By Nancy Jill Thames
When Halloween comes every year our family has traditions we've kept ever since I can remember. My husband carves the pumpkin one week in advance, and I scoop out the seeds to boil, salt, and bake. A special treat if you like snacks like sunflower seeds, etc.
On Halloween night we watch movies which must include "The Mummy" with Boris Korloff, "Young Frankentein," and "Monster House."
We also light the first fire on Halloween night - except this year we've had a cooling trend so we lit the fire early.
Our Halloween supper changes from year to year, but I've known people who have special menus for the occasion. One neighbor made a hamburger stuffed pumpkin after the carving...every year...maybe this year we'll do mummy hot dogs. Not sure yet but they do look cute!
As I perused Pinterest ideas one of my grandsons looking over my shoulder became obsessed with the spider chocolate-chip cookies. I proceeded to buy a roll of dough for the project, and now perhaps we'll have added a new tradition to the mix.
The trick-or-treat candy is purchased by my husband because he wants control over any leftovers. I let him choose.
My husband and I take turns answering the door for trick-or-treaters. It's a wonderful time to say hello to neighbors and admire the children's costumes. Usually traffic dies down between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. That's when we turn off the porch light and fire, then head for sleep.
Many of you may include the above traditions, or do you have others? We would love to hear how you spend the evening. After speculating whether or not to celebrate this strange event based on All Hallows' Day, I've come to the conclusion that Halloween is a time for neighbors to celebrate a fun welcome for Fall.
Stay safe and watch out for goblins!
See you in my books!
~Nancy Jill Thames
If you would like me to sign your ebooks please click the link.
I love technology!
Authorgraph
Mystery
novelist Nancy Jill Thames has published Christian fiction since 2010.
The author of seven books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award-winning blogger and listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller’s
List. In addition, she won first place in her church's 4th of July celebration for her chocolate cream pie.
When she isn’t plotting her next
book, she spends time with her six
grandchildren, tags along with her husband on business trips, and
plays classical piano for her personal enjoyment. She is an active
member
of the Leander Writers' Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW),
CenTex Chapter-ACFW, and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion
of her book sales. She resides with her husband in Leander, Texas.
CONTACT INFORMATION jillthames@gmail.com
If you would like me to sign your ebooks please click the link.
I love technology!
Authorgraph
Enjoy Book 1 MURDER IN HALF MOON BAY on your ereader for free!
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What a lovely post, and what a fun way to bring a sense of tradition to Halloween. In our family, Halloween means lots of birthdays! My husband and his oldest brother share a birthday on the 30th, one of their sisters is the 29th, and their youngest brother and my brother's wife are both Halloween babies.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness - so many birthdays in one family! My mother-in-law was also a Halloween baby and to this day it's her favorite holiday. She'll be 91!
Delete~Nancy Jill
I really enjoyed your post Nancy. We usually have one of two special meals that have always been done on Halloween night, one of which is meatloaf and scalloped potatoes. I think it is that we eat a bit later than many people do, and this is a meal that can be warmed up if you get too busy with going to the door to give out Halloween candy. Now that we have grandchildren, we go out trick or treating with them, and eat our dinner much later, and it makes it hard to be with the kids AND at home answering the door each time the bell rings. So, we have been leaving a huge bowl of candy out for the goblins to take by themselves and then we have come home to our late dinner and our fireplace too. We had snow before Halloween two years in a row so that fireplace was very much appreciated after walking through snowy streets with the kids the past two years. Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween night.
ReplyDeleteMy you're brave to go out trick-or-treating! Impressive - and sounds like a lot of fun. Enjoy!
Delete~Nancy Jill