By Margaret Houben
There are lots of “spooky” days to celebrate in the last week of October.
On Thursday, Oct. 24 there is Black Cat Day – if you have a cat, especially a black one, this is the day to make it feel extra special. Buy your cat a new toy or a tasty treat and spend the afternoon playing tug-of-war or rubbing its belly. Also, make a note to keep all your pets indoors on Halloween… the sheer numbers of people out and about on Halloween, along with increased traffic (not to mention the fireworks) make the outdoors a frightening and unsafe place for small furry creatures.
Frankenstein Friday is always on the last Friday of the month, which lands on Oct. 25 this year – celebrate it by watching one of the many of the many Frankenstein movies that have been made. It is interesting to note that Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818, which makes Frankenstein’s monster over 100 years old!
Sunday, Oct. 27 has two celebrations: Jack-o-lantern Day – this would be a good day to carve a face on that pumpkin; and Wicked Witch Day – this would be a good day to try on your witch costume to make sure it fits right, in anticipation of participating in Barriere’s first Witch Walk on Halloween night.
On Monday, Oct. 28, you can make note of Ghost Busters Day (filming of the original movie started on Oct. 28, 1983) by making up a big bowl of popcorn and giant mugs of hot chocolate. Then settle down to watch the movie (borrow it from the library if you don’t already have your own copy or Google it online).
Tuesday, Oct. 29, is Dracula Bites Day! Dracula, is another great movie to watch to get you into the mood for Halloween, and there are many different versions to choose from.
Wednesday, Oct. 30, has two events of note: Haunted Refrigerator Night – every day we indulge in delicious meals and stash their remains with fond hopes of lunch tomorrow, dinner tomorrow night, or even a leftovers night on Friday, and yet they continue to sit and fester for months on end in the back of the refrigerator. Now is the time for you to don your protective gear, grab your proton pack, and bust the ghosts of dinners past that still lurk in your refrigerator!
October 30 is also Create a Great Funeral Day – apparently the purpose of this day is to remind us to take time to think about how we would like to be memorialized when the time comes. And of course, Halloween lands on Oct. 31, which is a Thursday this year. Don’t miss the Halloween high jinks that evening at the Barriere Ball Fields starting at 6:30 p.m. with plenty of fireworks on the agenda thanks to the Barriere Fire Department. There will be a concession on site with lots of goodies to keep you warm and all by donation with proceeds to the Barriere Smoke Eaters.
Celebrate safely, and have a “spooky” and fun Halloween.