5 new twists on traditional Halloween activities

5 new twists on traditional Halloween activities

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SALT LAKE CITY — Halloween traditions have come a long way since the days of their pagan and druidian origins. Carving jack-o'-lanterns and donning a costume for trick-or-treating have become a part of mainstream American Halloween celebrations over the last 100 years or so.

While these traditions may have made their way into modern standardization, there is always room for change. Here are some ideas on how to mix things up a little this Halloween season, traditionally speaking.

Pass Out Salty Treats or Small Toys

Candy is dandy, but there’s a lot of it going around this time of year. To really stand out in the neighborhood, consider giving out small bags (lunch box size) of chips or snack-foods, or buy cheap toys at the dollar store to dole out to trick-or-treaters.

Many grocery stores have lunch-size bags of chips on sale this time of year. Try something different, and soon you’ll be known as “that awesome house that gives out chips on Halloween”.

Trick or Treat Indoors

In Utah, temperatures can drop significantly in the evenings during the month of October. According to KSL meteorologist Kevin Eubank, temperatures on October 31 look to be in the mid 40s during the evening hours, with no rain or snow. On average, October 31 sees a high of 56 degrees and a low of 36.

If low temperatures are not your thing, a few local shopping centers offer indoor trick-or-treating. Here’s a list of a few malls in Utah offering Halloween activities on or around Halloween.

Safety tips for trick-or-treating
  • Wear reflective clothing
  • Go in groups
  • Trick-o-treat during daylight hours
  • Carry a flashlight
  • Have an adults sort through candy at the end of the night

Make Your Own Group Costumes

Finding store-bought costumes for the whole family may not be in everyone’s budget. If coordinating costumes are in your Halloween forecast, putting together the ensemble at home may be easier than you think.

A farm scene is easy to recreate; Mom and Dad go as the farmers and each child dresses up as a various barnyard animal. Animal costumes can be as easy to put together as a bit of face paint and a pinned-on tail, or as elaborate as a sewn costume complete with a head piece and footies.

Try an “under the sea” theme and make little fishies out of the kiddies. Parents dress up as fisher-people and “catch” the kids with make-shift poles. This approach promises to be an instant hit, and is relatively easy to pull off.

Paint the Pumpkin

5 new twists on traditional Halloween activities

Instead of carving up a jack-o'-lantern this year, try your skills at pumpkin painting instead. For a successful go at pumpkin art, use acrylic paints and consider applying a thin layer of varnish to the outer shell so paint will stick on better.

Pumpkin painting may also appeal to those with smaller children, as no knives and stabbing objects are used. While the craft can still leave the kitchen in a mess, it may be a little safer than carving for the smaller ghosts in the house.

Make Your Own Scary Movie

If you love Halloween cinema but have watched the same scary movies year after year, mix things up by making your own seat-grabbing flick. Better yet, collect a group of friends and have a Halloween film festival. Accept entries and watch them all together at a Halloween movie party.

The home-made films don’t have to be elaborate or expensive to produce. Film them on a cell phone if that’s what you’ve got. Make them fun, scary, hokey, or whatever fits the bill on your list of spooky-scary cinema.

Halloween traditions have changed drastically over the years. Make this year’s scary season the one where you mix things up and change a few standard activities.

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UtahLifestyle
Robynn Garfield

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