Celebrating American Holidays: Halloween
October is spooky season 🦇🎃👻🕸️ Whether you love horror, basic witch vibes, or something in-between, we have an activity for you.
Watch a Movie Marathon
Follow WWCE's '31 Days of Halloween Movies' to watch films that encapsulate Halloween - from horror classics to family favorites. We've paired each movie with a Halloween candy so you don't miss any sweet aspects of your American Halloween!
Dress Up in Costume
Dressing up for Halloween can be traced back to 2,000 years ago when people disguised themselves as spirits at the pagan festival of Samhain. Today, costume themes know no bounds, and you can be whoever or whatever you desire. Celebrate on the 31st with a simple headpiece, spooky make-up look, or an all-out outfit.
Carve Pumpkins
Jack-O-Lanterns originated in Ireland from the legnd of Stingy Jack who wanders the Earth with only a burning coal encompassed by a carved turnip after being was denied entry to heaven and hell. The tradition began on pumpkins after Irish immigrants arrived to the USA. Carve your own pumpkin to decorate your home and ward off evil spirits. Bonus autumn activity: visit a local pumpkin patch to select your own pumpkin right off the vine!
Bake Halloween Treats
Baking for Halloween can range from darling decorations to grotesque garnishments. If you’re a beginner baker, we recommend creating the cutest mummy cookies, experimenting with candy corn cookies, or decorating Halloween-inspired rice krispie treat, and American childhood classic. If your baking or artistic skills are more advanced, try tackling this haunted house cake, painting severed fingers, carving Jack-O-Lanterns out of pie crust. The Food Network hosts Halloween baking competitions each year, which you can stream online for free.
View Halloween Displays
Americans love to decorate their homes during holidays, and Halloween can feature some of the most creative designs. See what people in your neighborhood are conjuring up by taking an evening walk with your housemates or check local news stations, as they may have an article informing you about where to find the most spectacular decorations in your city.
Visit a Haunted House
If you have a low fear factor or love the thrill of a fright, visit a haunted attraction. Try to find real spirits at a haunted house, local lore on a ghost tour, visit a theme park, like Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, or work your way through a haunted corn maze. For a expansive list on America’s best haunted attractions, visit Haunt World.
We look forward to seeing how our participants embrace the spooky holiday season and engage with American traditions.