Halloween - kids love this scary holiday

Halloween is lots of fun for children.  There's everything from scary ghosts to bags filled with candy.  And who doesn't love dressing up?

Have you ever wondered how Halloween customs got started?  Or are you looking for Halloween craft ideas?

Create digital Halloween invites, scrapbooks and slideshows in just a few minutes using your own photos and music!

You can create and share scrapbooks, or cards to create wonderful memories without buying expensive equipment.  Beautiful templates make it easy to add your photos and customize the text.  Great idea to send to grandparents!

How did Halloween start?

Halloween. Just the name of this holiday brings images of ghosts, witches, and goblins to mind. Yet it is the favorite holiday for many kids. Where did Halloween come from?

Halloween was first celebrated by the Celts, who lived in Scotland and Ireland in ancient times. The Celts held a special festival to celebrate Samhain, the god of the dead. Some sources indicate that Gaelic word "Samhain" literally means "summer's end".   

The day they chose was their New Year’s Eve, October 31 on our calendar. They believed the souls of the dead returned to visit their homes on this one night of the year to try to find another body to inhabit.

Homes had no fires in the hearth and the adults dressed as demons or witches so that no spirit would want to inhabit their body. Everyone would make their way out of town to the huge bonfires that were lit to draw the spirits away from town.

The other holiday which blended into our modern Halloween, is All Hallows’ Eve the Christian holiday to honor the saints. People believed that on this night, witches (in the form of black cats), flew about and ghosts and demons were free to roam the land. It was the night to have your future told or play games like bobbing for apples.

The Irish thought leprechauns played pranks on Halloween, so mischief- making was added to the celebration of Halloween.

In Scotland, a hollowed out turnip was used as lantern to light your way in the dark of the night.

As people emigrated to North America, they each brought their own bit of Halloween with them. All the customs blended into our modern Halloween.

However you spend October 31, be sure to scare the evil spirits away!

Many families are creating new customs for celebrating Halloween.  We'd be happy to share some of these ideas.

Looking for a different way to spend Halloween?

Halloween Crafts and Activities

• Jack-o-Lanterns - craft ideas.
• Pumpkin Carving Tips
• Silly Slime - kids love this ooey, gooey craft for the whole family.
• Scary Heads - make these scary pencil toppers.
• Make your own Mummy
• Spider Webs - make your own Halloween decoration.
• Trick or Treat bags - kids can make their own!

Looking for some ideas for what to hand out to Trick-or-Treaters?

Knowing the origins of Halloween makes the holiday educational for the kids. Share the traditional customs with your family while you get the Halloween decorations put up and decide what everyone wants to be for Halloween this year. Maybe everyone could dress as a family of mischievous Leprechauns and go around the neighborhood pulling cute pranks on a few of your closest friends?

Let us know if you have any craft or activity ideas that children love for Halloween.  We'll share them with other visitors to our website. Send us a note if you have any questions.

Kids Gifts   Kids Science   Kids Crafts   Kids Games   For Parents   Creative Kids Blog

About Us   Crafts Info   Media   Terms And Conditions   Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2008 Creative Kids at Home