Tuesday, September 7, 2010

1905 Halloween Bash

I actually like the sound of this. From the book Bright Ideas for Entertaining published in 1905, the author recommends some pretty neat ideas:

The light should be supplied only by Jack-o-lanterns hung here and there about the kitchen, with candles in the dining-room. The decorations need not be expensive to be charming, no matter how large the room. Large vases of chrysanthemums and ferns and umbrella stands of fluffy grasses will be desirable; but if these cannot be readily obtained, quantities of gayly tinted autumn leaves will be quite as appropriate. Festoons of nuts, bunches of wheat or oats, and strings of cranberries may also help to brighten the wall decorations. The nuts and cranberries will be useful in many odd arrangements for ornamenting the refreshment table.

Have mirrors everywhere; big mirrors, medium-sized mirrors, and little, wee mirrors, all reflecting and multiplying countless candles that burn in candlesticks of every description(most novel are those made from long-necked gourds and tiny squashes).

The dining table should be draped in pale green crepe paper, the lights above being shrouded in gorgeous orange. Pumpkins of various sizes should be scooped and scraped to a hollow shell and lined with waxed paper and filled with good things to eat, should be placed in the centre of the table. Lighted candles and quaint oriental lanterns will add greatly to the decorations.



oldfashionedliving.com

3 comments:

Sara said...

I am eager to check out this site, thanks! Love the ideas in old Halloween entertaining guides. This year we may try the old Halloween game Snap Dragon where raisins are lit on fire(they are covered in Brandy) and then each person tries to grab one without burning themselves, lol. Sounds very dangerous but fun :D e read about it in Agatha Christie's novel, "Halloween Party".

Doug said...

Very cool. I get that familiar love of Halloween just thinking about a dim lit room with jack-o-lanterns being the only thing lighting the room.

Chris 'Frog Queen' Davis said...

Thanks for sharing. This makes me wish that my party was smaller and I could do something like this....but when my party was small I wanted to do what I do now. I guess you always want what you don't have. :)

Very cool stuff! Thanks for sharing.

Cheers!