Halloween Traditions Contest!

A Contest from 2Modern Modern Furniture - win a Balanced Design - Flannel Birds Feet Pillow. To win, make comments to this post telling us about your favorite Halloween tradition. Remember to use either your blogger login or first name and last name so that we can identify you if you win. We will post the winner's name with instructions for collecting your prize, please check back Oct 15, 2008 to see if you won!

Giveaway ends Oct 15, 2008 at midnight PST (and sorry, prizes can only be sent to locations in the US). Good Luck!

Cheers,  2Modern.

Comments

[Darcy]

Going to a pumpkin patch. Thank you!

[Michelle]

Halloween is my favorite holiday, I decorate the whole house the month before and on Halloween, we carve the pumpkins before my children go out trick-or-treating. I always save the pumpkin seeds to bake after they come back with their candy. We bake the seeds and watch horror flicks until bedtime.

[Corinne Oberg]

I can always remember planting pumpkins with my mother and brother when I was younger. It was always the most exciting thing when it was finally time to pick them, it meant Halloween was near and the race between my brother and I to see who could carve the best pumpkin was about to begin. We spent hours running through the vines, leaping back and forth, and sneaking glances at the others choices in an effort to find the perfect pumpkin. And then when we had finally made our decisions, we raced back to the house to prepare, all while my mother made fresh pumpkin pie in the kitchen. The smell of fall and halloween permeated the air as we focused intently on creating the better, more frightening pumpkin. We always had to sketch out our thoughts first, furiously drawing pumpkin after pumpkin. Of course, my brother and I always had to work on separate sides of the porch, to keep the other from stealing our ideas, even going so far as to carry the pumpkin with us everywhere we went to keep the other from snatching a glance while one of us was gone. When we finally finished we were always covered in the pumpkin "guts", slimy and sticky, seeds stuck on our faces and in our hair, but it didn't matter because we were too excited to see who had the best one. My mother always claimed that we were both winners and that she just couldn't decide, giving us both slices of pie as rewards for our effort. Obviously it was never good enough for my brother and I, we would both display our pumpkins by the front door, arguing for weeks about whose was better, always moving the others to some far off corner in the yard when the other wasn't around, our rivalry lasting until Halloween was long gone, and only our pumpkins remained.

[Emily Knight]

Without a doubt my favorite part of halloween had to be after my sister and had finished running around the neighborhood in search of treats. Once we were back home my mom would always fill a hollowed out pumpkin with hot cinnamon pumpkin soup for all of us that we sipped on while we told ghost stories around a roaring fire in our back yard. But, when I was so full and warm by the fire, even my father's most frightening tales couldn't keep me awake, and the next day I always found myself tucked in my bed, the events of the night before a pleasant memory.

[Frances Watson]

every year me and the kids would always visit a haunted house and then go on a hay ride

[Joshua Reese]

My new wife and I are developing our own traditions, made up and new or conventional, so we're always shopping for ideas. Picking apples has become a tradition as the instigator for creative cooking, which is a great reward. We've tried apple pie last year; this year I'm proposing applesauce.

[Vanessa]

Now since we have kids we have started becoming more thoughtful about family traditions. We started by trying to make part or the whole (recyclable) costume for ourselves and kids. The first year I was a lily pad, my husband was a fly and my son was the frog.
This year we are trying to be more cognizant of other traditions to introduce to the mix and we are looking at creating costumes that align to the Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos (Mexican tradition) to celebrate death as opposed to 'fearing' it. Especially now since my 3 year-old is understanding a bit more and questioning what all of this means anyway. This year, we're going to make a skeleton costume for him together as a family.

[Vanessa]

Now since we have kids we have started becoming more thoughtful about family traditions. We started by trying to make part or the whole (recyclable) costume for ourselves and kids. The first year I was a lily pad, my husband was a fly and my son was the frog.
This year we are trying to be more cognizant of other traditions to introduce to the mix and we are looking at creating costumes that align to the Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos (Mexican tradition) to celebrate death as opposed to 'fearing' it. Especially now since my 3 year-old is understanding a bit more and questioning what all of this means anyway. This year, we're going to make a skeleton costume for him together as a family.

[Karen Gonyea]

I love the night air and friendliness of all of the neighbors :)

[Carol Drury]

carving pumpkins

[LT Carlston]

We were 5 kids and couldn't decide what or who to be for Halloween (or for our parents who escorted us trick-or-treating), my mother came up with the solution of putting small cards into a hat that she labeled with potential themes that we mentioned. Each year we had no idea what costume we would wear until we randomly chose a card. It was really funny the year my father chose "princess bride". It is a fun tradition that I continue with my own family.
LTC

[Christine Cosimi]

My name is Christine and I live in NW WA state. Growing up here my Mom always made wonderful soups and stews and chili's in the fall. Perfect meal for these rainy cold nights here in WA. state. Our Halloween tradition then was to have a flavorful bowl of Mom's homemade chili with melting cheese and crackers on top and a piece of moist cornbread with butter and honey. Also a glass of homemade apple cider. (Which I might say I helped make from our own apple trees in the back yard.) Then we were warm and fed and ready to go trick or treating. I now do this same tradition with my family. Family traditions are so important these days and Fall is my favorite time of year. Just takes me back to being a kid.

[Suzanne]

A Halloween tradition I had when growing up was when my father hooked up a small trailer to his tractor and filled it with hay for my friends and I to sit on while we went trick-or-treating. It was such a fun time through the neighborhood!

[Vicky Boackle]

we get dressed up every yesr.

[tanya]

I love carving the pumpkin and getting the kids in their costumes!

[Ken Robinson]

Giving out Halloween candy each year makes my day. Please accept my entry. Thank you.

[janeh]

I just love to pass out candy to the little ones......so cute!

[Kayce C.]

I like handing out candy.

[Tonya Froemel]

My favorite is sewing my kids costumes and taking them trick-or-treating.

[Jaque]

Carving a jack-o-lantern has always been a family favorite. When we finish creating scary and silly faces, I roast the pumkin seeds to snack on later.

Thank you. :-)

[Melissa B.]

Naturally, every year we let the kids dress up and go Trick or Treating. What makes it so special is that they visit each of their grandparents' houses first to get candy and have their pictures taken.

[Jen]

my favorite tradition is decorating the whole house inside and out with spooky attire! I have more Halloween decorations than I do Christmas, it's my favorite holiday!

[Kasey P]

We have 10 acres where we live and lots of woods in the back so it has become a tradition in our house to have a haunted walk every year. All our friends get involved and it's a blast for the adults as well as the kids.

[Linda]

We love Halloween, seeing all the costumes at your front door and giving candy out to the little (and sometimes older) tricker treaters. But, alas, we've moved to the outskirts of town and little did I know that when there are no sidewalks - there are very few tricker treaters!
So, that first October, I didn't know we would be "Halloween-less" so I purchased a lot of candy and put it in our big bowl by the door and waited....and waited....and waited. I kept looking out to be sure our porch light was on. By 10:00, it was apparent that for the first time in our lifetime, we had no tricker treaters. It was so sad and I went to bed feeling kind of cheated. Needless to say, I put on about five extra pounds that fall, eating up all that the kids didn't take.
The next year I knew the routine and so I didn't buy any candy and, instead, went out with some girls to a local watering hole where they were having a costume party and we were going to be the judges. Well, about 8:00 my husband called and told me to get home there were tricker treaters coming to the door and he didn't have any candy! I grabbed my coat and flew out the door, only stopping to pick up some candy from Quik Trip, and, finally, it was just like it's suppose to be on Halloween night, we were home giving candy to everyone who came to our door -- even the kids who my husband had invited to come back after he had some candy! ha
Now, I never leave on Halloween night, we stay home because you never know when kids might wander off the beaten track even with no sidewalks and walk up to your door and yell, "Trick or Treat".
Gosh, we love Halloween!

[Elizabeth M.]

I have no idea how it started but we always go to the same restaurant before we go trick or treating. It's a silly little tradition but it's ours. Also after trick or treating everyone pours out all their candy on the floor in front of them and explores and sorts it all out! I make them a nice steamy mug of hot cocoa to drink to warm them all up too.