What a crazy 18 months we’ve had, I bet many of us haven’t even noticed that it’s that time of year again. Halloween is just around the corner and with it, it brings the promise of a spooky time. Fingers crossed the fates all align and lockdown is lifted in time for a decent celebration. And if not, there’s always the new age zoom call party to be planned. Goodness knows we all need a chance to let loose and have a good natter with our mates.
Time flies, and while the 31st of October might still seem far away, it will be here before you know it and you’re going to want to start thinking about that kick-ass costume now. Given the current circumstances in so many parts of Australia (and the world), you’ll likely have the added challenge of trying to source what is required to complete your look. Keep in mind that overseas deliveries are taking longer. It’s also an awesome opportunity to shop locally, think outside the box to help support the smaller businesses that haven’t had opportunities such as music festivals to sell their stock. Festival outfits can easily be creeped up with the addition of some scary make-up or halloween coloured contact lenses. The same can be said for items you might have in your wardrobe already – if it’s not a pair of halloween contact lenses, then perhaps a wig or adding some tears will bring that spooky spirit to life.
Throwing a Halloween party is just what everyone needs to get out of this Covid 19 slump and have a bit of fun. Unlike pre-Covid times, we’ll no longer need the likes of home interior designers to decorate for your big bash. However, that doesn’t mean you can completely neglect decor and design, just keep it a small scale and within your camera range. Hanging some simple decorations or carving yourself a jack-o-lantern will add a little spark to your home party vibe. Better yet, get your crafternoon on and make some spooky cutouts or pipe cleaner spiders to hang from the roof. This could be a great opportunity to upcycle some of the uber eats bags you have been collecting throughout lockdown.
No Halloween party is complete without the nibbles! Baking has become all the rage during the first few lockdowns, so you may be lucky if you try to nip out to your local shops for some baking supplies. Maybe you have some old moulds or baking trays and can whip up some killer cookies or cakes. However, if you find yourself lacking the necessary utensils, you can always kick it old style and do things like lollies submerged in green jelly slime. If you’re feeling more of a savoury selection, get creative with your plating up. Use blueberries or olives to put eyes on your foods – keep your coloured contacts for just your eyes and not your food. you could also submerge some breadsticks in stringy cheese to create witches’ brooms. If you’re feeling particularly in the spirit, you could go all out and bake a loaf of bread shaped like something themed (such as a spider) and use its insides for a salsa or similar red dip. And, if none of those tickles your fancy, google will help you with a million suggestions.
Next for the drinks! Obviously, this depends on whether we’re talking about an over 18 party or not. Even if there’s not going to be any alcohol, there’s no reason you can’t get creative with your bevs. The obvious one for all the alcohol consumers is of course the jelly shot. Tried, true and tested, this bad boy can easily be made spooky with a decapitated gummy bear or perhaps some worms swimming amongst the gooey goodness. The trick with these is to make sure you get the right consistency. If it sets too solidly, you’ll be giving your tongue more of a workout than it bargained for. If the wobbly stuff isn’t for you, there are plenty of spooky cocktails you can have a crack at – or better yet create one of your own. Garnishes such as olives, jelly eyeballs and gooey syrups can be used to make a simple drink that little bit more festive.
Last but not least, you have the guest list. Naturally it isn’t likely to be the Halloween bash you’d usually throw but it’s still an opportunity to see as many people as you can. If you’re fortunate enough to be living in an area where restrictions are a bit lighter and you can have a limited number of people over, there is always the option of extending that number virtually. Whether that means having everyone bring a device that connects another person to the party, or it means there’s two smaller parties, connected via zoom or something similar. The biggest hiccup you might find here, is synchronising any music. Better yet, if the weather allows, having your party outside may eradicate all of these issues. On the flip side, if you’re still in a strict lockdown, there’s no reason you can’t invite everyone you want to see. This is definitely the optimal decision, for one, it’s the pickup everyone needs. But also, you might find people drop in and drop out and if the numbers do get a little hectic on your call, you can always set up breakout rooms to manage this. It would probably be advisable that the technical side of things be managed by multiple party goers to ensure that you don’t end up being the only one making sure the digital vibe is working.
Trick or treating might be out, but your coloured contact lenses, whacky makeup and crazy hairdos don’t have to be. Like many things, this Halloween is likely to look very different to that of previous years. Striking up a party mood and getting everyone else motivated and organised may seem like a bit of an effort. But guaranteed, everyone will have a blast no matter what your 2021 Halloween looks like, and don’t forget to boogie.
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