Trick or

Treating can be a fun activity, but there comes a time

when it just stops being worth the hassle.

You're

starting to look a little older, you no longer want to

dress like your favorite Disney character, and it seems

like the nice ladies behind every door start to ask how

old you are. Maybe you're 12 or maybe you're 33 -

the point is you can still get candy, dress up in a fun

costume and have an excellent end to October, simply by

hosting a party.

The first

step is making the guest list. Make sure that the party

plan is OK with your parents, spouse or landlord and then

make your phone calls, e-mails or invitations. The number

of people you invite should always correspond to the

number of seats you have. Having too many people makes it

hard to move around and it is much easier for a mess to

be made.

A good

number of guests for a gathering is between 14 and 20

people. Ask your guests to come in costume. If you do not

make it clear that people should wear costumes, no one

will be wearing one except you and that crazy person that

dresses like a hobo year in and year out.

Now that

people are coming to your place for a party, it is time

to purchase decorations and refreshments. First and

foremost on your list should be the package of cottony

material that you can spread out to look like spider

webs. Not only can it appear kind of spooky, if done

correctly, but it is inevitable that one of your guests

will use it to make a fake beard.

Traditional

orange and black streamers are always popular as well.

They are very easy to put up and yet, it looks like you

spent a lot of time on creating a festive atmosphere.

Now would

also be the time to look for objects you can buy that may

frighten your guests a little. Fake insects, skulls with

glowing eyes, rubber body parts, goo... any of these

things, if properly used, can get a charge out of your

guests.

When it

comes to refreshments, first on the list should be candy.

They sell candy in enormous bags during this time of the

year, so splurge. Get some candy bars with nuts and some

without, but don't purchase candy like Tart and Tiny's

that can disappear very easily if dropped. The crunchy

food group, meaning chips, is also necessary for any good

party.

Make sure

that you purchase both candy corn and apples. Candy corn

is indicative of harvest time and Halloween, as is the

sport of bobbing for apples. The origin of bobbing for

apples actually dates back to a time when people could

not climb apple trees and actually had to wait for the

wind to knock them into the river, where the people could

grip them with any available body part. In the fall, when

the air got colder, people would just stick their heads

in the water to avoid getting their whole bodies wet.

That may

not be true, but it definitely dates back to a time when

people didn't care if they got soaked on a cold October

evening.

While

you're making your food purchases, also look into buying

a box of spaghetti, peeled grapes, Jello, and fruit

punch. The spaghetti, grapes, and Jello are for the body

parts game. Your guests walk through a very dark area and

are invited to touch what they are told is the body parts

of a dead man. The fruit punch is a great drink, because

it looks like blood, it changes the color of your mouth,

it tastes good and it is cheaper than soda.

It is also

a good idea to purchase one of those Spooky Sounds tapes.

They are very inexpensive and this is the only time of

the year when it is acceptable to listen to it. The

sounds make for interesting background noise to mingle to

at the beginning of the party and will come in handy

later on if you're in the mood to tell scary stories.

A word to

the wise, though: unless you know that people have some

really good scary stories, go to the library or bookstore

and get a book of very short ghost stories. The activity

tends to peter out if the only story anyone knows

involves a hook hand.

There

should be dancing, and if not dancing, at least music. To

solve the problems of making sure everybody likes the

music selection, either choose a radio station that

appeals to the majority, program your CD player, or make

a mixed tape before the party. Also remember to keep the

vibe up and to leave slow numbers, if any, for the end of

the party.

It is also

a good idea to vote on best costume. As long as everybody

doesn't choose himself, it can be a fun way to reward

people for sticking around for a few hours in makeup or a

hot and sweaty mask. The awards don't have to be

extravagant. Most party supplies stores sell plastic

spider rings or other little trinkets that would be

appropriate.

Halloween

is this weekend and you may have already begun to plan

your party, but keep in mind these tips for a happy and

safe Halloween.

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