October is just around the corner! I’m a big believer that the holidays are a special time of the year. After the year we’ve had, I think making the most of the holidays will be especially important and a little bit more challenging.
Classic traditions like Trick or Treat or Halloween parties/dances/haunted houses might be a little different or non-existent this year. But as they say, challenges are only opportunities. So, here are a few Halloween traditions that you can start this year that can enrich the whole month of October.
- The October Spooky Read
Each year, I choose a special spooky read for the month of October. It’s a great opportunity to dig into some of the old horror classics that can’t seem to find their way to the top of a TBR list during the rest of the year. To enhance the experience, find a few friends or a reading buddy and have a mini-Halloween book club. I have very fond memories of October strolls with my wife as a poor college, splitting a pair of headphones to listen to Frankenstein. If you need some suggestions, try Frankenstein, Dracula, almost anything by Edgar Allan Poe, or some short stories by HP Lovecraft… or in the spirit of shameless self-promotion you could read my book, The Crimson Inkwell. - Halloween Decoration Project
Another great way to make Halloween special is by tackling a Halloween decoration project. I don’t mean just carving a Jack-o-lantern. Your goal should be to create a memorable project experience. With any luck, it will be a decoration you can bring out for years to come. It could be a Halloween painting, a lit stack of reusable Jack-o-lanterns, a life-sized replica of the Grim Reaper… Engaging your creativity in a meaningful way brings great satisfaction. - Memorialize Fall Sweets
Everyone has some special Halloween or fall treats that fill them with the feeling of autumn. Rather than treating these treats (see what I did there?) haphazardly, plan and give each treat its own special moment. For example, I love Butterbeer around Halloween. We found a great recipe, but we only have it while watching Harry Potter. That turns a food preference into a great tradition. - Halloween Movie Series
There are a set of films that I love, but I force myself to only watch in the month of October. I look forward to watching them all year long. Clue. The Harry Potter films. The Prestige. The Charlie Brown Halloween Special (ok, I don’t have the urge to watch that except during October, but you get the picture). The wait to watch the films makes them all the more exciting when it’s time, which means I’m much less likely to have a phone or be otherwise distracted while watching. - Halloween Podcast
Finally, I encourage you to find a great spooky, creepy, or unnerving podcast. Podcasts are great because you can listen to an episode daily or a few times a week. I tried this last year with the Magnus Archives, a fabulous horror fiction podcast that really got me in the spooky mood.
Good luck! I hope that you can create some meaningful traditions that make your Halloween extra special!
1 Comment
Jeff
I could not restrict myself with any movie to only watch it on Halloween, especially Clue! That’s a great year-round watch. Although, I do try to limit how often I watch Hitchcock’s Psycho so that on Halloween night, it is a more engaging experience.
Dover Thrift Editions has several good short story compilations. Last year, I picked up Great Horror Stories, which features works by Bram Stoker, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, and others. A great collection! William Hope Hodgson’s The Derelict is a story worth reading if you’re a particular fan of nautical-based horror. He’s an under-appreciated writer, I think.
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Horror-Stories-Lovecraft-Editions/dp/0486461432/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=great+horror+stories+dover+thrift+editions&qid=1632257374&s=books&sr=1-1