Halloween Traditions

I know I have done a number of posts in the past detailing our Easter traditions.  Similarly, I know I have also described all of our Christmas customs.  A few years ago I even started adding the kids Thankful card entries from our Thanksgiving Thankful Tree.  However, for the life of me, I can't remember if I have ever written about any of our Halloween traditions.  And to be honest, I'm too lazy to go back and check.  So, whether you've heard about them before, you're going to hear about them again.

 

October 1st at our house marks the beginning of a season of advents.  On the first of the month, the kids' Haunted Halloween House appears.  It has 31 doors that count down until Halloween night. Each night at bedtime, the kids take a turn approaching the house and giving a gentle knock on the roof.  If they have been good that day, they are then rewarded with some little token or treat for them and their siblings.  The kids get such a kick out of it. 

 

 This year, however, for the first time ever, the older kids began to doubt the House's magic.  They became determined to catch mommy and daddy putting treats in the house.  After all, how can a Haunted Halloween House be magic!  Much to their dismay, however, they were never successful in their endeavors.  One night it was a pretty close call though.  They set up a watch, each taking shifts while the others got their jammies on and teeth brushed. Nick and I weren't sure how we were going to pull it off.  Then a moment of sheer inspiration entered into my mind.  I turned and whispered to Nick, "Cut the power."  While the kids were screaming and scrambling in the dark, the surreptitious deed was done.  They were too spooked to even suspect anything. Phew!

Aside from the Halloween house, we also do many of the usual traditions--carving the pumpkins,

 

making Halloween sugar cookies,

 

 

and of course, the annual Hoskins Preschool Halloween Party.

We managed again this year without the traditional witches brew, but not without a much more concerted effort to obtain it.  Hopefully by next year we will have the necessary ingredients to get back on track.

 

Then there is the traditional pumpkin fare:

 

Halloween morning pumpkin pancakes,

 

 

and painted pumpkin stroganoff on Halloween night.

 

This year, dinner was followed up by the ward trunk or treat,

(Aren't we cute as the Harry Potter crew!)

 

and a little door-to-door treat and tricking as well.

 

Then the month closed with four piles of candy and a foursome of happy little witches and wizards.

 

 

Happy Halloween!