Everything You Need to Know about Organizing a Halloween Party

Halloween has been celebrated by people for thousands of years – it dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated at the end of summer. The Celts believed that the barrier between the human world and the world of ghosts and spirits is extremely thin at that time of the year, meaning that strange creatures could wander around the Earth.

Despite the fact that Halloween’s tradition had its beginning in Britain and other parts of Europe, it wasn’t as commonly celebrated as it is nowadays in America. The Irish immigrants brought the tradition in the 19th century, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that Halloween became mainstream, with pumpkin carving or trick or treating making their presence in TV shows, books, and movies.

Nowadays, Halloween is like a big party. It doesn’t matter if you are a child, an adult, or an elderly person – there is a way for you to enjoy this holiday – even by doing something as simple as ordering custom t-shirts with funny Halloween puns, like “Give’em pumpkin to talk about,” or “Creep it real.”

Speaking of a party – have you ever organized a Halloween party before? If you haven’t, maybe you should think about it – it’s fun, it’s spooky, and it’s a great way of spending time with your friends and family. Since planning a Halloween party for the first time can be quite tricky, we decided to gather in one place everything you need to know about it.

Pick a Theme For Your Party

Finding the right Halloween costume can be quite a hassle, so by choosing a theme, you will probably do a favor not only to yourself but also to the people you invited. It will also help you with choosing the right decorations, as you will know more or less what to expect.

There are hundreds of themes you can pick from – both for adults and for kids. If you have no clue about which one to choose for your party, here are some of our ideas:

• Murder mystery – this is a classic. If you want to, you can decorate your house so that it will suit the time period and circumstances of the crime committed.
• Wild wild west – Halloween costumes don’t have to be scary. Your guests can wear their best western-inspired outfits, and you can transform your salon into a real-time saloon.
• Zombie apocalypse – just like Halloween, zombies also are an integral part of popular culture – it shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially with TV series like The Walking Dead and movies like Zombieland. The best part of this theme? You can prepare food and drinks that look like body parts.

Set the Time, Date, and Place

Once you have decided on the perfect theme for your party, you need to choose the time and place it will happen. Even though Halloween is technically on the 31st of October, it’s not uncommon for people to organize parties a few weeks prior to it.

Choosing things such as time and location needs to be a thought-through decision. You need to take into consideration that some people might be busy on the exact date of Halloween – especially if they have younger kids who will want to go trick or treating. Also, depending on how many people you invite, you have to decide whether the party will be organized at your house or some alternative location.

Think About Food and Drinks

Preparing all the food and drinks by yourself is much more challenging than one might think – that’s why the practice of the host asking the guests to bring their own food is becoming more and more popular. Not only will it make the whole thing more friendly, but it will also allow your guests to showcase their cooking skills (or shopping skills if cooking or baking are not really their cup of tea).

You can either allow the guests to be creative and do whatever they wish, or you can collect some simple recipes that most people will be able to do without much struggle, and that will fit the theme of your party – your choice.

The Bottom Line

October is probably one of the best months of the year – mainly because of Halloween. Even though this holiday is not as wildly celebrated in other countries as it is in America, it is slowly making its way through, as many people decide to throw a Halloween party.

Organizing a Halloween party for the first time can be quite challenging. You have to choose the theme, the date, the place in which it will take place, who to invite to your party, and so much more. However, as long as you know what exactly you should be doing, you will be just fine. Good luck!