The relationship between Trick-or-Treater X and Resident Y is undeniably strange. No other social situation genuinely approaches the dynamic created when a small costumed stranger knocks on a door and receives candy from a larger, likely un-costumed adult.

From the perspective of the candy giver, it may be one of the strangest social obligations in existence. In the eyes of a child, it is one of the most exciting nights of the year. Both of these participants represent two completely different emotional investments in a single bizarre evening.

However, there is a bridge between these gaps that is oft overlooked. It presents itself in the form of that climactic moment when a child, either alone or in company, dumps out their pillowcase, pumpkin shaped bucket, or plastic cauldron, to analyze their haul. The nostalgia of this moment is buried in that pile of sugary concoctions, and slowly builds as the candy is carefully sorted and organized by small sets of hands.

If you’re willing to romanticize the experience a little, it can be viewed as an individual’s first material conquest. The candies that spill out onto that floor are not items directly purchased by the child’s parents. Nor are they gifts unwrapped during a birthday or Christmas. They were obtained by a direct action performed by the child, and therefore the senses of ownership and pride are both heightened.

It is this notion of material pride that is very much an adult concept (I won’t go as far as labeling it mature), and it should be the thread that connects the two generations in their Halloween experience. Children comparing candy is no different than adults flaunting new pieces of technology, or inviting people over to see the new bar they put in their basement.

Therefore, as adults it should be our responsibility to put forth a reasonable amount of effort into our candy selections. Although we may be far removed from the youthful vigor that energized Halloweens past, we should still embrace the influence that comes with being on the other side of this timeless interaction.

With that thought in mind, here are a few short candy inspired lists (subjective of course) to help you contribute to the greater cause and make you the coolest house on the block. Keep in mind that Full-Size is the standard that I’m working with. Although King-Size Candy is aptly named, I understand it can be out of one’s budget.

Greatest Hits

1. Milky Way
2. Three Musketeer
3. Snickers
4. Twix
5. M&M’s Plain/Peanut
6. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
7. Kit Kat
8. Hershey Chocolate Bar
9. Nestle Crunch Bar
10. Junior Mints

Non-Chocolate Classics

1. Skittles
2. Starburst
3. Sour Patch Kids
4. Gummy Bears (I prefer Black Forest)
5. Swedish Fish
6. Nerds
7. Twizzlers
8. Sweet Tarts
9. Mike & Ikes

Some Alternative Choices

1. Gummy Food Packs (Burgers, Hotdogs, Pizza)
2. Pretzel M&M’s (Sweet and salty is always a good decision)
3. Fun Dip (interactive but a parent’s nightmare)
4. Ring Pop (or anything resembling candy jewelry)

Candy to Avoid

1. Loose Items/Anything Not Packaged (for the obvious reasons)
2. Candy Corn
3. Mound/Almond Joy (coconut seems too hit or miss with kids)
4. Tootsie Rolls
5. Gum (step up your game people)
6. Milk Duds/Sugar Daddys (aka the teeth destroyers)
7. Whoppers/Malted Milk Balls
8. Black Licorice
9. Ju Ju Bees
10. Good N’ Plenty/Fruity (the evil twin of Mike & Ike’s)

This is just a guideline, based on what I feel younger children prefer on a general basis. I left off some big names and probably overlooked a few more, so please don’t be too critical. Now go and enjoy your Halloween!

The bodies that lay just beyond my front door were rigid and still, lifeless and festooned for their final farewell. For the most part the mortuary was dead quiet, especially after hours, but every now and then it would teem with inexplicable activity.

I had just put the baby to bed for the night and was indulging in the weekly magazine I saved for that quiet time when everyone had gone home or was out picking up our newest client. Just as I had settled into my corner on the couch, the floorboard outside my door creaked with the heaviness of a footstep. With a suddenly accelerated heart rate, I awaited the next step…but it didn’t come. Either someone was standing just outside my door, or I had imagined it. A loud crashing noise shook me from my frightened anticipation. Someone must have returned and was making a raucous while transferring a new body. I slowly opened the door an inch or two, keeping the chain securely fastened. Nobody was in the hallway. Upon thorough investigation of every room, I found that the mortuary was empty, save me and the baby. Walking quickly, as if followed by death, I made my way back to the apartment, heart racing, hair raised. I watched as an orb of light followed close behind my reflection in the mirror at the end of the hallway. I raced into the apartment, quickly locked the door – chain, deadbolt and knob – and returned to my corner on the couch, knees pulled up. While I rationalized the events, trying to laugh it off, it came again…the creaking floorboard.

The first thing people ask me when they read my book or hear a bit of my unlikely life story is, “You really lived in a mortuary…with dead people?” Yes, I did. And their next question is always the same…“why?”

I was newly married at twenty years old, six months pregnant and without many options for work and a home. This particular mortuary offered both and it was an offer impossible to pass up despite its obvious flaws. Needing a home and a way to provide for my new baby trumped the trepidation I had about whom, exactly, we would be living with.

The only mortuary experience I could remember before moving into that Northern California, family-owned funeral home was the service for my 92-year-old great grandma. I was barely into the double-digits of life and trembling while my grandpa firmly held my hand and walked me to the casket to pay my respects to one of my favorite people. When I got close, I was stunned by the lack of resemblance between the pasty, soulless body in front of me and the grandma who so often leaned over to peek at my cards while smiling as if she had a secret before asking, “Do you have any 4’s?” He made me kiss her cheek and I remember the smell, of what I now know to be formaldehyde, making me sick to my stomach and the cold, stiff feel of her cheek giving me the chills.

With this my only home-of-the-dead experience and the memories still haunting, I was a tad more than terrified to walk through my new front door. But as is the case with much of the unpleasant in life, I adapted. I began venturing out into the red-carpeted hallway, long and narrow, which led into the business office, casket show-room, chapels and, of course, the embalming room.

I helped after hours since I wasn’t technically an employee, only to find that it’s after hours that the place really comes to life. I ran the vacuum over every inch of carpet, at one point hugely pregnant and later with a baby dangling from a papoose slung over my shoulders. I cleaned the bathrooms, replaced the tissue boxes, collected and documented flower cards and gradually worked my way closer and closer to that room. Once inside, I came face to face with the morbid, matter-of-fact realities of death, and eventually, I painted those faces.

The first lesson I learned is one that has helped me through many uncomfortable situations. Human beings are surprisingly superb at adapting to our environments. At first mention, the idea of living with the dead was unfathomable, and I did spend many terrified moments curled up on the couch anticipating the next haunting footstep, shadow or looming light. But with time, I actually found myself unaffected by their presence, applying their make-up with the same matter-of-fact mindset I had while filing paperwork at a law firm months before, only with more cooperative clientele. I found a way to survive circumstances that had once seemed untenable, and I reminded myself of this when later faced with some of my darkest hours. I would repeat over and over the mantra, “no matter what, I’ll survive.” This mindset helped get me through a violent and at times life-threatening marriage, divorce and custody battle. It helped get me through single-motherhood. It still helps me with the uncomfortable uncertainty of life.

Life is fleeting. This is another lesson I learned from my time with death. The ironic contrast between the death that continually passed through the mortuary doors and the new life I held in my arms was unmistakable. It was terrifying, too, as I was quickly made aware that no one is immune to this certainty. Shortly after I brought my beautiful baby home from the hospital, another mother was bringing her still-born baby to our home for a service. With empathetic grief, I clung tightly to the life I would die to protect and grappled with the inevitability we must all face. I saw many ages, races and faces come through those doors. I saw natural causes and violent tragedies. Many who work in the business find themselves so consumed by death they can’t live life. Many turn to drugs and alcohol. I can’t really blame them. If death is the end of the road, life can seem futile and cruel. Luckily, before I was overwhelmed by the unforgiving and unrelenting reality of death, I caught a glimpse of what would become the most valuable lesson of all.

Any of us can play dead. It is, in fact, recommended as a useful tool while being mauled by bears. Hollywood goes to great lengths to recreate its likeness. But, the truth is, we can’t recreate it. It is undeniable that something is missing when you look at and touch a body that once was a living, breathing person. No matter how much make-up, glue or formaldehyde you use, you will often hear the family say that the body before them is not their loved one. They are most certainly gone…but where to? What is missing that made them who they were? These questions were ever present, and as haunting as the whispers in the hallway. It had been a long time since I had considered the Christian faith I was raised with. But the questions were demanding my attention. I began seeking answers and ironically, that place of death would become the beginning of a new faith and as a result, a radically new life.

Despite the many hair-raising events I suffered while living in that mortuary, I gained a lot from my time there. It was life-changing.

So if you are planning on taking up residence in your local funeral home, I have some advice: brace yourself for what might pass you in the hallways. And be respectful of the dead and their loved ones – for it will, most definitely, be you one day.

Rebecca’s book, “All the Wrong Places” is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, and the Rebecca’s website in both paperback and e-book format.

Police don't want this happening at a sex offender's home. (Media credit/Belinda Hankins Miller via Flickr)

When the doorbell rang at sex offenders’ doors last night, it wasn’t trick-or-treaters — it was the police.

Probation officers and local police across the state made unannounced visits to sex offenders on Halloween to remind them not to offer candy to children. This effort was in addition to numerous other precautions made in preparation for the holiday, including warning sex offenders by mail, phone, and in person over the past two weeks to not answer their doors, turn on outside lights or decorate their properties for Halloween. One county even monitored the activity of sex offenders who wear electronic bracelets.

Michael L. Koperniak, an assistant chief probation officer for the Berkshire County Superior Court, said, “We encourage probationers to be very mindful. If they are home on Halloween night, we caution them against going out for a walk in the community.”

Martin Wallace, Essex County Superior Court’s chief probation officer, said that it’s routine for probation officers to remind sex offenders of the “no contact” order, and that this is especially important during Halloween, when children might be knocking on their doors.

“It’s common sense,” he said. “It’s Halloween. Don’t be around children and don’t be passing out candy.”

Photo courtesy of Belinda Hankins Miller via Flickr

It’s the time of year for ghouls, ghosts, and girls dressing like sluts! But before you break out that white sheet with holes for eyes or that tired old witch hat, take a look at our list of standout Halloween costumes for 2010 and get creative.

5. Cheating Tiger Woods…after his wife got through with him.

Don your preppy golf clothes and grab your 9 iron and top it all off with this ridiculously inappropriate mask. We’ll bet Tiger’s now-ex-wife — and every other woman who’s been two-timed — would have loved to have made his face that roughed up!

4. Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino while on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Break out your self-tanner, sunglasses, a long “man necklace,” extra strength hair gel, and…your fancy dancing shoes. Don’t forget the black pants and be sure to keep the black vest unbuttoned so you can show off your painted-on sculpted abs (or your real sculpted abs if you’re that awesome). Add a pretty pink tutu around your waist and voila, you’re a Guido twinkle toes!

3. Steven Slater (or disgruntled stewardess if you’re a lady).

Thanks to this angry  steward costume, you too can say f-you to pesky flight passengers! Ladies, take that sexy flight attendant outfit to the next level by holding beer, bandaging your forehead, and donning a JetBlue ID tag. A homemade “F*** you! I Quit!” sign will be the cherry on top. Bonus points if you can figure out how to attach a makeshift emergency slide.

2. Lady Gaga in her meat dress.

Since you can’t — we hope? — walk around your Halloween party wearing actual meat, get creative. Make a dress with kids’ play food, dog toys, rawhide, dog bones, and fake blood. Dress up your hair with the pig ears Fido loves to chew! Preferably don’t shower or wear deodorant so that your fellow costumed partygoers can get the true “essence” of the raw meat that must have plagued every celebrity within 100 feet of Lady Gaga at the VMAs.

1. The Gulf oil spill or a BP worker.

Thanks to this BP (Bad Planning!) worker costume, you’ll look like the real tongue-in-cheek deal. Or, you could get more creative and make your own costume by drenching yourself in black paint and attaching stuffed animals painted black to your outfit. Totally inappropriate? Yes. But come on, it’s Halloween!

Lets face it: We never fully outgrow the excitement of peering into an over-sized pillowcase full of candy. Whether you’re 7 or 37, there is something consistently enjoyable about indulging in a sugar rush that can only be acquired by ringing doorbells in a crazy outfit — something that’s acceptable for only one night  a year. Blast Magazine has composed a list of our top 10 favorite treats of the season.

10. KIT KAT

Timeless and always filling, every bite of a Kit Kat is crunchy and delicious. “It’s all about the noise that it makes when you bite in,” said Sarah Hamma, 18, a freshman at Boston College.

9. SKITTLES

These little pieces of the rainbow are chewy, fruity, and a nice change from chocolate. “The sour ones are really my favorite because you can suck all of the coating off of them, and then they’re chewy and sweet,” said Hamma.

8. NERDS

It’s impossible to mistake the sound of the colorful sugar bits rattling around in their box. They may not be chocolate, but there’s no lack of sweetness here. “I really like the fruity candies,” said Bubly. “Gotta love artificial sweetener, right?”

7. BUTTERFINGER

It’s a candy bar that’s guaranteed to stick to your teeth. Although you’ll probably get cavities in the process of eating one, they’re hard to resist. “I’d always save these for last,” said Brittany Russell, a junior at Northeastern University. “[I looked] forward to eating one two months after Halloween was over.”

6. M&MS

Whether they’re crunchy, peanut or just plain chocolate, their colorful appeal and snackable size puts them on the list. “Those were my favorite,” said Jackie Ferrante, an art major at Northeastern. “M&Ms just scream ‘Halloween’ to me.”

5. TOOTSIE ROLLS

Forever classic, Tootsie Rolls have been around for upwards of 120 years, and a Halloween wouldn’t be complete without them.

4. TWIX

Twix bars offer the never failing combination of chocolate and caramel, but with a twist—or shall we say, crunch? “The bite is so satisfying,” said Ferrante.

3. REESE’S

Peanut butter goes well with just about anything, but especially with chocolate. “Reese’s was always my favorite thing to get in my bag,” said Russell. “I’d always trade other candy with my friends so I could get Reese’s.”

2. SNICKERS

It’s the perfect mixture of texture and taste: Slightly salted peanuts balance the sweet taste of chocolate, nougat, and caramel. Together, they make for an always satisfying bite.

1. CANDY CORN

Maybe it’s cliché, but it wouldn’t be Halloween without them. “There’s no other part of the year I actually like candy corn,” said Bubly.  “But when Halloween comes around, I can always eat it.”

Hopefully you’ve read Blast’s Anatomy of a Scream Queen piece to bring out the Halloween joy in everyone.

Here are our five greatest Hollywood screamers of all time:

5. Scout Taylor-Compton

She may be new to the scene, but if Rob Zombie likes her, that’s saying something. Taylor-Compton has appeared in both of Zombie’s “Halloween” remakes.

4. Asia Argento

You probably know her from “Land of the Dead,” but Asia Argento has been acting since she was nine years old.

3. Janet Leigh

The shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” is one of the most iconic scenes in film history—let alone horror film history, and Leigh’s scream is the reason.

2. Neve Campbell

Perhaps a controversial choice over Janet Leigh, but as the star of the “Scream” movies, Neve helped make horror popular again and solidified her place in the Scream Queen hall of fame.

1. Jamie Lee Curtis

It’s hard to argue against Jamie Lee. You can’t talk about Scream Queens without talking about her. Before she was selling digestive yogurt, she was screaming her way through “Halloween,” “Halloween II,” and “Prom Night.”

Most actresses don’t dream of the day that they will be covered in fake blood, running for their lives, and screaming at the top of their lungs in almost every movie they make. But for Danielle Harris, that is the reality, and she is more than happy with her situation. As the star of “Hatchet II,” Harris has solidified her status as a reigning Scream Queen.

In “Hatchet II,” which opens Friday, Harris plays Marybeth, a woman whose family has been brutally murdered by Victor Crowley, a crazed, deformed lunatic — and the kind of character that classic horror films were all about.

“(Marybeth) goes back into the bayou to seek revenge,” Harris explained, “and she gathers up a big bunch of gun-toting backwoods country folk to help her.”

The sequel to 2006′s “Hatchet,” “Hatchet II” brings viewers right back to where they left off. “What’s really cool about this movie,” Harris explains, “is that it literally picks up in the same frame where the last one left off. Most sequels take place a year or two in the future, but this one starts exactly where Hatchet ended.”

That is, except for one small detail. Harris wasn’t actually in “Hatchet” — she is taking over the role of Marybeth from Tamara Feldman. When Feldman was not able to make the commitment for the sequel, director Adam Green thought of Harris. Green and Harris are good friends and had been trying to work together on a project for a while, but nothing had really panned out.

“But then he called me and left a message,” Harris said. “The message was kind of frantic and he was like, “˜Call me back, I’m so excited, call me back!’”

She immediately accepted the job, and now finds herself the star in one of the most buzzed-about horror movies of the year.

But Harris hasn’t always been the scream queen that she is now. She started a child actor, appearing on the TV series “Spenser: For Hire.” When she was 10 she got her first horror film role in “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” and the following year she returned in “Halloween 5.” She took a break from horror films after that with a recurring role on “Roseanne” and a host of guest appearances on sitcoms — she even starred opposite Katherine Heigl in “Wish Upon a Star,” a made-for-TV movie that anyone who had the Disney Channel in the 90′s must have seen.

Even though her career as a scream queen wasn’t exactly planned, Harris embraces it.

“I’ve been doing horror movies for so many years now,” she said. “It’s kind of a weird honor, but if I’m the go-to girl for horror, that’s awesome. I mean, who would have thought that this would be my career? But it’s great.” Harris is even starting a website about scream queens, horrorgal.com, and what life is really like for the actors who work primarily on horror films. (She is hoping the website will be up and running by Halloween of this year.)

One of the aspects of horror films that Harris really enjoys is the community that the genre creates:

“I see people at conventions who have followed me since I was 10 or 11,” she said, “People who, even if they weren’t really into TV or sitcoms or whatever would still watch me on Roseanne because they knew me from the “Halloween” movies. There are people who have been watching me for 20 years, and that’s so great.”

And it isn’t just the fans. Harris says she always sees the same people on set, and everyone from the director to the make-up artists are her friends. And the fact that most of them are men doesn’t bother her one bit: “It’s great being the only girl on set,” she laughs, “Here I am, five-foot-nothing, and I’m hanging out with Candyman and Jason – like, those are my boys.”

But shooting horror films isn’t all fun, and can actually be incredibly trying, physically. Harris claims that she’s done it so many times that it doesn’t really affect her anymore.

“I think it might have taken a toll on my body as I get older, though,” she confessed, “I don’t think my body can tell the difference between real terror and acting terror, and I wonder, does my body think that I am actually running for my life all the time?”

“Sometimes I think, “˜Ugh, why can’t I go to Bali?’ I would pay someone to let me do a movie like ‘Eat Pray Love,’” she joked, “Instead, I keep doing these movies in desolate locations where it’s midnight, I’m barefoot, covered in blood, freezing, and waiting for them to wet me down.”

Scream queens may be horror royalty, but what it takes to be one turns out to be far from glamorous.

Fallen Earth LLC, the team behind the MMO of the same name (sans LLC), today announced a special and limited All Hallows’ Eve event going down in the expanses of the FPS/MMO hybrid.

The “Days of the Dead” event began last Friday, runs through Halloween, and lets gamers slay zombies to receive special weapons including a signature shotgun, sawed-off shotgun and a cricket bat.

If you’re not a subscriber to the game and want to try it out, signing up for the 15-day free trial will not exclude you from participating in the zombie hunt. Thank goodness!

“We wanted to give fans some fun, seasonal activities,” said Jessica Orr, marketing manager for Fallen Earth. “Halloween is a perfect time to give our players a chance to be creative as they make costumes and knock-off a population of zombies.”

Venture to the Fallen Earth official site for more on this event and the game in general.

Nothing says Halloween like frightening costumes, and if your Avatar is currently looking a little dull, why not spice him or her up with these fresh new themed additions to the Marketplace?

With 25 options ranging from a Werewolf costume to a Frankenstein hat, to even Mummy and Alien garb, there’s‚  likely an outfit or two here you might be interested in.

The downside? These goods aren’t cheap. A simple Witch or Wizard hat will run you a $1 and the full-0n, head to toe costumes are $3.

Maybe I’m a cheapskate, or maybe I think getting festive shouldn’t hurt your wallet, but either way, I do love me some Halloween!

Head over to the Xbox 360 Avatar Halloween Marketplace to see the full range of goods.

Blast caught some insight on Halloween’s history by local expert, Lesley Bannatyne, who helped us separate some fact from fiction on everything from witches, vampires, and the holiday itself.

Bannatyne, of Somerville, is the author of several books about the October holiday.

Blast: You were voted one of the most interesting women in Boston by Boston’s Women’s Journal. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Lesley Bannatyne: I came to college in Boston and never left. During my twenties I co-founded a touring theater company called Studebaker Theater, which had a good, long (25-year) run — our last production, under the name Invisible Cities Group, was done in 2003; it was a collaboration with local musician Rick Berlin. For my day job, I took every kind of writing job you can imagine from writing text for fashion shows to commercials to writing journalistic pieces for the Christian Science Monitor and the Globe. My first Halloween book came out in 1990.

Blast: We hear you started your career as a writer-how did you become so involved in researching Halloween?

LB: I can honestly say that I’ve always loved Halloween, from the time I was a kid until now, and I’ve always celebrated it.

In fact, people often ask me why adults have started celebrating Halloween, and the truth of it is that many adults never stopped celebrating. It’s just that there are so many more of us now. The market has taken notice, which means more products-decorations, music, events, costumes-and a much more visible adult celebration.

I started looking into the history of Halloween when I couldn’t find a source that had good detail on American celebrations of the last 100 years. That research became “Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History.” After that, it was like falling down a rabbit hole; everything you turn up leads to something else, which leads to something else. In fact one of the hardest points in working on a book is knowing when to draw the line and say, “I’m finished.”

Blast: You became involved in a pagan organization in order to learn more, correct? What are some of the important ideas or concepts you took from this experience?

LB: Yes, I joined the Earthspirit community for a few years and have attended many of their Samhain rituals (which occur around Halloween) which I always find very beautiful. I suppose one of the most striking aspects of paganism as I know it (Bannatyne is not pagan) is how attuned to the natural world it makes you. The Earthspirit Samhain rituals also made the idea of death very personal. You spend time thinking about your dead, your losses, the lives lived by those you love, rather than thinking about death in a more general way, like we might on Memorial Day.

Blast: Do you feel pagan societies are often misrepresented in society or the media? If yes, how so?

LB: I think it’s actually gotten much better. The early pieces on witchcraft in the States, say those that came out in the 1960s, were written in a way that sensationalized some aspects of neopaganism (like nudity). The most out-of-the-box coverage we have now comes from extreme religious groups and tends to be published on the internet or privately. In general, the mainstream news media is factual on paganism, and the articles that appear around Halloween usually give pagans a chance to detail their lives and rituals.

I know what you’re getting at, though…there’s a lot of misinformation on the internet about what witchcraft is (for example, devil-worship, which of course it is not), and even on its history (She points to the fact that 9 million women were said to have been killed by the church during the “Burning Times”; scholars now know it was likely more like 60,000, both women and men, and that secular courts were just as culpable as the church). Things are always more complicated that they seem

Blast: You are a Halloween advisor to the Vampire Empire. What does this entail?

LB: Ah! The Empire is a collection of fans of vampires and I supply them with Halloween information. We don’t meet in person, under a full moon, or anything like that.

Blast: What do you think of the current vampire hype in Hollywood? Do you think our fascination with vampires will ever fade?

LB: I think it’s fascinating how much we’re mesmerized by the undead. You can see this in the current zombie explosion as well. Hollywood can only feed on a live vein, if you pardon my terrible pun. People love the forbidden, the mysterious, the Other; it appeals to our rebellious side. So too, we no longer sit with our dead as we did even 50 years ago. Wakes, open coffins, funeral home visitations are fading in lieu of cremation where there’s no body to witness. I think the deep morbid streak in American culture may have something to do with trying to process death in an age where it’s mostly hidden from us.

Blast: What about witchcraft? Being so close to Salem, witches are very much included in the history of Massachusetts. We often see witches portrayed in a bad light, though this has changed a bit. Do you think the stigma will ever go away?<

LB: I think the stigma attached to modern witchcraft will only go away with the controversy between a pantheistic worldview and a monotheistic worldview. In other words, this religious argument has been part of human history for a very long time. I don’t think we’ll need mittens in hell any time soon.

Blast: And you’ve written various books about Halloween-from history to costumes. Personally, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays due to the costumes! What has been one of the most creative costumes you have ever seen?

LB: I have seen so very many wonderful costumes. Off the top of my head, there was a tornado complete with thunder, lightning and a mist bottle for rain; there were the 30 people who went as Imelda Marcos’s shoes, an oven with a witch inside, a wrapped meal for a spider, a present with a tag reading: “To women, love God” a trio who were dressed as Alaska, Russia, and a “Narrow Maritime Divide” and a foursome dressed as a rapper, two prostitutes and a bottle…

Blast: What is one of the oddest things about how Halloween has developed into a modern holiday, in relation to how it originated?

LB: If you take this from the time Halloween came to be known in America, I’d say the oddest thing is how public it is. At first –‚ mid 19th century — Halloween was more or less a loose collection of superstitions and folk games. If you marked Halloween, it was most likely a private or family event. But now, Halloween’s become a litmus test for our culture. Because it’s not tied to an event, religion, person, or even ethnicity, Halloween can shape shift a bit, reacting to who we are as a culture; what we value, what we fear.

Lesley Bannatyne will appear on the History Channel’s “Haunted History of Halloween”‚  and is the author of books such as Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, Witches’ Night Before Halloween, and supplied the Halloween article found in the “World Book Encyclopedia.”

PopCap Games today announced their participation in the 2009 Halloween Village Parade with hordes of costumed plants and zombies in tow collectively scaring the crap out of parade-attendees.

Plants vs. Zombies, PopCap’s best selling game of 2009 was indeed a runaway hit, but to further the excitment around the game, PopCap wants you, and you, and you to come out, dressed as a macabre gardener or zombie and join in the festivities in Manhattan.

Immediately following the parade, PopCap will hold a costume contest granting prizes to the best cosplayers out there.

“Plants vs. Zombies seems to inspire people to new heights of zaniness, and we have the photos to prove it” laughed Garth Chouteau, vice president of public relations at PopCap. “We wanted to give those rabid PvZ fans a fun time and place to gather and celebrate their passion for the game. What better way than marching up 6^th Avenue in New York’s historic Halloween parade!”

If you’re in the area this Halloween you’ll want to check it out as the Parade is heralded as one of the “100 Things To Do Before You Die,” but then again, if you’re already a zombie, you have an eternity, right?

(ARA) – You’re invited to a “Monster Bash.” What’s more fun than Halloween? Young or old, everyone seems to get into the spirit. Why not gather a group together this Halloween and have some spooky fun along with a frightening feast?‚ 

When planning a Halloween party, it is best to consider the ages of all goblins that will be attending. Adults and children may both love the fun of Halloween, but the fright factor will be different. Once you have established your guest list, you can start to plan “tricks or treats.”‚ 

For tricks, start the guests off by having a “frightening fashion show” where they walk down a red carpet to show their costumes. Cover the carpet with spiders and webs and, if everyone is brave enough, turn the lights down low. Be sure to play some ghoulishly good music, such as “The Monster Mash,” so that your party ghosts and princesses can get into the spirit. This is a good way to “break the ice” and let everyone showcase their costumes before the party begins.‚ 

Follow up the fashion show with a few games such as pass the pumpkin or bobbing for apples. If guests will be heading out for candy, be sure to feed them a selection of healthy “treats.” Why not start with deviled eggs?‚ 

The incredible edible deviled egg is a party favorite and fits perfectly into a Halloween theme. The high quality protein from the egg will help witches and mummies feel full longer, which could help minimize their munching on candy. Deviled eggs are also the perfect appetizer before serving a Halloween meal such as “creepy crawly chili” (chili topped with gummy worms) and “tombstone tossed salad” (decorate the salad bowls with funny tombstones).‚ 

If you really want to get into the spirit when planning your menu, why not dress your basic deviled egg recipe up in a costume by trying this recipe? For more recipe ideas visit www.incredibleegg.org.‚ 

Mystery Pirate Ships‚ 

Yields: Six servings‚ 

Ingredients:‚ 

6 hard-cooked eggs‚ 
2 tablespoons mayonnaise‚ 
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish‚ 
1 teaspoon prepared mustard‚ 
1 package (2.5 ounces) smoked sliced, chopped, pressed, cooked ham‚ 
12 green olives, optional‚ 
Directions:‚ 

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks. Set whites aside. Place yolks in a one-quart plastic food storage bag. Add mayonnaise, relish and mustard. Press out air. Close bag. Press and roll bag until yolk mixture is thoroughly blended. Push yolk mixture toward bottom corner of bag. Snip off about 1/2 inch of the bag corner. Squeezing bag gently from the top, fill reserved whites with yolk mixture.‚ 

Place each filled egg on one ham slice. Turn two opposite corners up over the yolk mixture and gently press. For masts and flags, stick wooden picks topped with olives into the boats, if desired. Chill to blend.‚ 

Courtesy of ARAcontent‚ 

(ARA) – It was early November, and Dr. Gregory S. Hammer, a veterinarian in Dover, Del., was treating a miniature poodle that was very sick. So sick, in fact, that it was suffering seizures. After a detailed examination of the pet and a conversation with the owners, Dr. Hammer determined that the cause of the animal’s problem was chocolate poisoning.

This case occurred a few days after Halloween, and the pet had been left at home all day with ready access to Halloween candy. Dr. Hammer estimated that the dog consumed the candy that morning, and, by the time the pet owners returned home, it was already too sick to recover. The dog died a short time later. This isn’t the only patient that Dr. Hammer has lost due to chocolate poisoning, especially after Halloween. Sadly, it’s relatively common.

That’s why Dr. Hammer, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), advises all his clients to take caution during holidays when there may be sweets around the house, particularly Halloween. Holidays are a lot of fun for families, but may be dangerous and stressful for animals, particularly dogs.

Dr. Hammer says that Halloween candy is unhealthy for dogs in two ways: chocolate toxicity and bowel obstructions. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more deadly it is. That’s because it’s the cocoa — which some researchers say is beneficial for people to consume — that is the deadly ingredient for dogs. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous because it has the highest cocoa content. But even if candy isn’t chocolate, it can still be potentially deadly for dogs. For instance, an over excited dog may swallow a candy whole, resulting in a bowel obstruction a few days later.

“Obviously, the solution for that is to put the candy up,” Dr. Hammer said. “Many children like to come home after going house to house on Halloween and dump their bags out on a coffee table or on the floor to see what they’ve got. Put the candy away in a cabinet. Don’t leave it unattended.”

Dr. Hammer noted that among his clients he’s noticed that dogs most commonly suffer unduly with stress on Halloween. Naturally protective of their home, dogs are sensitive to having many strangers stop by for a short visit on the front stoop and ring the doorbell.

Cats, alternatively, may be a little scared on this holiday, but they generally deal with it by hiding until it’s over, Dr. Hammer said.

For dogs that do find Halloween overwhelming, Dr. Hammer said that there are medications available.

“Sometimes I advise clients that an anti-anxiety medication is a good idea for a dog that is having troubles on Halloween, and sometimes a tranquilizer can help the animal deal with it,” Dr. Hammer said. “If you know your pet is prone to problems on Halloween, speak to your veterinarian now and make plans to help relieve the stress on your pet, or, if necessary, to remove your pet from this stressful environment for a day.”

The AVMA website offers a great deal of information on this and other health issues for pets.

This is the 1990s-era Beenie Baby of drink ware. Lolita’s designs are carefully crafted and painted drinking glasses that double as chic collector’s items.

These crafty and whimsical glasses start at $24 (there’s also a jumbo martini glass for $49.99 that’s also useful as a candy bowl), but the amazing thing is the “retired editions” that go on Ebay for $150 and more!

“That’s because the artist, Lolita, puts such thought and detail into each design. And designs for this Hallow’s Eve are spooktacular,” said a company statement.

New for Halloween 2007, the “Wicked Witch” wine and jumbo martini glasses, “Mummy-tini” martini glass and “Fright night” wine and martini glasses. The glasses come complete with their own recipes (see photos.)

These babies make great gifts and are available at 10,000 locations nationwide.