Congratulations to Adele Gardner! She’s our Halloween Haiku Challenge Winner for 2026!
Adele submitted her winning haiku on Bluesky. Adele’s also an artist, poet, and writer and it looks like she has a brand new book of poetry out called Halloween Dreams. Publishing is an amazing achievement. Let’s go show her some support!
There were only a few entries this year, as expected. I appreciate those who did participate. You’re all awesome! Thank you all for helping me keep the Halloween spirit alive this year!
As tradition, I usually only post a few times in November. I typically take time to reset and prepare for the haunted holidays in December. Being this is an important election week here in America, I might be annoyingly active on Bluesky for another few days and then go dark. See you all next month! I wish you all Happy Autumn!🍃🍂🍁🎃
Happy Halloweek! Every Monday Macabre this month, I’ve posted a special Halloween haiku telling a spooky tale of a haunted Halloween carnival. Today, I present the conclusion.
bloody funhouse mirrors eerie screams and shattered glass a werewolf howling
I’ve thought a lot about whether to continue this event. Between increased use of ai, the increase in fraud and decrease in consumer protections, and the rising costs of just about everything, I’ve decided to hold the contest, but there will be no prizes this year. It’ll be for fun, laughs, and bragging rights only.
The theme this season has been Halloween carnival, but I will accept any haiku and Zappai featuring Halloween, horror, or haunted themes.
Not all that’s creepy are clowns but all clowns are creepy. MSS 2026
The contest starts midnight on October 30th through Halloween day and a winner will be chosen on November 1st.
I hope the no prizes news won’t be too disappointing and that people will participate. I can’t wait to read your spooky haiku. Remember, you don’t need ai to be creative. You just need the courage to share a part of YOU!😊
We celebrate all 31 days in October and before I share the Halloween schedule this year, I just wanted to say a few words.
Sharing our cultural traditions helps preserve them and embracing our communities makes us stronger and breaks down barriers between human beings. This is the time of year when people do the most for each other, and the Halloween season is all about community.
Spirit Halloween’s charitable org Spirit of the Children celebrates 20 years!
So, I want to encourage people to go out and get involved in community events. Go to an art show, holiday fair or school carnival, visit a haunted maze, go to the theater to watch a spooky play or movie, invite some neighbors over on Halloween night and pass out candy together. Start a new tradition.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, CA just opened a new horror movie exhibition.
I’m also going to repeat something I said last year because I believe in it so much:
Don’t let anyone tell you how to do Halloween. Decorate or not. Wear a costume or not. We can be scary and sweet. We can be spooky and cute. Let the teenagers trick or treat. Kids collecting candy are too occupied to do anything else. I truly believe Halloween makes people happy. It’s about community. We need our communities more than ever. It’s the only thing that can save America now.
Be sure to check back every day this October for cool, fun, and inspirational Halloween, horror, and haiku.
HALLOWEEN SCHEDULE 2026
Monday Macabre
Every Monday, I’ll be posting a brand new Halloween Haiku.
Trick or Treat Tuesdays
Check in on Tuesdays for some trivia fun. I’ve got treats and I’ve got tricks!
Wicked Art Wednesdays
Every Wednesday, I’ll showcase the amazing and unique talents of Halloween artists from around the globe. Real art, not ai made.
TimelessThursdays
Every Thursday, let’s travel back in time and revisit the spookiest toys and games.
Friday Fright Nightcaps
Bubble bubble, drink away trouble. It’s the return of Friday Fright Nightcaps!
Sinister Saturdays
Decadent desserts from the darkside. I’m not much of a cook, so this could get truly evil.
Spooky Sundays
Spooky Sundays are for reading, relaxing, and recharging our brooms.
The Halloween Haiku Challenge returns for one day only this October. The contest starts midnight on October 30th through Halloween day and a winner will be chosen on November 1st.
More details to come, but for now, sharpen those pencils or pull up a blank page; I can’t wait to see those Halloween haiku!
Don’t forget to follow Halloweenhorrorhaiku on Pinterest and Blue Sky.
Have a Happy Halloween season, everyone! Be safe out there!🎃
Summerween might be ending next week, but where I live, I’m not so sure the temperatures are coming down.🥵
Truth is, I envy those who can walk out their front door and experience a fall that I only see in pictures. To have mother nature showering you with inspiration, inviting you into the dreamscape and awakening your soul with the crisp morning air…. it’s kinda the only thing I dream of right now. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.
The point is September feels less like Fall out west more and more each year. Climate change is real, and this is a reminder to all to treat the planet more kindly, because it’s the only one with pumpkins, and we can’t have Halloween without pumpkins! Full stop!
dried out fall leaves chocolate melting in the sun SoCal halloween
Midsummer Scream never fails to get me excited for the Halloween season! More on my MSS experiences later but today I’m ready to kick off the unofficial start to Halloween 2026!
It’s two weeks til the ‘Ber months, our favorite time of the year. This is what we’ve been waiting 8 long months for! Four months of festive holidays, cooler temperatures and the smiles and laughter that can shape a community. Halloween is the one of the few holidays truly for everyone. It’s a season for the people, by the people. People’s creativity and passions are what fuel the love for Halloween and keeping hope alive and making people laugh is no small feat in these dark times.
Seeing as I likely have two more months of 90 degree weather giving me brain fog, I decided to lean in and accept my cheesy haiku, because we deserve all the humor we can find.🎃
summer full of dread ‘ber months are returning soon just like your smile
Have a spook-tacular Halloween season! Be safe out there.
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