A new treat

I was at Borders yesterday, and was browsing through the Wiccan/ghosts book aisle when I saw 'A Witch's Halloween: A Complete Guide to the Magick, Incantations, Recipes, Spells, and Lore'. I had actually seen it on amazon earlier in the week while I was searching for new books on Halloween, and I was surprised to find it at Borders. It was actually the only book they had on Halloween, which was kind of a disappointment. I am not actually a practicing Wiccan, but the book isn't aimed only towards those who are. It looked like my kind of book, so I had to have it. I'm looking forward to curling up with it late at night.

http://www.amazon.com/Witchs-Halloween-Complete-Incantations-Recipes/dp/1598693409/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241829943&sr=1-1#

Halloween melancholy

(Image: www.hauntedbay.com)

It isn't fair. The weather is gloomy and damp and over cast, and it feels so much like Fall right now it's unreal. I feel like I should get out all of my Halloween decorations (oh, wait...some of those still aren't put away from last Halloween!). They said we made the record for the most rainfall on the first of May, and it still hasn't stopped. It's been chilly in the house, and we are using our heaters again after putting them away to make way for house fans. Summer has been temporarily pushed aside by a deceitful entity posing as Autumn, but I know better. It isn't so much that I mind it feeling/looking like Fall is here early this year. I rather like it, except for the nonstop rain. It just makes me wish that I would see ghosts and spiderwebs hanging in store windows, and porches with scarecrows and grinning pumpkins, and everything else that symbolizes the harvest season and All Hallow's Eve. It's funny how there are days like this that make me feel closer to it--as if I can feel it closeby when it really isn't. I swear, if I had a pumpkin here right now I would carve it. There are times when I long to smell the burning lid when it's licked by the candle's flame, and the sweet scent of the gooey innards when I disembowl the pumpkin. Yup. It's my favorite time of year, alright, and right now it feels like it's only weeks away. Nature, the trickster that she is...making me feel like this when I have such a long time to wait until it is really here. Evil temptress.

Halloween history on tv

To my surprise, as I was looking to see what was on tv last night, the words 'The True History of Halloween' caught my eye. Even though it is admittedly a kids' show, (I'm a kid-at-heart', so maybe that counts!), 'Truth or Scare', on Discovery Kids has actually had some pretty good episodes, including last night's Halloween history one. The set was done up in wonderfully spooky decor, with glowing pumpkins and a bubbling cauldron, etc. It told the history of Halloween starting with the ancient rituals of the Druids, and how our traditions today, such as TOTing, first got started. I didn't know, for example, that the tradition of bobbing for apples at Halloween parties was originally done by unmarried people, and that the first person to get the apple was said to be the one to get married! The show also talked about the ancient belief in vampires and witches, and a real life witch was interviewed throughout the show. All in all, I thought it was a really fun show, and I really enjoyed it. I will be keeping my eye on 'Truth or Scare' from now on. This is the second or third time I've watched the show and found it very interesting.

Here is a little synopsis of the entire show:

Synopsis

Michelle describes the history of Halloween and traces modern-day traditions such as trick-or-treating and bobbing for apples back to their Celtic roots.

Full Recap

Michelle tells how Halloween comes from an ancient Celtic holiday celebrating the end of summer harvest and celebrated to please the gods and ward off evil spirits. She speaks to a modern-day witch to learn about the ancient traditions our modern-day festivities derive from. Bobbing for apples was originally something young unmarried people did. Rumor was the first person to get an apple would be the first to get married.Trick-or-treating was something peasents did. Each family would bake a small treat to share with their neighbors. If people felt you weren't being generous enough, you got a "trick". But tricks weren't all fun and games - sometimes people got killed as part of one.There are two theories on how jack-o-lanterns came to be. One is the story of a boy named Jack who liked to play tricks on people. One time he tricked the devil into climbing up a tree that he couldn't get down from. As punishment, Jack's soul was forced to wander the earth forever with only a candle in a pumpkin to guide him. Another says that the ancient Celts actually used human heads in their Halloween rituals.Cristians were afraid that the Celts' celebration worshipped the devil, so they declared the day after the Celtic holiday All Saints Day and renamed October 31st All Hallows Eve, which was later shortened to just "Halloween".

Halloween in April!

Much to my (very happy) surprise last night, I discovered that the Disney Channel is doing 'Halloween in April' all this week:

(http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/schedule/halloweeninapril/index.html)

I know several channels do a 'Christmas in July' every year, but I've never heard of any having a special Halloween week six months before Halloween. How wonderful is that?! I don't know about anyone else, but I personally think it's pretty cool. Aside from Disney, it seems that I also keep coming across various shows on ghosts and hauntings on different channels as well. Funny how when you're least expecting something to happen, it often does. This is one instance where I certainly don't mind. Bring on the Halloween shows, I say! I want to feel like it's Halloween all year long!

An old-fashioned Halloween...

...is simply my idea of Heaven! Not much could make me happier than combining my love of vintage collectibles along with my love of Halloween. I just discovered that allposters.com has some really wonderful vintage Halloween posters. You can even order them framed! I couldn't resist capturing a few of the images and posting them here to share with my fellow Halloween enthusiasts. I am definitely going to be ordering some and putting them on my walls (and I don't mean just for the Halloween season! ;) (FYI: to see the huge collection that I came across, I went to Google and typed in 'vintage Halloween posters'.)

I loved being spooked as a kid on Halloween.

Sweet

Halloween Parade (Artist: Ken Brown)

I wish this graveyard was in my backyard. (Artist: Dynamic Graphics)

While technically not a vintage print, it brought back memories of my own TOTing days. Love it from this angle.

Wish I was with 'em!

A witch, a cauldron, a broom, and a full moon over a pumpkin patch....the perfect makings for a Halloween night.

I want to live here. (Artist: Blonde Blythe)

Love these rich colors! ( Blonde Blythe)

Halloween nostalgia

A Halloween greeting from yesteryear. I want to walk along that path with only the jack-o-lanterns to light my way. Heaven.

I want to jump into this picture and live in that house. If only...

Vintage Halloween collage...I actually smiled when I saw this.

I gotta' learn how to make this. Beautiful.

Another must-have for Halloween....spooky candles and cookies!

You can't have Halloween without Linus and the Great Pumpkin!!!

Love that moon!!

I want this red dress for a costume. And...is that an "owl hat"??

In addition to my usual interests, I also have a love of antiques. Naturally, this includes antiques of the Halloween variety. I did a search for "vintage Halloween" and found some really cool stuff. Somehow, a lot of vintage Halloween decorations seem to capture the feel of the holiday for me more so than many modern-day ones do. I'm not quite sure why that is. There is just something about the thought of Halloweens of yesteryear that really appeals to me. I don't actually have any vintage Halloween decorations or anything, but I wouldn't mind starting to collect some.

The halfway point

Considering that we are now in March, it occurred to me that we are now *almost* at the halfway point. Not to seem anxious or anything, but Halloween is only a little over six months away! I know I'm not the only one counting down the months. C'mon, admit it. ;) Those of us who adore Halloween can't wait for it to roll around again, even if it's only a month after we've celebrated it. Even during these seemingly long, wet, boring months of winter, visions of my next Halloween never cease to occupy my mind. I know that especially by the end of summer-- when I am sick to death of those near 100-degree days, and I am anxious for that first hint of the Harvest season--I will have already been anticipating Fall's arrival for several months before it gets here. Now is the time to be preparing for it. As always, I will be ready.