GAMES FOR HALLOWEEN
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Games for Halloween
Hallow-e'en or Hallow-Even is the last night of October, being the eve
or vigil of All-Hallow's or All Saint's Day, and no holiday in all the
year is so informal or so marked by fun both for grown-ups as well as
children as this one. On this night there should be nothing but
laughter, fun and mystery. It is the night when Fairies dance, Ghosts,
Witches, Devils and mischief-making Elves wander around. It is the
night when all sorts of charms and spells are invoked for prying into
the future by all young folks and sometimes by folks who are not
young.
In getting up a Hallow-e'en Party everything should be made as secret
as possible, and each guest bound to secrecy concerning the
invitations.
Any of the following forms of invitations might be used.
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Witches and Choice Spirits of Darkness
will hold High Carnival at my house,
..............Wednesday, October 31st,
at eight o'clock. Come prepared to test
your fate.
Costume, Witches, Ghosts, etc.
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Miss Ethel Jones will expect to see
you at her Hallow-e'en Party Wednesday,
Oct. 31st, at 8 o'clock. She begs
that you will come prepared to
participate in the mysteries and rites of All
Hallow's Eve, and to wear a costume
appropriate to the occasion.
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On Wednesday, Oct. 31st, at 8 o'clock,
I shall celebrate Hallow-e'en and hope
that you will come and participate in the
mysteries and rites of All Hallow's Eve,
so come prepared to learn your fate.
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The room or rooms in which most of the games are to be played should
be decorated as grotesquely as possible with Jack-o'-lanterns made
from apples, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, etc., with incisions made
for eyes, nose and mouth and a lighted candle placed within.
Jack-o'-lanterns for the gas jets may be made of paste board boxes
about the size of a shoe box. Cut holes for eyes, nose and mouth in
all four sides of the box and cover the holes with red or green tissue
paper. A black box with the openings covered with red tissue paper or
vice versa or white and green make good combinations.
Cut a hole in the bottom of the box just large enough to fit over the
gas jet, turning the gas low enough to not burn the box.
In addition to this Jack-o'-lanterns made from pumpkins, etc., should
be placed around on tables, mantles, corners, etc.
A skull and cross bones placed over the door entering the house would
be very appropriate. The hall should be in total darkness except for
the light coming from the Jack-o'-lanterns of all shapes and sizes in
various places.
Autumn leaves, green branches, apples, tomatoes and corn should also
play an important part in the decorations. Black and yellow cheese
cloth or crepe paper makes very effective and inexpensive decorations.
The dining-room should be decorated with autumn leaves, golden rod,
yellow chrysanthemums, strings of cranberries, etc. For a table center
piece a large pumpkin could be used with the top cut off and partly
filled with water in which a large bunch of yellow chrysanthemums or
golden-rod could be placed. Bay leaves can be scattered over the
table.
Another idea for a center piece is a large pumpkin Jack-o'-lantern,
the top cut in large points with small chocolate mice in the notches
and scampering down the sides of the pumpkin (held in place by long
pins or a little glue) and over the table.
Place cards representing pumpkins, black cats, witches' hats, witches,
brownies, etc., are appropriate.
If one is not an artist in water color painting, some of the cards
could be cut from colored bristol board or heavy paper. The witches'
hats of black or brown paper with a red ribbon band; the cats of black
paper showing a back view may have a red or yellow ribbon necktie; the
pumpkins of yellow paper with the sections traced in ink or notched a
trifle and black thread drawn between the notches.
Any of these designs could be used for an invitation for a children's
party, by writing on the reverse side: "Will you please come to my
party on Wednesday, October 31st" with the name and address of the
little host or hostess, using white ink on black paper.
The dining-room should also be in total darkness, except for the light
given by the Jack-o'-lanterns, until the guests are seated, when they
should unmask. The supper could be served in this dim light or the
lights turned up and the room made brilliant. After the supper is over
and while the guests are still seated a splendid idea would be to
extinguish all the lights and to have one or more of the party tell
ghost stories.
Have a large pumpkin on a stand or table from which hang as many
ribbons as there are guests. Have one end of the ribbon attached to a
small card in the pumpkin on which may be a little water color sketch
of pumpkin, apples, witch, ghost or other appropriate design together
with a number. Have red ribbon for the girls and yellow ribbon for the
boys, with corresponding numbers. Let each guest draw a ribbon from
the pumpkin and find their partner by number.
Another suggestion is to have the hall totally dark with the door ajar
and no one in sight to welcome the guests. As they step in they are
surprised to be greeted by some one dressed as a ghost who extends his
hand which is covered with wet salt.
The following games and tests of fate and fortune will furnish
entertainment for children small and children of a larger growth. Of
course, prying into the future with these tests at any other time,
they may not prove infallible, but on the Eve of All Saint's Day, when
all the elves, the fairies, goblins and hobgoblins are at large
playing pranks and teasing and pleasing, why should they not "come
true."
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WALNUT BOATS
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