Party Planning and More…

It’s hard to believe, but the nip in the air, colorful foliage, and earlier sunsets are unmistakable signs that Halloween is just around the corner. As your little ghouls and goblins gear up for another trick-or-treating session, we thought it would be fun to share some history of the delightfully frightful season, as well as some common ways in which it’s celebrated.

The modern-day Halloween is rooted in a traditional Celtic festival called Samhain, an observance of the end of the harvest season. Also known as the Celtic New Year, this ancient holiday commemorated Catholic saints on November 1 of each year.
Halloween gets its name from All Hallows Eve, the eve of what was originally known as All Hallows Day and is now dubbed All Saints’ Day. Commemorating ancient European Pagan beliefs, this religious festival was originally held on May 13, and was later moved to November 1. Legend had it that the spirits of everyone who had passed away during the previous year would return on All Hallows Eve to find living bodies to occupy, a story that reflected the Celts’ belief in the afterlife. Many believed that some of the spirits posed a potential harm to livestock, crops, and personal property. Each October 31, the night before All Hallows Eve, the locals would don menacing costumes and organize riotous processions through town, creating as much noise and destruction as possible to scare away the prowling spirits.

In the 1840s, the earliest version of our modern-day Halloween was introduced into America by Irish immigrants. Early observances were marked by relatively harmless pranks, such as knocking over outhouses and opening gates to farms.

The trick-or-treating aspect of Halloween was derived not from the Celts, but from an ancient European tradition called All Souls Day. Observed on November 2, this 9th-century holiday was marked by beggars who walked throughout town soliciting villagers for “soul cakes,” a form of fruit pastry. In exchange for each soul cake, the beggars promised to say a prayer for the family of the charitable villager.

The Jack-o-Lantern, with his crooked smile and flickering glow, has a deep-rooted history in Irish folklore. Legend has it that an Irishman named Stingy Jack, a notorious practical jokester and drinker, lured Satan up into a tree. Jack agreed to let the devil come back down only if he would promise never to tempt him again. After Jack died, he was forbidden to enter Heaven because of his drunken debaucheries, and was also blocked from Hell due to his deception of the devil. According to the fable, Satan condemned Jack to wander through the cold shadows of limbo for all eternity, with only a single glowing ember inside a carved turnip to light his way. The modern-day Jack-o-Lanterns use hollowed-out pumpkins, which are more abundant and decorative than turnips. Originally a symbol of harvest time, pumpkins didn’t become emblems of Halloween until the mid- to late-1800s.

Today, many centuries later, the ancient practice of dressing in costume each October 31st continues—not with the objective of warding off spirits, but to celebrate with candy, fun, and revelry. In addition to trick-or-treating, modern-day Halloween is celebrated by such activities as bonfires, ghost tours, visiting haunted houses, pumpkin-carving activities, and watching scary movies. During the 1900s, observances of the holiday became widely commercialized, with trick-or-treaters’ costumes transitioning from ancient ghouls, ghosts, and goblins to reflect pop culture icons and trends.

Variations of Halloween are observed in several different Western countries, including the United States, Ireland, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, and parts of Australia.

Tips for Safe Trick-or-Treating

Before you unleash your little witches and warlocks for their annual neighborhood begging, take a few minutes to educate them on these trick-or-treating safety guidelines. Following these words of wisdom will help ensure fun, worry-free Halloween festivities.

• Always bring along a flashlight. After sundown, unfamiliar steps and uneven terrain can trip up your costumed crusaders, especially when their vision is impaired by masks. Make sure the flashlight has new batteries. For added precaution, you might also want to provide glow sticks and reflective accessories.
• As excited as they are, trick-or-treaters should always walk rather than run. Nothing derails a good time like skinned knees and spilled candy.
• For older trick-or-treaters who are heading out with friends, make sure they wear a glow-in-the-dark watch and carry a cell phone for use in emergencies.
• Advise children to always stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in the street. If they must cross the street, they should do so at the corner and always be accompanied by an adult. They should also avoid cutting through neighbors’ yards.
• Trick-or-treat only on familiar streets. If a house is dark, skip it and go on to the next one. Always knock at the front door rather than a side or back entrance.
• Kids should pair their costumes with comfortable shoes to avoid pain and blisters. Make sure all laces are securely tied to prevent tripping. Check your child’s costume to make sure it doesn’t drag on the ground and pose a tripping hazard.
• Avoid approaching or petting unfamiliar dogs or other animals.
• Make sure all props are safe and flexible. Don’t allow trick-or-treaters to carry sharp or pointy swords or wands that could potentially injure others.

With some sensible planning and foresight, Halloween can provide a sensationally spooky opportunity for friends, families, and neighbors to spend time together and observe the transition from fall to winter.

Creative Costume Ideas

Whether you’re looking for an ensemble that’s scary, sexy, or funny, BuyCostumes.com is sure to have the perfect Halloween attire for you. Shop hundreds of costumes for adults, teens, and children. Among the features of this well-designed online Halloween store.

• Durable, high-quality materials that endure multiple trick-or-treating seasons
• Quick, same-day shipments and courteous customer service
• A wide selection of more than 15,000 costumes in a wide variety of genres
• A 100% satisfaction guarantee for each and every purchase
• Unrivaled values that allow you to achieve your vision without busting your budget

Merry Christmas to all! 

..Now, it is time to start to prepare for that New Years Eve Party!

Where are you going to celebrate New Years?  Are you going with someone special?  …And the most important question, if you are going to be drinking alcoholic beverages, do you have a designated driver?  

As usual, we are procastinating about where we are going to celebrate…  We are thinking DC, Phillie or Pittsburgh.  I guess it is time for me to make a decision. 

Please be safe, and have fun partying for the season!  

One of the best Holiday gatherings I have been to was a non-traditional one.  We had Christmas dinner, Hawaiian Style.  And this brought me to this theme holiday party idea.  Everyone has so many Holiday parties to go to this time of year, and they all are pretty much the same.  Why not have a Holiday Hawaiian Luau? 

You can get some great party supplies from Party Favor Mall.  They are so easy to order from and have great quality party favors and party supplies. 

 These Palm Tree Place Card Holders are so cute!

Well, it is that time of year when we all are rushing around planning our holiday parties.  I found these great little candles that will give your holiday cocktail party a special look. 

These decorative candles can be found at Party Favor Mall along with some great party favors. 

Tonight while I was talking with some friends I heard a great party idea!  Chocolate Covered Cherries with a twist. 

My mouth started to water while we were discussing these.

First, drain a jar of maricno cherries.  Then soak them in grain alcohol over night.  Again, drain and let dry. 

Melt Hersheys Chocolate over low heat or in a warmer.  Dip the alcohol soaked cherries in the chocolate and let cool on wax paper. 

Tada!!!  A perfect addition to your party with an added kick! 

By now you should have a general ideal of who is coming to your Holiday Dinner.  Now you need to decide where you are going to set up the everything.  Its a good ideal to plan early where you are going to set up the food, drinks, and the seating arrangements.  The best thing to do is to set up your food and drinks on seperate tables.  I always suggest if possible to set these up in an area of the house that is easy to access and that is easy to clean (some place with out carpet).  Even the best guest can still have an accidental spill.  Did you remember to get cups, plates, napkins, and any other serving items that you will need?

The night before you are going to want to set up your tables and prepare a few things early.  The first thing that you will want to do if your having Turkey and Dressing is to mix up your dressing and then stuff your turkey and get it started cooking or start cooking your Baked Ham.  Its always good to prepare your turkey or ham the night before that way you can have it sliced up and ready for the guest tomorrow.  If you need any  recipes for your  Holiday dinner you can check out http://giftwrapandmore.wordpress.com/ There is recipes for deserts, bread, turkey, ham, and holiday drinks on this blog.

While your turkey or ham is cooking go ahead and start preparing your home made bread.  You will want to cook the bread until it is just lightly browned on the top so that you can heat it up tomorrow to have hot and fresh rolls for your meal.  If you are using brown and serve rolls you can wait until around 20 minutes before your guest start arriving to cook the bread.

 You can go ahead and cook your pies with your turkey or ham if your oven is big enough.  This will decrease the amount of time that you will have to cook in the morning.    Get all of your deserts done to night that you can  and any specialty breads.    Do not cut any fruit or make any fruit salad unless you are using Jello as these will turn dark over night.   You may also want to cook any deviled eggs tonight and set up your deli trays. 

When this is all done go ahead and pre-set your table.  Put the table cloths on and put your center pieces and place additional chairs that are needed.  Next place you plates, cups, silverware and napkins on the tables.

First thing in the morning on the day of your party you will want to start any of your side dishes.  Place all of your deserts  and deli trays on the table about an hour before your expecting any guest.  Remember you will always have those guest that arrive early.  Start your drinks and punch and place these on the table as they are done.  Go ahead and put your ice in a container and place it in the freezer to be removed and placed on the table as your guest start arriving. 

After you have finished your side dishes and placed them on the table start heating up your turkey or ham. It will only take about 20 minutes, then you will want to heat up your bread.  Go ahead and place these on the table as they are done.  Now all you should have left is a few finishing touches and you will be ready to enjoy your holiday meal and your guest.  Holiday meals are easy with a little planning and preperation ahead of time.  This allows you to play host instead of cook during your holiday celebration. 

I hope that you all have a Happy Holiday Season. 

If you are looking for some additional drink recipes check out http://giftwrapandmore.com/

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so we need to make sure that you are ready!

If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, you must think about the key questions that I posted earlier.  Have all of those answers ready and keep in mind the following:  

• You should confirm which of your guests will be attending and if they will be bringing a guest.  Also, know what guests have children and have the appropriate food choices.  (Ask the parents what the kids do or don’t like ahead of time to make sure you are prepared.)
• Where will everyone be seated?  Do you have a large enough dining room for everyone?  If not, improvise!  A cardtable will work great with a nice table cloth and a small centerpiece.  If this is a table for the children, make the centerpiece a fun arrangement designed with kids in mind. 
• Ensure that everyone knows what time dinner will be served.  Have some light appetizers prepared to keep the guests satisfied prior to dinner.  This will also give you a buffer in the event that dinner take longer to cook than expected. 

Enjoy the holidays and have fun!  The point of having a gathering is for everyone to have a good time, including you!

The time is now to get your holiday party planned.  If you wait for the last minute, it will not only cause you great stress, but it could be a terrible mistake.  Are you the person who is charge of planning the company party?  Are you having the entire family over for the holidays?  Are you having a few friends over to celebrate the New Year? 

Well, I hate to ruin everyones day, but do you realize that New Year’s Eve is in about a month and a half!!! You need to get planning now. Make sure you have the key question answered, then let’s get started.