Posts for September, 2011
Halloween – More Than Just Fun
Aside from the Christmas season I think that
Halloween is one of the most awaited days of a lot of people especially children because
they get to wear different costumes. Of course there is the usual trick or treat, but there is
just something about Halloween that seems special when it comes to kids. However, for us
adults who truly understand, Halloween is not really a time to be jolly and merry just like
the Christmas season. The true meaning of Halloween seems to be almost forgotten
because we are misguided by all the colorful costumes and decorations. This is not
actually a season of smiles, but of prayer and a bit of mourning.
Pray for them
There is a reason why Halloween is celebrated on the day that we usually
celebrate it— either from the night of the 31st of October to the 1st of November, or on
the day of November 1 itself. Traditionally, if we base it on the calendar, it is the day of
the dead. Meaning, we should all remember our deceased loved ones and pray for their
souls to go up in heaven. If I am not mistaken, this mentality of ours started in a festivity
that is celebrated in Mexico wherein they dress-up in hallow costumes or costumes that
look like skeletons to commemorate their dead loved ones. It also makes perfect sense,
because the term “Halloween” is derived from how our loved ones look like by the time
they are dead.
Not actually a time of smiles
As I have mentioned, the day of Halloween is not actually a day to be happy. We
should think about our deceased loved ones and pray that their souls will go up to heaven
so that they could look after us. Here in the Philippines, the concept of Halloween is
rarely observed. Although we do celebrate Halloween parties, it is just for fun but we
really do not get the gist of doing it. We probably got this idea from the west and so we
adopted it, but the most common way of celebrating this season is by going to the
cemetery to visit the bodies of our dead family members.
Something to smile about
But I think that this is just normal for us people. Even though Halloween is
supposed to be a sad day, we still find something to laugh about and to celebrate along
the way. It does not mean that we do not respect the dead anymore, but it is just that we
can still think of ways to cover up our sadness. If Halloween is celebrated by means of a
party in the west, you may find how Filipinos celebrate their dead loved ones as weird. I
personally do not get the idea of this because this is not how our family celebrates our
deceased members, but some stay drunk or sing merrily with their friends while looking
after the coffin of their dead ones. They also get to serve out delicious foods, which may
seem like you attended a birthday party instead of a dead man’s grave. Whatever the
reason for this, let us just say that we people have still something to laugh about
somewhere in the middle during tough times.
Decorating Your Home for Halloween
Decorating your home for a holiday gives you an opportunity to transform your home from the mundane to something a little more colorful and fantasy like for a few days or weeks. Decorating for Halloween can be especially fun as you can create so many decorations right from nature and simply add a few purchased Halloween decorations to the mix for added interest.
Pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, hay bales, and leaves all make wonderful Halloween decorations and really bring this holiday alive while adding bright spots of color to both your inside and outside décor. You can simply tie a few dried corn stalks together with a bright orange ribbon, place it beside your door place a few colorful gourds around the base and you have an inviting decoration with very little effort. Or add a few jack-o-lanterns with battery operated lights inside for an even more Halloweeny look.
Pumpkins make great Halloween decorations and can be used in a variety of ways to make this holiday a little more cheery and fun. You can hollow out the inside of a large pumpkin and place a vase of flowers inside for cheery floral centerpiece for your mantel or your table and turn those tiny pumpkins into candle holders as well. You can even create your own scarecrow for your deck or patio simply by stuffing some old clothes and using a pumpkin for a head! There really is no end to what you can come up with when you use pumpkins for decorations.
For those of you whose taste in Halloween decorations are a little more on the creepy side there is also a number of interesting Halloween decorations you can make or buy. For those spiders and spiderwebs you can stretch across windows and hang from the corners of your doorways to those bats you can hang from trees to fly in the wind, to skeletons, and even assorted body parts that you can leave laying around to scare the dickens out of those little trick or treaters who come to your door there are literally hundreds of decorations you can choose from.
If you are planning a Halloween party then Halloween decorations are a must and choosing the right decorations can really make your party an instant success. You can choose from whimsical and fun Halloween decorations or frightening ones depending on the theme of your party. Halloween decorations run the gambit from window and wall clings to talking snack bowls and spooky shadows.
There are Halloween decorations to meet everyone’s personal style whether you are just looking for a few cute table decorations to add a little Halloween atmosphere to your home or whether you want to become the scariest home in the neighbor hood you can accomplish your goal.
So go ahead let those creative juices flow and add a little fun and mystery to your home this fall by making or buying some Halloween decorations and celebrating the holiday in style.