Halloween is just around the corner and all the shops are full of gruesome goodies and costumes. It always reminds me of the lovely memories of being an excited child going out trick or treating with my sister and friends. Back then their wasn't that many costumes out and about and every year I would dress up as a witch and my sister Anna would be my black cat. I actually found this photo of us both dressed up ready to go out. I must have been about eight years old and my sister would have been about five in this photo.
One of my favourite memories, which actually was bad for us but is now so funny, was that one year we got all dressed up ready to go out and decided to go to our next door neighbours house first. We knocked on the door and the teenage son answered the door. We said "Trick or treat?" like you do but in actual fact if someone had turned around and said "trick" we would have looked silly because we never had a trick up our sleeves. Anyway the son told us to wait and he would go and get us some treats. We waited on the door step. Next minute the teenage daughter opened the upstairs bathroom window and threw a bucket of cold water on us. At the time we were so upset and my mum was annoyed because it meant we had no costumes to go out in but now I can't help but laugh about it.
Another favourite memory was organising a Halloween party for all us friends in the neighbourhood. I must have been in my early teens at the time. My sister Anna, her best friend Katie and I spent all day organising it with lots of random games. We hid sweets all the way up the back lane for a treasure hunt. A young boy at the top of the road noticed what we were doing and went and ate most of the sweets before our friends had even turned up. We had ring doughnuts hanging on string from the washing line and the other children had to try and eat them off without using their hands. We made a shoe box into a tasting box. You had to put your hand in each little compartment and then lick your hand when blindfolded and guess what it was. I can remember Julia put her hand in and smelt the mustard and refused to put it in her mouth. Our other great game was apple bobbing but straight after you had bobbed for the apple you had to then go on to the next plate which was covered in flour and find the Parma Violets with your teeth. I will never forget Katie's sister Sam going first and almost being sick as she had a face full of flour. It was such a fun party. We used to be so creative and have so much fun in those days in Ringswell Gardens.
These days Halloween is in all the shops and you can get some amazing costumes and make up for really reasonable prices. Here is a picture of my niece Lilly a few years ago as the Corpse Bride. My sister did the make up which I think was amazing and scary.
I don't have kids but still get in the spirit of things by dressing up our dog Shortie for when the Trick or Treaters come around. Here he is in his little devil costume.
And finally I wanted to share this funny YouTube video that makes me laugh so much. Basically Jimmy Kimmel challenged parents to pretend that they had eaten all their kids Halloween candy and to video it and to send to him. It's a bit mean but very funny.
*** Giveaway ***
I thought it would be a lovely idea to do a little giveaway to win some spooky sweets. The winner will win the following: a bag of Haribo trick or treat sweets, a bag of oozing eyes sweets, a bag of witches fingers lollipops and a bag of glow stick pumpkin pops and they will come in a lovely Halloween bag.
To enter the competition simply complete as many of the steps as you wish on the Rafflecopter form below. A winner will be chosen at random at the end of the competition. The competition is open to residents of the UK only. Good Luck.
Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com
One of my memories was buying a pumpkin, cutting a face into it, lighting a candle and inserting into the pumpkin and then leaving it outside the front door, to burn away through the night.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is dressing as Elsa from Frozen - I can't seem to persuade he to go as something scary :) thank you for sharing memories and the giveaway x
ReplyDeleteI remember when me & my best friend used to dress up & go trick or treating, such fun! xxx
ReplyDeleteMy mum always used to carve us turnip lanterns then use the leftover turnip to make Halloween broth! I now do the same for my four kids!
ReplyDeletethe kids dressed up as witches
ReplyDeleteI have darth vader and a stormtrooper and a teenager who refuses to dress up this year!!
ReplyDeleteRemember when I was young going around the doors saying Happy Halloween. No-one used to dress up then. Just used to take our lit up Pumpkin around( candle stuck in the middle). Wouldn't be able to do that now with all the health and safety.
ReplyDeleteLove Halloween. .we had lots of parties too fantastic....great blog entry :-D xx
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was about 13/14 I went trick or treating with my brother (it was mainly for a laugh as I knew I was getting too old for it). We had some face paint around the house and I had a witches outfit, so for the fun of it my mum did my face paint as a panda- so I was a panda witch. I went around a few houses, and there was one more on my street to do. Me and my brother walked up and knocked and an old man opened the door. He smiled and said "hold on a second" before going off to get his elderly wife to bring the candy. He lead her to the door- and she had a bowl of candy in her hand. She took one look at us and said "no" before turning around and going back into the house. Then her husband turned to us and said "sorry, we have no candy" before shutting the door. I still laugh about it today :)
ReplyDeleteMy son is going to be a skeleton and my daughter a witch
ReplyDeleteI remember a fantastic halloween party myself and the kids went to at the karate club. The range of costumes was amazing and the show put on by the blackbelts was incredible.
ReplyDeleteA memory of mine was when my son who was about 3 at the time got so excited about trick or treating he forgot to put his shoes on !!!
ReplyDeleteMy nephew, jude, dressing up as elvis when he was just a wee boy. He was so small and skinny in his elvis costume, but he won a prize for it! I think his primary school felt sorry for him haha. Lovely memories
ReplyDeleteI remember when I use to go trick or treating and dressing up as the Devil once and ghostface once.
ReplyDeletemy youngest is dressing up as a spider he says
ReplyDeleteMy children are dressing up as a witch and skeleton
ReplyDeleteEvil Elsa from Frozen
ReplyDeleteA witch :)
ReplyDeleteMy little one will be dressing up as a black cat ☺
ReplyDeletemy kids dressing up AS GHOSTS
ReplyDeleteJames is dressing up as dracula and evie as a fairy witch x
ReplyDeleteMy Halloween memories are of trying to keep out of sight of trick or treaters knocking on the door!
ReplyDeleteDracula and a ghost
ReplyDeleteghost & scary spider :)
ReplyDeleteMy son will be a skeleton
ReplyDeleteDookin for apples!
ReplyDeleteDaughter - pirate. Son - Dracula :-)
ReplyDeleteA cat and sully from monsters inc
ReplyDeleteA crafty but tight neighbour chatted to us for 10 minutes whilst trick-or-treating and after we said goodbye realised they had distracted us from asking for treats so we ended up walking away empty handed!
ReplyDeleteA witch and the Incredible Hulk
ReplyDeleteOne of my memories was my Dad travelling all over town one night to get us some pumpkins! Every store was out, but we eventually found a farm selling them :)
ReplyDeletea Zombie Cheerleader.
ReplyDeleteI have a little vampire and a spider :)
ReplyDeleteA pumpkin and a zombie hello kitty! :)
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Texas and we had pillow cases so full of candy that my father always brought us a spare case for when they got too heavy to carry
ReplyDeleteA witch and a skeleton!
ReplyDeleteI remember a Halloween party with lots of games, one of which involved me ending up with a face full of flour
ReplyDeleteThe first time we ever knocked on a door we shouted "Trick or treat?" and the lady who answered said "Oh thank you - I'll have a treat please". We didn't know what to say to that!
ReplyDeletemy grandaughter will be a zombie x
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is dressing up as Elsa from Frozen!
ReplyDeleteI can recall as a youngster that we could dress up, and go 'galotions' (entertain the neighbours with songs and jokes). We went with family members and or friends. It was friendly, fun and entertaining. My Mum has always enjoyed children and/ or adults visiting and performing this custom. We now seem to have a revival :- Possibly influenced from America 'Trick or Treat'. Our youngest has been :- Dracula (had just recently 'cut' first tooth), Tigger and Cookie Monster. Yet to hear the costume choice for this year. Parties are popular, and can be suitable for all ages. Fun.
ReplyDeleteRachel Craig
He will be dressed as a little red devil. Xx
ReplyDeleteMy children are dressing up as the wolfman and dracula this year
ReplyDeleteA Star Wars Stormtrooper.
ReplyDeleteMighty pirates!
ReplyDeleteI have a zombie snow white
ReplyDeleteWitch
ReplyDeletetaking my son trick or treating a couple of years ago he knocked on one door and the lady asked him to sing he was a bit puzzled
ReplyDeleteGrandson will be spiderman or a scarecrow
ReplyDeleteMy little one is dressing up as a scary Mummy!
ReplyDeleteReally want to dress my nephew as a pumpkin, don't think he would be impressed but would be so cute x
ReplyDeleteprobably bloodied up zombies
ReplyDeleteThey are going as Witches!
ReplyDeleteMaking pumpkins and my dog trying to eat them :/
ReplyDeleteMine are dressing up as a skeleton and a dracula.
ReplyDeleteFor my daughter - not sure if this comment registered before!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite Halloween costume was always a scary clown - I was all about the multi-coloured wig.
ReplyDeleteA witch
ReplyDeleteI remember trick-or-treating around the local university campus... My friend's dad lived there as he was a lecturer. I wasn't normally allowed to go trick-or-treating so this was a special exception!
ReplyDeletemy daughter wants to be a zombie (quite an easy one I think) - my son could not be less interested :-)
ReplyDeletemy daughter is going to dress as a witch xx
ReplyDeletepumpkins
ReplyDeleteI remenber going to a Halloween party when I was little and forced to do the apple bobbing which I hated.I hate putting my face under water,I think it scarred me for life!
ReplyDeletelittle witches!
ReplyDeletewe loved bobbing for apples this was the 1960s and water always ended up everywhere with my mum shouting watch the carpet!
ReplyDeleteMine are dressing up at a witch and a cat
ReplyDeleteOne skeleton - one fox and a black cat
ReplyDeleteKATHY D
they both dressed up as witches
ReplyDeleteolga carpenter
a pumpkin
ReplyDeletefrom samantha price
Dracula girl
ReplyDeleteAs a spider - a very cute spider!
ReplyDeletepirates.
ReplyDeletebeing blindfolded at a party, and made to plunge my hands into cold spaghetti (guts) and search for eyeblls (pickled onions).
I was traumatised for weeks.
draculer i think
ReplyDeleteOur kids will be dressed up as a witch, a skeleton and a mummy
ReplyDeleteMy daughter always has to be a princess so I will try to persuade her to be a zombie princess.
ReplyDeleteI remember cutting holes in a good sheet so I could be a ghost - My Mum was not impressed !
ReplyDeleteFrankenstein and a witch
ReplyDelete2.5 yr old is witch and the 11 mth old will be a cat :)
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is going on her very first Brownie camp this Halloween!
ReplyDeleteMy son is dressing up as a vampire! :)
ReplyDeleteMy sisters birthday is near halloween and she always had a halloween party, I remember a lot of bin bag costumes!
ReplyDeleteI remember dressing up as a black cat and going trick or treating with my cousins.
ReplyDeletedressing up as pretty pretty princesses
ReplyDeleteMy Daughter wants to dress up as a bat!
ReplyDeletewe won't be dressing up this year
ReplyDeleteKids now have such great costumes, ours were made with stuff like black bin bags when I was little but we had such great fun. We will definitely have a pumpkin his year, we do a different face every year.
ReplyDeleteMy Halloween memory is going to a Brownie Halloween party!
ReplyDeleteMines dressing up like a zombie from The Walking Dead!
ReplyDeleteI remember trick or treating and getting an easter egg...
ReplyDeleteWe don't really do dressing up. We always try to take Samuel out somewhere with a Halloween event on during the day.
ReplyDeletebest homemade costume I ever had was one my aunt made "snoopy" the dog she made a huge sponge dog shaped head and covered it and decorated exactly as snoopy then I wore red T shirt with his name on it and pair of jeans - won prize at Halloween party
ReplyDeleteAs a vampire
ReplyDeletemy girls dressed up in dinosaur onesies last year for warmth haha
ReplyDeletemy lil girls being a pumpkin :)
ReplyDeletea zombie!
ReplyDeleteZombies!!!!
ReplyDelete(Spencer Broadley)
Shes going as a dragon!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any children but my cat would make a good witches cat, she is all black with a bit of white under her chin. Except she's a bit of a porker so the brromstick probably wouldn't be able to get off the ground!
ReplyDeleteMy son is an old school vampire - Dracula himself, he looks so funny and cute!
ReplyDeletethe kids dressed up as witches - leanne w
ReplyDeleteDaughter will be a witch and my 2 year old son will be her black cat!
ReplyDeleteMy children are dressing up as chucky and bride of chucky. Not that they know who they are but they will look brilliant!
ReplyDeletemy youngest son is a pumpkin and my oldest son is a robot skeleton and my daughter is a witch
ReplyDeletea pumpkin
ReplyDeleteHaven't quite decided yet
ReplyDeleteI remember going trick or treating!
ReplyDeleteMy daughters are dressing up as a witch and a witches cat.
ReplyDeleteclaire.bob23@hotmail.co.uk
My daughter is dressing up as a zombie and my son is a spider. The other two haven't decided yet.
ReplyDeletePrincess Pumpkin
ReplyDeleteWatching 'Salems Lot' with friends and having to leave because I was frightened to DEATH!! Have not watched a horror Film since!
ReplyDeleteA pirate & a witch
ReplyDeletemy daughter went to her Halloween disco tonight as her choice... deadly schoolgirl
ReplyDeleteA skeleton and a pumpkin
ReplyDeletewe used to have great partys,i remember the fab cake i made for halloween,every one talked about it.
ReplyDeletePirate princess and Zombie here x
ReplyDeletemy little boy is dressing up as frankenstein
ReplyDeleteLittle one dressed as The Mummy one year, great fun!
ReplyDeleteI lived in America for a year, and they do Halloween so much more than us, people kit there whole houses out and I found some a bit scary, so god knows what the kids thought!!!!!!
ReplyDeletemaking pumpkins with my son
ReplyDeletea skeleton
ReplyDeleteThis year we aren't going to leave the candles in the pumpkins so long that they cook
ReplyDeleteMy son is Dracula and my baby daughter has a 'too cute to spook' outfit
ReplyDeletea witch
ReplyDeleteDressing up as little pumpkin :}
ReplyDeletePumpkins
ReplyDeleteMy girls are a witch and a vampire, my boys are a ghost and a zombie!
ReplyDeleteA witch
ReplyDeleteMy son is going to be a pirate( he always wants to be a pirate) and my daughter is a pumpkin
ReplyDeleteI remember dressing up as a witch for Halloween complete with green face paint and spending almost an hour making sure I'd got it all off
ReplyDeleteMy son is not wearing a costume as such but a Jack o'lantern t-shirt and some starry joggers.
ReplyDeleteive made my 2 year old a mr tumble outfit and my 7 week old daughter will be a witch :)
ReplyDeleteI went trick or treating as a blueberry once.
ReplyDeleteMy son likes to dress up as a vampire
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is usually a little devil but has grown out of her costume so she's going to be a pirate this year!
ReplyDeleteI remember the disappointed look on the faces of the children who knocked at my door unexpectedly trick or treating a few years ago. I'd forgotten about Halloween and had nothing in the house to give them. I scrabbled around in my purse and gave them what change I had, which wasn't much. They'd gone to a lot of trouble and had beautiful costumes. I felt very guilty and have never forgotten to get some treats in since then.
ReplyDeleteA pair of skeletons
ReplyDeleteA dalek and a dinosaur
ReplyDelete@catrionanation
We are dressing up our son as the Hulk. We have made bats and pumpkins to put in the windows. We love Halloween :) x
ReplyDeleteMy son is going to be a skeleton, I remember trick and treating when I was little :-)
ReplyDeleteMy son is dressing up as a vampire
ReplyDeleteyoungest has got me making her a vampire outfit with very specific ideas on how it has to look! My sewing machine has never been so busy!
ReplyDeleteMy son is going to be ninjas my youngest a zombie
ReplyDeleteMy mini dude connor is going as a Punk Skeleton , its an amazing costume :)
ReplyDeleteMy two sons will be dressing up as Darth Vader and Darth Maul and my little girl is a 'pretty' witch!
ReplyDeleteHelen booth
My twins are dressing up as a fairy and pixie this year
ReplyDeletedeath-skeleton with a pink tutu and a monster :)
ReplyDeleteYour assuming I have given this some thought ! I have no idea
ReplyDeleteMy nephew will probably be Iron Man again
ReplyDeleteMy daughter doesn't like halloween.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, my partner opened the door with fangs in, long coat on to a little ghost. The boy said, are you friends with Vampire Bill? Yes, said my partner, ahh, so you are mainstreaming too then. Yes, that's right. Handed out some goodies and shut the door. It was only a very little ghost, he shouldn't have been watching True Blood!
ReplyDeleteMy son will be some sort of monster!
ReplyDeleteMy little girl is a spider this year :)
ReplyDeleteMy 3 year old will be a skeleton at his afternoon party :-)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to making pumpkin biscuits with nephews and nieces next wk..bought the orange and green colourings today
ReplyDeleteMy 3 year old son is going to be a skeleton and Max my baby is going to be a witches cat
ReplyDeletemy son is ironman
ReplyDeletea skeleton
ReplyDeleteI remember covering a neighbours garden with toilet roll because they wouldn't answer the door!
ReplyDeleteMy youngest will be Edward Scissorhands
ReplyDeleteLast year I taught my 4 year old grandson a halloween joke - 'What do skeletons like to eat? - Spare ribs' He learnt it and off he went trick or treating with his mum - the only thing is he thought it was great that everyone was laughing at his joke so he said it every day for about three months and we had to laugh every time - bless
ReplyDeleteI remember dressing up as a witch and going to Pendle Hill ( infamous round these parts for the Pendle Witches ) with my mum as a child, my cousin was a skeleton and my brother was Dracula, we had our photos taken for the local newspaper and my mum still carries the picture in her purse now some 25 years later!!
ReplyDeleteJoanne are you on Facebook? If so look me up in my Facebook group 'Memories of Halloween in Pendle and the Ribble Valley'. I am the author of the book The Lure of the Lancashire Witches (2012) and have just started some historical research about what people remember doing at Halloween in the area. I would be very interested to see the 25 year old photo!! :)
DeleteZombie
ReplyDeleteI'm going sugar skull :)
ReplyDeletedressed as zombies
ReplyDeleteG. Williamson
I remember going out as a punk rocker with my best friend, my mum did all my makeup and hair, including a shocking pink spray for my hair that didn't wash out for school lol
ReplyDeleteBefore the U.S.A. influence trying to carve a lantern from a turnip
ReplyDeletemy daughter is being a nurse this year
ReplyDeleteMy kids are going as a skeleton and a vampire this year :)
ReplyDeletemy friend moved here from south africa and when we where younger she had a halloween party at hers, her mum had put out all sorts of weird & wonderful foods that id never tried very odd south african dishes and cured meats or something. and her brother frightened the poop out of us! he hid in the bedroom upstaries and every time he heard someone go upstairs he jumped out at them (different doors each time with various masks and things.
ReplyDeletePlaying duck apple as a child is my favourite Halloween memory
ReplyDeleteMy 2 girls want to dress up as pumpkins
ReplyDeleteA little devil, which is quite fitting for her terrible two stage!
ReplyDeleteA vampire (@FCWedding)
ReplyDeleteMy twins will be skeletons
ReplyDeleteMy son is dressing up as a skeleton.
ReplyDeletea pirate and a witch
ReplyDeletemy daughter will be a witch and her twin brother a pumpkin
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween! My little boy has a skeleton costume and a home made Chucky from Childs Play one
ReplyDeletei love dressing up and walling with the kids haha always a witch classic
ReplyDeletedevils xx
ReplyDeleteA Witch my kids say I am well suited!!!
ReplyDeleteA zombie :)
ReplyDeleteMy daughter Gracie is being a little witch.
ReplyDelete1 Devil, 1 Haloween Pirate & a Baby Skeleton :)
ReplyDeleteI have no kids...but I'll be dressing as a zombie for the party we're hosting!
ReplyDeletea vampire and a witch
ReplyDeletesuperhero
ReplyDeleteZombies
ReplyDeletemy grandson wants to be a vampire and my youngest daughter wants to be foxy from 5 nights at Freddy's
ReplyDeleteNo dressing up required pretty scary as they are
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger it was faces painted with what we could find and a black bin bag and a turnip that we bought from the farm for 5p
ReplyDeleteZombies
ReplyDeletemy 3 year old is desperate to be a ghost - now where's that sheet!!
ReplyDeletekatiethomas1984@hotmail.co.uk
Bob is going as batman
ReplyDeleteI have no halloween memories, my parents didn't believe in it, they said it was begging. I don't know yet what the my children want to dress up as, that is tomorrows job
ReplyDeleteI once dressed up as a Pritt Stick for Halloween. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteThey still haven't decided :/
ReplyDelete