Halloween seems to get bigger and better each year, with events all around the world celebrating All Hallows’ Eve.
Whether it’s dressing up with the kids or something more fun and frightening for the adults, there’s always lots happening around this time of year. Christmas may provide some stiff competition, but Halloween never fails to see people get into the spirit of the occasion. There’s a strange kind of magic at the end of October when we’re consumed by pumpkins, horror marathons, and trick or treaters.
Take on the beast
Halloween might be considered more of an American tradition, but the rest of the world is catching up fast. There are some fantastic events happening around the globe, with London, of course, very much in the mix. One London event, Beauty and the Feast, is a culinary cabaret serving up a dining experience that acts as an interactive panto. Guests are asked to visit the Beast’s ball in a bid to find Belle, as a tribute to the famous tale.
Spot the ghost
For those feeling slightly more daring, Hampton Palace ghost tours are an option. Little imagination is needed here to fill the gaps between famous events from yesteryear and a selection of artefacts scattered around. Guests can visit the room that held Charles I captive, where Georgian royals squabbled, and where Henry VIII was constantly eyeing up his next wife.
Pop goes Halloween
Halloween has immersed itself with popular culture like no other occasion. When people aren’t out celebrating, tricking and treating with the kids, or partying in outrageous costumes, they can be found either playing video games or being entertained by classic movies in the safety of their own living rooms Halloween is always popular among gamers, with titles running the gamut from subtle psychological thrillers to good old zombie shooting. Imscared – A Pixelated Nightmare is one of the more popular games in the genre. The story sees the user on the run from a white skull with a deceptively cheesy grin. Horror takes on subtle forms in the game, getting into the mind of the user. Online casinos are getting in on the action, too, offering a selection of Halloween slots, such as Fortunes of the Dead. Its creepy graphics and dark background make for an unnerving experience. The game provides no shortage of opportunities for the user to win the major prize, however. The matador skeleton is the lucky charm in this game – it means players receive 10 times their initial stake for five on a payline.
Halloween goes to the movies
When it comes to movies, some have fared better than others, such as perhaps the biggest classic of all, 1978’s Halloween by John Carpenter. It not only put the H word right there in the title, it also served as an introduction to Jamie Lee Curtis on the big screen in her role as the ultimate scream queen. The movie was the first to feature the unkillable serial killer Michael Myers, whose story featured both in flashback and present day. It remains among the finest Halloween movies out there and was an inspiration to numerous other franchises, including the Friday the 13th series.
Not only Americans, but Brits and people around the world keep embracing Halloween for its best qualities: opportunities to be creative, dress up, act as someone else or just be entertained by a holiday that makes scary fun.
Image source: Pixabay
