The best night of the year is just around the corner. No, not NYE, but Halloween of course! Yep, this means that spooky season has finally arrived – and in all honesty, we couldn't be happier.
If you're like us, you're probably craving all things autumn and Halloween – from frightfully fabulous movie nights, creepy cocktails, pumpkin picking and carving, seasonal baking, spooky makeup looks and freakish outfits. WE. ARE. SO. EXCITED.
There are a million and one ways to celebrate Halloween, with some being way more obvious than others. We're all for trying something new and fresh, but we also love sticking to tradition. So, if you're unsure what to get up to for spooky season this year, look no further because we've compiled the best ideas and activities, full of tricks and treats.
Halloween’s most traditional activity of trick or treating is not dead yet. The age-old activity of parading the streets in search of sweets (any households who opt for trick are not welcome here) is set to be a big hit again this year. Whether you're taking your children, your nieces, nephews or young siblings – it's a surefire way to have loads of fun (while stocking up on the sugary stuff).
Maybe you're planning on heading to a themed club night with your girlfriends and you're excited about dressing up in your ghoulish glad rags and experimenting with a spooky makeup look.
Or maybe you’d rather hunker down inside and opt for a cosy night in with all the latest stream of spooky horror films. After all, the new season of You is set to drop on Netflix mid-October, so why not binge it all on Hallow's Eve? After all, a cosy night in comfy PJ's with a big bowl of popcorn is our idea of heaven (or hell, if we're still going OTT with the Halloween puns).
Maybe you're feeling a little nervy about mixing households still, which is perfectly okay, so maybe you'd prefer hosting a Halloween-themed quiz night on Zoom? Or a spooky cocktail making evening with your closets pals? Or perhaps a joint streaming of your favourite scary films? For the more creative amongst you, you could take it one step further and do virtual pumpkin carving.
Keep scrolling to discover the ultimate seasonal Halloween bucket list for 2021…
Scary movie night-in
Not quite ready to head out on the tiles? Does going out-out give you the chills? Well, why not get cosy under your duvet and binge watch Netflix's eerie offering of Halloween themed TV shows and movies. Invite a friend around if you get jibbed by spooky movies and
Spooky movies on the town
Maybe you are ready to head out on the town, well for a cinematic experience at least. Across London (and other cities and towns up and down the UK), there are offerings aplenty when it comes to frightening films to watch in a chilling location. From the Backyard Cinema in Wandsworth, to the Rivoli Pop Up Cinema in Lewisham – these are just two of the venues that are set to screen scary movies throughout spooky season this year.
Ghoulish girl's night
Girl's nights out are overrated – after all, it's getting chilly and who can honestly resist a cosy night in? It's time to dust off your finest witches outfit, dress the house with pumpkins and skulls and invite your best pals round for the ultimate spooky Halloween dinner party. Serve up a neon green punch in skull goblet glasses, pumpkin spiced flavoured muffins and anything else you deem to be suitable. Don't forget to garnish your cocktails with red food colouring and your food with lashings of tomato ketchup – for the spooky theme of course.
Trick or treating
When all else fails, trick or treating prevails. Grab your friends and their young siblings and head to the streets for a mega night of trick or treating (and sweet eating).
Pumpkin picking
Whether you're heading to your local farm for pumpkin picking or posing (because let's face it, we all need to get that snap for the ‘gram) – heading to a pumpkin patch is a surefire way to get in the Halloween mood. Get dressed in your best autumnal get-up and head to your local farm to be met with hay stacks and bales, pumpkins and squashes, and usually a dreamy Instagrammable display too. Then it’s time to pose up a storm and pick your favourite pumpkin to take home, carve and make a pumpkin soup with the flesh.
A fancy dress party with Halloween cocktails
Fancy a Halloween costume night out or a luxurious dinner or maybe both? STK London has you covered, on Saturday 30 October in partnership with Grey Goose the Westminster venue will be transformed into a gothic underworld. Featuring Instagram worthy backdrops, onsite makeup artists and you guessed it... Halloween inspired cocktails. Ooh la la. Did we mention the killer DJ lineup? Time to practice your thriller routine moves for the d-floor.
Pumpkin carving
Get your creative juices flowing with a virtual or in-person pumpkin carving competition. Whether you're creating an advanced haunted house scene or a simple witches hat, this is the time to flex your crafting skills. Either pick your own pumpkins at your local patch or buy from the supermarket, and then get to work on your masterpiece. With the flesh that you empty out from the pumpkin, why not make a warming soup or a traditional pumpkin pie?
‘BOO’ttomless brunches
Halloween brunch? We are sold. After all, we do love a good bottomless brunch. Across the UK there are so many amazing events on offer. The Red Dog Saloon in Shoreditch, London is hosting a Halloween brunch at 1pm on October 31. With limited free cocktails – sign us up now.
Halloween-themed quiz
The word 'zoom' might give you the chills with the last year being entirely dominated by it, but why not have one last hurrah and host a mammoth Halloween quiz? It is guaranteed to get you in the spooky spirit. Invite all of your pals, assign a dress-code and compile a list of Halloween-themed questions to ask… But don't make them too easy.
Pumpkin Spice Latte date
Text your friends and meet at the nearest Starbucks for a seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte date, then why not go for an autumn walk around your local park or wooded area while sipping the autumn elixir? Forage and collect conkers, acorns and leaves to decorate your home the natural way.
Pamper night
With The Body Shop having released their Vanilla Pumpkin collection again for 2021, and LUSH's annual seasonal offerings now available, why not host a huge Halloween pamper night? Whip up some spooky snacks, decorate your pad with candles and pumpkins, grab some face masks and bath bombs and get pampering. Once you're refreshed and smelling like a cinnamon bun, why not take your nails to the next level with GLAMOUR's guide to Halloween nail art designs? Or maybe try out some frightfully fabulous makeup looks?
We are SO in the seasonal mood now. Halloween isn't just one day of the year – it's the whole month of October (and a lil bit of November too).
Whatever you're doing this Halloween, stay safe out there.
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