have all the fun?

Review
The bug costumes actually looked pretty good, and so on. I especially loved the Monet costume, which was of watery blue cloth and bedecked in water-lilies, with a garden bridge on the hat. Many of the costumes and decorations are very artistic. Even some of the no-sew costumes made me say "Oooh, cool!"

Review
The "Mother Nature and Green Man" costume I find hilarious. Just looking at the picture you'd think they were hippies covered in vegetation and/or mossy stuff. On the next page there is an entire page on "Who is The Green Man?" I figure if you have to go around explaining who the heck you are it takes the fun out of it after the 500th time. "No...I'm NOT the moss man or the hippy man covered in vegetation...I am the Green Man (insert expletives and other cuss words here)...!"

Review
I am a fan of adult Halloween books - nothing cutesy or for the kiddies. I bought this book thinking it would have equal amounts of decor and costumes as I am the type of person that likes Martha Stewart's Halloween decorating ideas. While this book is very good, it is primarily costumes and masks. I would have liked to see more decor. The first 108 pages out of 175 pages are costumes. The remaining pages covers jack-o-lanterns, decorating with candles, a few recipes, etc. Nothing new or spectacular. Great if you like to craft your own costumes...mediochre if you want new decor ideas and crafting your own Halloween items.

Maybe it's because I'm not a seamstress, or even a casual sewer, but I don't understand the objections of an earlier review. It's hard to believe we're talking about the same book! Yes, there is a costume using duct tape, but throughout the book I found many new, very original and creative ideas that I will be able to use for my annual Halloween extravaganza. I have read dozens and dozens of books on Halloween costumes, crafts, and decorating, and never been quite so inspired. As a Halloween afficionado, I recommend it highly!

So many times you see these books on line and wonder if they have enough good ideas to make it worth the purchase price. In my humble opinion this book at 172 pages, is worth the purchase price. Great costume ideas including making wonderful fairy wings using a laminator machine. Horns, hooves, and other accessories you don't often see are described with nice pictures. One section is devoted to hats, wigs, and make-up and includes a Medusa Wig! Pet costumes are also included in this book! The decor section has some truly original ideas along with the traditional hex dolls, corn dolly's, and a giant spider. The table top Victorian graveyard was my favorite! The last section is devoted to theme parties with a Day of the Dead dinner party and Voodoo cocktail party. Handy copyright free images are also provided to make decorations.




Halloween-Costumes and Treats on All Hallows' Eve (Finding Out About Holidays)

From School Library Journal
Robinson opens with a lengthy history of Halloween and its ghostly beginnings. The next section explains the different symbols and traditions. The final chapter relates information about our modern celebrations, safety issues for children, and costume and decorating ideas. Full-color, archival photos appear on almost every page. Directions for making mini-ghosts are included but not illustrated, which may frustrate children. An additional purchase where more material on the history of the holiday is needed.

Elegantly Frugal Costumes

Book Description

This wonderfully practical book literally shows you how to make costumes for plays, pageants and musicals at the lowest possible expense! Over 150 detailed illustrations work with the easy-to-follow text to walk you through every step of the process. Just about every basic period is covered: Biblical to Medieval, Renaissance, Angels, the Fabulous Fifties, 1800s to World War I, The Roaring Twenties and more. Many helpful hints on making or buying realistic period theatrical costumes on a shoestring budget from cast-offs, donations, scraps, and other easily-obtained materials. Also included are "special effects" costumes, helpful hints for getting into and out of costumes, and a glossary of costuming terms A book that will pay for itself with its first use.

About the Author
Shirley Dearing holds degrees in music and art and has sung and designed costumes for several operas. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Review:

What I like about this book is that it foregoes any esoterica and costuming theory in favor of good old fashioned practicality. The reader doesn't have to sift through the excruciating snobby details, but instead is given the real lowdown as if visiting with a best friend who happens to be a costume mistress.

This book focuses mainly on costuming for low-budget productions (such as community theatre or a school play), providing useful information and advice on making good-looking costumes from already existing garments and/or thrift store offerings. Information abounds about time period, costume cuts & styles, ways to splurge or skimp on your costumes and still have them look fabulous, as well as details that an inexperienced costumer might overlook (such as using velcro instead of buttons for ease in costume changes).

I would highly recommend this to anyone who is involved in costuming for a production, or anyone who simply loves costumes and loves to recycle old clothes into great new ones. I love this book and have read through it several times just for inspiration.


An excellent book of ideas and help for someone wanting to learn to costume for community theatre. It contains excellent examples of her own work that is easy to follow. It does not overload your brain with useless information. A good starting out book, that aids a person in organizing the information , and research problems needed to suceeded in this field. Also a good read for veterans of the design buisness to give fresh ideas and back up what they have done . After 35 years finally I have found someone who appreciates the use of thrift stores , goodwill and lace curtains for stage costumes. Thank you Shirley for putting it into words and pictures.

 

Clever Costume Creating for Halloween (Paperback)

Review" Prrrfect booook for the costume inclined!
From mens 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!

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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 womens 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 sti