Halloween parties were a popular pastime for adults, especially in the early 20th century. In this article, it makes one wonder how more houses did not burn down from all the dangerous decorations involving hot-burning electric lightbulbs and lighted candles everywhere. However, many of the same effects can be safely reproduced today using different products and fake candlelight.
The newspaper article below was originally published in 1915.
How to Have Fun on Halloween
By Hazel Whitaker
On this night of nights for frolics who would ever think that this last day of October had once upon a time been a religious festival? But history relates how the ancient Druids celebrated All Saints’ Day with the weirdest of rites and the grandest of festivals. Gradually, however, it assumed another character, retaining only the old superstitions which have remained popular even unto this day. Now we think of it as a time for a carnival of spirits, an evening for witches and goblins to revel on earth with our assistance. And so we feel we are privileged to pry into the future in every way possible.
If you are planning a party for that evening you had better do all in your power to cajole the fairies into helping you. And, above all, there must be no formality. Even the invitation should “smack” of the coming event. Yellow pumpkins, black cats with green eyes, or those freaky, button faced cards with the invitation written backwards to be read in a mirror are all suitable.
Decorations next! Let them be as gruesome as your imagination, assisted by suggestions, can conjure up. Pumpkin and skeleton lanterns furnish the proper amount of light for such an evening. An easy, effective way of transforming your home into a witches’ garden is to get a pattern for each and cut out of crepe paper witches, cats, bats, owls, kettles, skeletons, etc., a dozen at a time. Smear these with brimstone just before the guests arrive.
Typical of the tangled skeins that fate weaves for us are spider webs. They are easily constructed of white cord and from these made spiders should be suspended. Just stuff crepe paper spider shapes with cotton and use hat wire for their legs.
Here’s another novel method. But some 5 cent fish globes. Hold over a lighted kerosene lamp and blacken inside. Draw grotesque faces in them by rubbing off the soot. Light by dropping in an electric bulb, and the result will be weird enough for the bravest. A marvelous witches’ cauldron can be made from twigs and a real black kettle. Cover the electric light with red paper and by the least stretch of the imagination you can feel the warm rays.
Instead of the regular curtain drapes, use yellow cheesecloth. And the tablecloth and doilies should match; they’re prettier fringed. Japanese bowls in yellow and black are effective as individual decorations. Place three small candles in each one, hold upright in chestnut burs by pins. Keep the burs moist by putting a little water in the saucer. At the end of the table a larger bowl of the same colors should be placed. This is covered with black gauze and is filled with English walnuts tied with narrow yellow and white ribbon for the women and black and yellow for the men.
Here’s where your ingenuity comes in, for the more appropriate the quotations you can write to place in these nut shells the more the fun in reading them. Then the guests should wish for three things, one for each candle, and for as many candles as burn beyond the striking of the midnight hour wishes will come true each in order, according to the time the candle burns.
All over the house, in unusual nooks, tie bows of red and yellow ribbon under which hide two threads which lead from cellar to attic in astoundingly complicated mazes. Of course, at the end a fortune will be found in the shape of a scroll, red for the girls and yellow for the boys. For example, “You will keep a peanut stand and speculate in bananas.” “You will become rich, but no one will suspect it but yourself.” or “Life has many up and downs for you during the next two years, as you are soon to become a professional bicycle rider.”
Besides the pumpkins, witches, cats and spiders, apples form a needed article both for decorative and entertainment purposes. Every one knows of the apple bobbing stunt as well as the apple and the lighted candle one, but, like many other old games, they’re always fun.
Here is a bit of entertainment not quite so well known. Partly fill three teacups with water and balance them on the ends of three funnels placed in a row on the floor, two feet apart. The guests must leap over these in turn. Whoever gets over them without knocking any off will be married within a year.
An amusing trick is played in this way: With a broomstick, measure the distance from the victim’s elbow on the inside of the arm to the tip of his finger outstretched. Mark the point, tell him to clasp the stick so that the outer edge of the hand touches the point marked, and the stick is held backwards. The hand must be held around the stick, not allowed to slope downward. He must now put the end of the stick into his mouth. Needless to say, not many will accomplish the trick, but it will afford endless amusement to the watchers.
To each one who does accomplish this stunt a tiny package of seeds is given. He must then go into the garden alone (a conservatory will do, or an improvised flower box), plant the seeds, return to the house walking backwards, and during the trip the face of the bride or husband-to-be will appear in ghostly form.
Source: The Ogden standard. (Ogden City, Utah), 23 Oct. 1915.
