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Archive for the ‘Halloween Spirit’ Category

All kids should understand where Halloween comes from and they shouldn’t only know that there are funny costumes, sweets and carved pumpkins involved. They should also know its origins, its role and what this celebration actually is. They should be able to identify it and to name it when someone tells them about it. Your child shouldn’t identify Halloween with the day of the year when they get a lot of sweets, when they dress up in costumes and when they carve pumpkins. They should know the minimum amount of information when someone asks them about this celebration. Thus, they understand that there is a day of the year when certain things are done, things which don’ happen every day.

First of all, you should use words they know when you tell them about Halloween. You shouldn’t start with “Halloween is a celebration which disobeys the Christian rules,a celebration which appeared in the times of the Celts, at a festival called Samhain” because they won’t understand a thing. They can’t remember such details because they cannot identify the terms with anything that goes on in their life. However, you will be a lot more successful if you use terms they already know and if you explain every term to them. Tell them that Halloween is a very old celebration which appeared long before they were born. Also, tell them that people used to make great bonfires to celebrate Halloween and that they dressed up in all kinds of little animals, trying to guess their future. They believed that the ghosts and the fire chased the monsters away and protected the people from them. That is why they shouldn’t be afraid if they see children or adults dressed up in such costumes on that day as they are only trying to keep the monsters as far away as possible.

Once you have told them about the legend of Halloween, you should start preparing them for the Halloween atmosphere. This spirit can be overwhelming for them, even frightening. You can’t know what to expect, which is why you might have some problems. It is possible that they see a lot of monsters and ghosts on Halloween, characters which they believed were evil. Therefore, it is essential that you talk to them about this celebration referring to this aspect, too. Create an atmosphere that they are comfortable with and help them prepare themselves and face the potential fears they may encounter.

Also, they have to understand why there are other people standing in their doors, asking for sweets and stuff. You can explain to them that Halloween trick-or-treating is pretty much the same thing Christmas caroling. You can tell them that people didn’t have too much food long before they were born and that other people helped them with that, which is where this tradition comes from. Just make sure that they don’t understand that they have to go trick-or-treating if they don’t have anything to eat and that this is just the spirit of Halloween.

When the nights begin to draw in and beautiful autumnal reds and browns start to color the trees, it’s a sure sign that the season of Halloween is approaching. Halloween is one of the most popular holidays in the calendar, and the National Retail Federation’s Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, reports that nearly two thirds of consumers expect to celebrate it in 2006.

Halloween has come a long way from its Celtic origins, when the original festival of Samhain took place to mark the passage between the two main seasons, summer and winter. In this ancient culture, the celebration was closely connected with the importance of the harvest and the belief that spirits wandered free at this time of the year.

While supernatural beliefs may no longer play a central role in modern day Halloween celebrations, there are still many colorful traditions and customs that remind us of the legends and rituals of the distant past. The colors and tastes of fall still feature strongly in our Halloween recipes and decorations. Popular pumpkin carving patterns for our nighttime lanterns remind us of the ‘sacred fires’ of the Celtic tribes. And spooky homemade Halloween costumes bring to mind superstitions about mischievous fairies and sprites.

The Halloween spirit thrives in part because each successive generation finds new ways to re-invent its traditions and adapt them to its own sense of fun. Here are six ways to explain why this ancient celebration finds itself on a 21st century roll:

Halloween’s a holiday that everyone can take part in. It’s pretty: decked with the rich red colors of fall, Halloween is a treat for the senses and brings the sights and smells of harvest time to the fore. Everyone enjoys an excuse to dress up — and these days, the ‘horror’ theme is only one of several ideas that inspire inventive costumes and disguises. You can find an elaborate outfit for sale or hire, re-purpose that wacky gear you found at the consignment store or fashion your own unique costume based on an everyday item from your closet. Formality and complicated entertaining goes out of the window at Halloween, when the guests are likely to arrive in weird or comic apparel and finger food or buffet menus are the order of the day. Halloween brings out the hidden artist in us all, as imaginative craft projects go into making invitations and decorations and decking every creepy nook and cranny of the Haunted House. The Halloween season fosters community spirit as neighbors prepare for the first trick-or-treaters and get together for parties with friends and family.

The spirit of the old traditions lives on in the heritage, folklore and celebrations of Halloween: a modern take on an ancient festival.

BOO! Pumpkin soup is one way to enjoy Halloween before it’s actually here. I’ll be celebrating part of my Holiday a little early this year and if you would care to join me then I can offer you my Pumpkin Soup Recipe to get you started. The only thing I can’t bring you is the scare this year, unless of course your scared to make this soup with me?

Nope, I didn’t think so. Just gonna have to wait till Halloween for that.

Enjoy your new Pumpkin Soup Recipe and the rest of Halloween please.

If you plan on using a fresh pumpkin like I do and recommend, there are a few things you should know first. If you want to use the canned pumpkin puree, then that’s fine but fresh is best.
Make sure to use a pie pumpkin NOT a jack o lantern pumpkin.
Pie pumpkins are small, sweeter and not as grainy. When choosing a pumpkin look for one that is firm with no soft spots and is a nice orange color. A fresh pumpkin should be washed first. So wash the exterior with warm water. Cut the pumpkin in half with a serrated knife and De-seed the pumpkin, remove and throw out all the guts, you can save the seeds for roasting. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, place the 2 halves in a baking dish skin side up add enough water in the pumpkin itself to fill it half way and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until it’s soft enough to remove the flesh from the skin. To save some time you can microwave the pumpkin in microwave dish with a lid, just add about a cup of water to dish and microwave on high for 20-30 minutes. Now scoop out the flesh from the skin it should be fairly easy. Use a blender to puree the pumpkin and now you are ready to make this pumpkin soup recipe.
1 (2 pound) Pie Pumpkin or 2 cans Pumpkin Puree 4 Cups Chicken Stock 1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream 1/2 Cup Chopped onion 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic Cloves 4 Tablespoons Maple Syrup 1/4 teaspoon Fresh Grated Ginger 1 teaspoon Cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon Black Pepper 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 3/4 teaspoon Curry Powder 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter 1 teaspoon Salt 1. In a large pot saute’ butter, onions and garlic on medium heat until translucent, about 4 minutes.
2. Add chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add ground cloves, cinnamon, curry powder, black pepper, ginger and brown sugar. Simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, heavy cream and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes and enjoy a touch of Halloween with delicious soup recipes that are right under your fingertips.