It's Halloween and you want to stay
away from the big parties and door to door trick or treating with strangers.
What do you do? Give an old fashioned party that will please everyone and
get the whole family together! We can take some hints from The Modern Priscilla
Magazine issue from October 1915. They advised the hostess to invite family
and friends that are close to each other so everyone can feel comfortable
dressing up and joining in.
INVITATIONS & DECORATIONS
Invitations and menu cards should be adorned with witches on broomsticks,
owls, black kittens and such. Menu cards aren't used much for family gatherings,
but they are a fun memento for guests to take home. Simply cut cards out
of stiff paper, decorate and neatly print the occasion, the menu, date, and
even a little poem or quotation. Place one by each guest, or hand them out
at the door.
Decorations in the early 1900s were simple but fun. Jack-o-lanterns peeking
from every corner, dried corn with branches of colored fall leaves would
be suspended from chandeliers. Pumpkin shells can be scraped clean and used
for soups, dips or casseroles. Dye cheese cloth yellow and attach autumn
leaves, string popcorn spray painted orange, or a modern touch of black plastic
spiders can be added. Faces were also painted on gourds and turnips to decorate
the entire house.
FESTIVE FOOD
The food was rather light and easy, which fits in perfect with our busy
lifestyles today. Egg, chicken or tuna salad sandwiches, cut into fourths
with additions of thinly sliced cucumber, herb butter, tomato or watercress
could be served on platters with colored toothpicks holding the bread in
place.
Nut sandwiches were a suggested treat. Bake gingerbread or poundcake in loaves
and thinly slice. Toast nuts for a few minutes in a hot oven, then chop or
crush. Mix with whipped cream or honey and spread on the slices of bread.
In addition to the sandwiches serve brownies, fruit compote or salad, hot
cider and salted nuts.
Hot Spiced Cider
2 quarts cider
1 cup brown or white sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
6 cloves
1 tsp. allspice
nutmeg
Add the sugar and spices to the cider in a large saucepan. Simmer, do not
boil, for 15 minutes. Strain and serve hot in small glasses or mugs. A little
grated nutmeg may be sprinkled on each glass before serving.
Halloween Bars
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 well-beaten eggs
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 cup flour
1 cup crushed nuts
Cream sugar and butter, add eggs, molasses, extract, flour and nuts. Mix
and turn into a buttered and floured cake tin and bake in a moderate (350
degrees) oven for 30 minutes. Cut in fingers and serve warm or cold.
THE HALLOWEEN GAMES
Bobbing for apples, dancing, and door prizes were some of the simpler activities
in the early 1900's. We can add some modern touches too. On the bottom of
each plate tape a number. After everyone finishes eating draw numbers and
give away adult and kid's door prizes. Bean bag animals, marbles, and card
games are fun and inexpensive for the kids. Adult door prizes can be boxes
of herb tea, jams, coffees, fancy cookies or crackers.
Be sure to have some fun music such as the Chicken Dance, The Hokie Pokie,
or songs from classic musicals like Oklahoma or The Sound of Music. Besides
dancing, musical chairs is a great game to encourage the kids and adults
to play together.
A game of Pin the Stem on the Pumpkin can be fun for all ages! Draw and color
a large pumpkin without a stem on poster board. Using another piece of cardboard
or construction paper cut out a stem, and attach a tack to it with tape.
Tape the pumpkin onto a cork board. Blind fold each guest during their turn
while they try to pin the stem on the pumpkin. The kids will love seeing
the adults playing right along with them!
Old fashioned Halloween parties are a great alternative to door to door trick
or treating. It's fun, and safe, plus it brings together family members of
all ages to share in the memories.
About the Author:
Brenda Hyde is a work at home mom and owner of
Old Fashioned Living
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