Some of the feedback I’ve gotten on this blog is that people like to read about how I celebrate the holidays. So, I thought I’d write a little bit about my favorite traditions from Halloween and autumn in general.
Halloween is my second favorite holiday after Christmas, and I have several traditions that regardless of how old I get and how much changes, I just have to incorporate into my life. First? Movies. In the days and nights leading upto All Hallow’s Eve, it’s imperative to watch the classics – Hocus Pocus (on several occasions), Nightmare Before Christmas (also appropriate to watch around Christmas), Corpse Bride, Addams Family, Addams Family Values, Sleepy Hallow, and SO on. And, it’s just NOT Halloween if we don’t watch Rocky Horror Picture Show. This particular tradition started as a kid when I would go trick-or-treating with my cousins Steph and Jeff. When we’d get home (obviously, we had sleepovers), RHPS would always be on VH1 “Movies That Rock”, and as middle-schoolers, we’d watch it. Since then, it’s been part of my Halloween (or at the least, Halloweekend) tradition ever since. I’ve watched it with my mom, brother, and Andy. It’s just the best. Tim Curry rocks stilettos better than I ever will.
It’s also crucial to decorate. Even as a kid, I was obsessed with decorating for Halloween and Fall. My mom and I would get the boxes out of the basement and put everything in it’s place. We’d go all out. And at my dad’s apartment in Little Falls, we could have charged admission for the set up we had going on! Seriously! We had noise and motion activated decorations and black lights down the hallway of our two-bedroom apartment. Needless to say, this has been instilled in me for years, and carried over to our apartment. Andy gets into it, but also obliges me in my ways. Over the years, we’ve acquired some awesome decorations that we call “spookies”. When I tell you that he obliges me, he does. Ladies, all I can say is, find you a man that “puts the spookies on” for you when you ask.
Of course, Halloween also means costumes. I’ve dressed up for Halloween every year of my life. That’s right. 31 years, 31 costumes. Get. On. My. Level. Remember how I mentioned that Andy is the greatest? Well, for the five years that we’ve been together, he has also obliged me with a couple costume. Doesn’t matter if we go to a bar for drinks with friends, host a cocktail party, go to a house party, have dinner with friends, etc., we have to dress up on the holiday or at least on Halloweekend.
Other Halloween traditions that have to happen? Pumpkin carving/decorating. When I was a kid, my mom and I would paint our small pumpkins and carve one big Jack-O-Lantern while watching The Simpsons: Tree House of Horror (my mom hates that show, but it was tradition!). Over the years, we have always still done our pumpkins in some way, shape, or form. Some years, Andy and I would carve pumpkins with his family. Almost each year that we’ve lived in our place, my family comes over to paint pumpkins. It’s one of my favorite activities to do with my family. Some food, drinks, music and lots of laughs. Oh, and bonus points for roasting the pumpkin seeds. They are delicious.
I feel like I don’t need to state the obvious, but it’s also necessary to visit a farm or two or twelve for some pumpkin/apple picking and apple cider, go to some football games, sit around a fire, get some mums, go to a craft fair or food truck festival – whatever it is – this is the only time of year that I long to be outside! It’s also my favorite time of year to bake, bake, bake and use the crock pot!
I like to decorate for Fall, not just for Halloween. My fall decorations go up around Labor Day Weekend (give or take a few days), and I simply add Halloween in at the end of September / beginning of October. Then, when Halloween is over, it’s back to the simpler Fall decor, and I add in some Thanksgiving decorations. You’ll be happy to know (much like my mom is happy to know), that I do not put Christmas decorations up until after Thanksgiving. That’s for you, Sher.
Apartment living has it’s pros and cons (more cons than pros, lately), but the space inside the walls that you rent is what you make it. Of course, I long to be the cool lady and mom on the block with awesome decorations. That day will come (hopefully soon, as we are in the house hunt!), but until then, we have to make our rental sweet rental our home sweet home. Fall (and Christmas time) is my favorite time of year to make this place feel comfy, cozy. Now that we have our kitty, it’s especially even more cozy.
I’ll blog again soon about Thanksgiving and gearing up for Christmas. In the meantime, I’d love to hear about some of your favorite Fall traditions in the comments!
