Happy Halloween!

Are you ready for a fun filled night?

Whether you are dressing up to trick or treat, going to a party, handing out candy to eager little ghosts and ghouls or doing something all your own, it's hard not to get wrapped up in the excitement of Halloween Night. There are so many ways to view Halloween. There are really just as many ways of celebrating as there are people who do celebrate it.

My view on it might be something you haven't heard before, though. Have you ever considered Halloween as a night of transformation?

-- Little and "big" kids alike transform from their ordinary selves into goblins, ghouls, vampires, witches, princesses, pirates and who knows what else.

-- Doors that would normally not be knocked on open to give those standing on the porch candy, rekindling faith in the generosity of one's neighbors.

-- In some faiths Halloween is viewed as the time of year when the veil between the living and the dead is at it's thinnest. This can either be seen as a blessing where communication with the dead is possible, or as a danger which is how, in some societies, the origins of Halloween began -- leaving tribute to the dead.

-- Another thing that Halloween can often be seen as a marker for is "the true end of summer and full start of winter." (This is a reference to my favorite Halloween tradition, which is watching The Halloween Tree.)

What Am I Doing For Halloween?

1. Ordering Pizza

Yes, I'm one of the jerks who leads to a few extra cars being on the road on Halloween night. But at least you can count on the fact that I'll be ordering relatively early -- likely before dark hits -- so at least I won't be the one who causes an accident because I happen to want pepperoni, sausage, mushreooms and cheese.

Pizza at Halloween is just as much a tradition for me as turkey is at Christmas. How did that start? My aunt use to throw mini Halloween parties for my brothers and I when we were kids and she was baby sitting us. A lot of the things I do on Halloween night, from music to TV to food, tie into that.

2. Watching The Halloween Tree

This is probably my absolute favorite Halloween tradition. No matter how many times I see The Halloween Tree I still get wrapped up in it. It doesn't matter that I can likely quote the whole thing from start to finish. It's one of the things that is an absolute must for Halloween to feel complete for me.

I'm hoping to add an extra little twist on that this year and get Jay to watch it with me. That should be "interesting". ;) We might also watch some Vampire Diaries if we have time.

I wanted to buy copies of this as my giveaway prizes, but they sadly do not exist. Fear not, though: if you can't get it on TV, it *is* on YouTube. I normally wouldn't encourage this, but since the darn thing can't be bought I make an exception.

3. Playing Dead Island

I just got this the other day, after hunting for it for weeks. (By the way, fellow Canadians: WalMart has it for $40 right now. That's a great buy!)

So far Jay and I are having a total blast with it. It's a mix between a survival horror game and a role playing game and you can play with up to four people total. It definitely has the right feel for a Halloween game since there are lots of zombies to take out.

Definitely recommended for older teens and adults as there is a *lot* of gore here.

4. Starting The Night Circus

I might have to take a pause from reading You Against Me (which I am really enjoying, btw) to start this since it looks like the perfect type of Halloween read for me. My mom got it for me on Saturday and I am looking forward to diving in and seeing what it is all about. I normally don't read multiple books at once, but I am curious.

Yes, that does mean I'm not doing a "pure" contemporary month for November. Even if I pick a slight theme for a month, I don't think I will ever do a 100% genre theme month again any time soon. It's just not my thing. I like being free to read whatever I like.

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And while we're still talking about transformations, I must tell you to keep your eyes open tonight. Because I Write, I Read, I Review is going to be getting quite a makeover in the wee hours of the morning and I am really excited to see what people will think of the new design. :)

Have a safe and happy Halloween! I hope you get lots of candy and have lots of fun. :) Feel free to leave a comment and tell me how you are planning to celebrate.