“There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and The Great Pumpkin.” – Linus from Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin.
We all know the joys of dressing up in a costume that transforms you into someone, or something, else. And we can all remember the days of running from house to house to gather as much candy as we could possibly get. But one of the most under-rated Halloween traditions is that of pumpkin carving. Carving isn’t just about the result; it’s the whole process. Some choose to buy their pumpkin at the grocery store and just get whatever is available, but for others who are able, taking a drive out to the patch is the best way to go. Pumpkin patches are the epitome of autumn. The colored leaves, the crisp fall air, and pumpkins bigger than the average dog. Obviously orange is the most popular, but at most patches you can find white, green, yellow, crème, and other variations. Picking the best pumpkin is key to the fun of carving. Short and squat or big and round, no two pumpkins are the same.
Once you actually have the perfect pumpkin then comes the time to dig out the insides. Cutting off the top and scooping out the guts has to be one of the most fun and simultaneously gross activities that fall brings. Globs of pumpkin guts make for a messy time, but the seeds can be roasted and cooked to perfection. Then comes the fun of picking the perfect patterns. Most tend to go for some variation of the traditional triangle eyes, nose and toothy grin, but there are so many possibilities out there. There are tons of patterns available ranging from an easy ghost to an intricate and impossible looking spider web.
Looking for some music to get in the spooky spirit? Check out these iTunes albums and find some Halloween classics such as Monster Mash (Bobby Pickett) along with Thriller (Michael Jackson) and Werewolves of London (Warren Zevon). This Halloween album not only includes songs, but sounds and background spooky things to play, 100 songs worth!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/
One of my favorite parts of Halloween was always eating the toasted pumpkin seeds after carving. Simple, yet so tasty, this snack has been a tradition in my family since I was a youngster. According to my mother, the easy procedure goes like this:
1. Weed through all the gunk and pick out the seeds. Make sure you get all the orange bits off (do the best you can). Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place all seeds on a cookie sheet, try to make sure there is space in between all of them, they’ll cook better that way.
3. Sprinkle with lots of salt, or any other spices you might like.
4. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until crispy, make sure you don’t take them out too early!
5. Give them a few minutes to cool and voilà!
1. Poltergeist directed by Tobe Hooper. It’s the ultimate haunted house movie. Fighting for your life and your sanity is one hell of a battle. So get ready cause, They’re heeeeeeeere.
2. Pet Cemetery directed by Mary Lambert. Ever wondered what it would be like if you could bring a loved one back to life? Well what if it worked, but what if your loved one came back wrong. Sometimes things are better off dead.
3. The Descent directed by Neil Marshall. Are you claustrophobic? Afraid of the dark? Scared of what’s living in caves? Well maybe you should be.
4. Nightmare on Elm Street directed by Wes Craven. If you are going for classics this one can’t be beat. A witty villain and naïve teenagers? How classic. But whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.
5. 28 Days Later directed by Danny Boyle. Clumsy zombies that walk slower than the average turtle? Not that scary. Zombies that move extremely fast and are the result of an incurable disease? Terrifying.
So, now you have your pumpkin, music, pumpkin seeds, and movies. All you need is to finish up getting together that costume and get ready for the best Halloween yet.