Words and Photo: Ashley Berry
Tip #1: Throw a Costume Party
Don’t feel like trick or treating on the streets? Bring the excitement inside! Turn your house into a haunted mansion and invite all your friends to put on their favorite costumes and have some fun. Serve food, drinks, and plenty of candy. Make sure to include Halloween music, such as Thriller by Michael Jackson, on your playlist, and provide bowls full of popcorn for your favorite horror movie.
Tip #2: Have a Bonfire
Nothing is better than sitting outside with a blanket on your lap around a hot, smoky fire. Take the night to relax with your closest friends, talking and laughing until the wee hours of the morning. Sit under the stars with the moon shimmering in the sky, roast a marshmallow until it is perfectly golden. Add a piece of chocolate and two graham crackers and you have the perfect s’more for the perfect evening.
Tip #3: Spend a Night at Field Of Screams
Everyone loves a good haunted house, but the Field of Screams takes haunted to the next level. With the sound of murderous screams and the crackling of fire, Field of Screams ensures every visitor a terrifying, bloodcurdling, spine-tingling night. The four different attractions, Lusion Manor, Paintball Apocalypse, Hades Hayride, and the Trail or Terror, provide a horrific but fulfilling night. Field of Screams Maryland is located on Laytonsville Road in Olney, MD.
Tip #4: Carve Pumpkins
People first started carving pumpkins because they believed the scary faces they carved into them would ward off evil spirits. Now, we carve pumpkins as a tradition; it is something fun to do with friends or family. Grab a pumpkin from any local farm, market, or grocery store and dig in. Some people prefer the basic carved pumpkin, while others prefer to show off their creative side. Knives are even optional; some people simply choose to paint a design. Either way, this group activity is a lot of fun!
Tip #5: Watch Scary Movies
Sometimes it’s best to take a seat on a comfortable couch with some of your closest friends and spend a night in front of the big screen. Grab a bowl of popcorn and pick out your favorite scary movies. Turn the lights out, grab a blanket, and see how long it takes until you cover your face and let out a bloodcurdling scream. Don’t get too comfortable, you never know what might jump out at you.
Tip #6: Tell Ghost Stories
Chilling ghost stories have been told for over two thousand years. Take the opportunity to gather together your family and friends and tell the best story you’ve got. Turn off the lights, turn on the flashlight, and see who can handle the scariest story.
Tip #7: Contact the Dead
If you think you can handle it, grab a Ouija board and be prepared for a daunting response. Halloween is the just the right night to try and contact the spirits that haunt you.
