It’s thought that Halloween has evolved from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain on 31st October when people used to light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. This night is said to be the one on which the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is at its thinnest, allowing spirits to cross over onto the mortal plane. Across the Atlantic in Mexico they subscribe to the same theory; El Dia de Los Muertos is a national holiday celebrated on 1st and 2nd November, where the spirits of the ancestors return to earth for a short time.
Either way, this time of year is one full of ghosts, ghouls, witches, goblins and all manner of horrible creatures. These days, we see them walking our streets in miniature, as children everywhere don their favourite scary costumes and go house-to-house trick-or-treating for sweet rewards. However, if you don’t fancy traipsing through the neighbourhood this year, why not host your own outdoor Halloween party?
To host the perfect outdoor Halloween party, you need to follow the three golden rules:
Stay Warm and Cosy
Halloween falls at a dark and spooky time of year. Unfortunately, this also means the 31st of October can get a wee bit chilly, especially once the sun goes down, so when throwing an outdoor Halloween party, it’s important to ensure your guests can stay warm and cosy. Investing in a quality patio heater helps to spread warm air around while leaving plenty of throws and blankets on your garden furniture means that people can wrap up warm whenever they need to. No more huddling around the Jack O’Lanterns for warmth!
Create An Atmosphere
Halloween is considered to be a very spooky occasion indeed - so any party worth it's salt should be emphasising the eeriness of the occasion with lighting and decorations. Flickering candles, hanging lanterns, string lights and open fires all help to set the mood. Make sure you have plenty of pumpkins, hanging cobwebs and other traditionally spooky decorations that will play with the shadows from your fire pit and candles to create a truly atmospheric scene. Bonus points if you splash out on a fog machine for that gentle, rolling mist.
Set a Spooky Table
As well as being an occasion to celebrate spirits, the modern Halloween festival has become synonymous with sweet treats. If you’re hosting an outdoor Halloween party, setting the table appropriately to deliver an autumnal feast can give your party the stamp of approval from your guests. Combinations of dark table linen with orange runners or placemats always look great. Look for creepy candlesticks to cast a flickering light over your table, and choose dark crockery to really set off your delicacies.
So, you’ve covered the basics; everyone is fed, warm and pleasurably unnerved by your chilling decoration skills. Congratulations! Now, how do you keep your guests entertained?
Parties with Children
Children love Halloween. A chance to get dressed up and be doled out more sweets than you could eat in a month? What’s not to enjoy? But the evening needn’t be all about trick-or-treating. There are lots of fun party games and activities you can do with little ones for a great Halloween celebration.
Apple Bobbing - The challenge of picking up apples from a barrel of water using only their teeth will keep competitive little ones entertained for hours. One to avoid if you’ve spent hours on the face paint though, and keep the towels handy, as this one can get wet!
Costume Contest - If all the kids (well, parents!) have made an effort with their costumes, then hosting a competition with all kinds of different prizes is a lot of fun. There are no losers here!
Haunted House - Those with time on their hands in the run-up to a party will have a lot of fun setting up their own haunted house, complete with peeled grape eyeballs, spaghetti intestines and sausage fingers.
Cupcake Decorating - Encourage their creative skills with icing, sprinkles and cupcake toppers.
Scavenger Hunt - Plan a route around your party venue with clues to hunt down and prizes at every stage.
Parties with Adults
Grown-ups only at your Halloween bash this year? If the youthful enthusiasm for trick-or-treating has long since passed, there are still plenty of ways to stay entertained:
Horror Movie Night - Set up a cinema in your back garden by hanging a white sheet and projecting a suitably scary film. Hand out the popcorn, dim the lights and prepare for a scare!
Cocktail Making - research some spooktacular cocktail recipes or challenge your guests to design their own
Scary Campfire Stories - gather around the fire pit for a round of storytelling; why not listen to a story podcast such as Full Body Chills for some professionally recorded terrifying tales.
Pumpkin Carving Contest - hand out the tools and see who can create the most artistic Halloween pumpkin.
Monster Dance Party - crack out the Halloween playlist on Spotify and boogie the night away to some cult classics.
Whatever you do this Halloween, there are a number of brilliant ways to celebrate the occasion outside with friends and family.
Check out our latest blog for more inspiration on celebrating Halloween as an adult.
Whatever you do this Halloween, there are a number of brilliant ways to celebrate the occasion outside with friends and family.
Check out our latest blog for more inspiration on celebrating Halloween as an adult.
