13 Spooky Resolutions for 2024

Happy New Year! I personally never really keep resolutions. Do you? Seems unnecessary to kick off a year making promises that will only bring about future guilt. So, I’ve decided this year, I’m going to have a bit more fun with my resolutions and try to be spookier. Here’s a list of thirteen resolutions that encourages spooky fun, all while still tackling those normal promises for better health and wellness, financial savings, and cleaning up and all that!

May 2024 be a stellar year for everyone!

1. Watch more spooky movies.
2. Read more spooky books.
3. Listen to more spooky podcasts.
4. Clean up your Halloween decorations.
5. Donate or get rid of old Halloween costumes.
6. Learn to make Halloween food recipes.
7. Make a calendar of spooky events for the year.
8. Plan a vacation to somewhere spooky.
9. Plan out a big Halloween costume.
10. Make a Halloween junk journal.
11. Create a digital photo album of Halloween and holiday photos.
12. Learn some spooky spells and practice witchcraft.
13. Write a spooky story, haiku, or poetry.

Happy December!

Happy December! The theme this month is Merry and Fright. One of the many things I love about December is the chance for a second Halloween! Work was a little crazy last month and November got away from me. I knew it was going to be an off month and so I used the time to reset because I love posting about haunted holidays. Who doesn’t love a good dark and scary Creepmas?!

Merry and Fright is for the people who love both Halloween and Christmas. These two holidays are close cousins, completely opposite, yet so similar in nature, they can be celebrated in the same way. Merry and Fright is traditional Christmas, but a little dark, little creepy, little kitschy, and little scary.

Yes, Christmas, like Halloween, tends to be overcommercialized but if we continue to spread love, kindness, understanding, and goodwill, along with education of the traditions and history of the holiday, we’re gonna be okay.

Which reminds me…here, Christmas is not Jesus’ birthday, but it IS the chosen date to represent ALL religious and pagan holidays and traditions. It’s a hodge podge and that means it’s okay to say Merry Christmas, it’s okay to say Happy Holidays, and celebrate all traditions, including putting up the pagan Christmas tree, lighting the Hanukkah menorah, lighting the Kwanzaa Kinara, waiting around for Sinterklaus, ringing a bell for Krampus, and throwing a birthday party for little Jesús. I don’t have time for hate, end of story….nor racism, prejudice, bigotry, nationalism, extremism, or sexism, so please don’t bring it.

The world is full of bad guys, war and strife enough as it is, so I’m trying to create a safe space for everyone who loves Christmas and Halloween. My holiday gift to you will be fun, frivolity, holiday haiku, holiday horror, holiday spirits, games, contests, free prizes, and gift-giving guides for those looking for the dark and spooky items for those special loved ones. So keep tuning in all month long.

Merry Creepmas and Happy Hellidays to all!

Monthly Haiku Corner – November

Happy November! Halloweentime was a busy, loud, and spooky whirlwind of sight and sound. We waited all year for October, and then, it was gone…the ‘Ber months are always a blur. That’s why I choose to regroup in November. Thanksgiving is two days of madness I don’t mess around with. Nope, I slow down, stay home, eat pie, drink spiced cider, and do some reading.

The theme this month is Fall Reading. All haiku in November will connect to tell the story of a visit to a haunted library, where a little ghost likes to read over people’s shoulders.

November rain falls
gently on gothic windows,
haunted library

Halloween Schedule 2023

**PROGRAM UPDATE 10-07-23: Due to a malfunctioning oven, I will not be able whip up recipes for Sinister Saturdays as promised. So instead, I’ll do something little more in my wheelhouse, scary movie reviews. Every Saturday in October will now be dedicated to reviewing a scary paranormal movie.**

Happy Autumn! Don’t be scared, but October is exactly one week away!

Earlier this year, Halloween Horror Haiku celebrated its 5th anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been 5 years already. It hasn’t always been easy, especially these days when work consumes most of my life, but I’m still enjoying writing haiku and sharing in the spirit of Halloween. That’s why instead of easing up, I’m forging ahead with a 31-day plan to celebrate Halloween 2023!

Be sure to check in every day in October for cool, fun, and inspirational Halloween artwork, haiku, poems, stories, and PRIZES!!! That’s right, I’m giving away a ton of cool prizes this year, but you must be a follower of Halloween Horror Haiku, either here on WordPress or Instagram (click the links to join me).

HALLOWEEN SCHEDULE 2023

Monday Macabre

Our theme this month is A Haunted Halloween. What’s Halloween without a visit to a haunted house? New haiku will be posted every Monday and will connect to tell an overarching story.

Trick or Treat Tuesdays

Play spooky games and win spooky prizes, every Tuesday this October.

Wicked Art Wednesdays

Every Wednesday, I’ll showcase original Halloween art that most represents our theme of “A Haunted Halloween” from the world’s most talented artists.

Thursday Terror

Every Thursday, let’s travel back and revisit the scariest films to come out of the golden age of Hammer Horror.

Friday Fright Nightcaps

What did the ghost say to the bartender? More boos, please!
Grab your cauldron, it’s the return of Friday Fright Nightcaps!

Sinister Saturdays

Join me in my own personal dungeon in hell, y’all might know as the kitchen, as I share some spooook-tacular recipes to die for every Saturday, and post pics and videos of my follies. This could be the scariest day on the schedule, folks (definitely the funniest)!

Spooky Sundays

Spooky Sundays are for reading, relaxing, and recharging our brooms.

5th Annual Halloween Haiku Challenge
#Halloweenhaikuchallenge

Share your most original or scariest Halloween Haiku during the month of October for a chance to win a witchy prize pack!

I’ve got a great grand prize for the top winner this year and lots of cool stickers for runner-ups. More details will be announced!

Don’t forget to follow Halloweenhorrorhaiku on social media: Instagram, Threads, and Pinterest.

Have a faboooooo-lous Halloween season, everyone!

American Ghoul – Ten Best American Zombie Films

As July ends, so does our tribute to the red, white, and ghoul. Many of us wonder what we’d do in an apocalypse. How long would we survive? Would we lose our humanity or becomes the heroes we crave to be? Truth is, we’re already creating a nightmare dystopian society, casting aside freedoms and replacing them with fearmongering, discrimination, intolerance, and violence.

Back in 1968, George A. Romero foresaw this great nation descending into chaos as gun culture and extremist ideals gained more popularity because of easy access to guns and lack of education. He saw a nation at war with itself long before the monsters showed up. His movies often contained scathing critiques of class warfare, over-militarization, moral corruption, and empty consumerism, all of which Americans still suffer greatly today.

Dawn of the Dead, 1978

Romero may have been psychic, as he didn’t think adding zombies would really change the American landscape all that much and I tend to agree. If we continue down this treacherous path, we won’t have much further to fall. The day Americans unite may very well be the day they drop the bomb.

George A. Romero

There’s one thing for certain though, you can count on the fight in America. Even the quietest, most gunshy American has a sense of revolution instilled in their soul. Communists, terrorists, extremists, zombies, we’ll fight them all! We’ll never lose that pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. It’s truly the American way.

Zombieland, 2009

With that in mind, here are my picks of the best ten American zombie films, showing the world our American fighting spirit!

Night of the Living Dead, 1968
Dawn of the Dead, 1978
Day of the Dead, 1985
Land of the Dead, 2005
Dawn of the Dead, 2004
Return of the Living Dead, 1985
Zombieland, 2009
Planet Terror, 2007
Warm Bodies, 2013
Maggie, 2015

My Favorite Mutant Monster Movies

Speaking of mutations, a recent bout with Covid has been keeping me down, so I wasn’t able to write a proper movie post this month. I may still sneak one in.

Just trust me, this is a great list of the best mutant monster movies you’ll find on streaming.👾🕷☢️

May is Cemetery Appreciation Month

Happy Friday! Did you know that May is Cemetery Appreciation Month? Every Friday, we’re going honor cemeteries on Instagram. Cemeteries can be scary places and most people don’t visit unless they have to, but cemeteries are often very beautiful, calm and peaceful places, filled with art, architecture, flowers and trees, just like a lush garden. If you’re ever just looking for a quiet place to go, check out your local cemetery.🪦🌸💐🌻🌹

Happy 5th Anniversary to Halloween Horror Haiku!

Today marks my 5th anniversary of Halloween Horror Haiku!

I started this home-grown blog to channel some pent up creative energy that needed to get out. Many grand ideas and failed realities later, I’ve learned I’m not so much about keeping up the social aspect of having a public blog and more about just having fun and being creative. Either the shared love of the topics draws you in or it doesn’t. I believe myself to be a complete novice and writing does not come easy for me, poetry in particular. But, with each poem, I gain a better understanding of the art of haiku.

My first posted Halloween haiku in April 2018.

In November of 2021, I rebranded to Halloween Horror Haiku because I wanted to share my love of horror movies and to differentiate my blog from other writers who were causing trouble on social media. Writing Halloween haiku isn’t something to be owned. No one is the only one to write Halloween haiku and no one can claim to be the first to do it, unless you’ve got 100-year old poem hiding somewhere.

Google search Halloween Haiku and my blog comes up 5th. For a couple years I was on page 9 or 10.

Both Halloween and haiku are communal. They are more meaningful when shared, so is horror for that matter, which is why I choose to celebrate my blogiversary with Halloween haiku challenge, where everyone can share in the joy of creating a Halloween haiku. Details for this year’s contest are below.

Halloween Haiku Challenge – Halfway to Halloween

Write a Halloween-themed haiku using the traditional 17-syllable style and rules, then, enter by posting, using one of the two methods below. Only ONE entry per person. Contest ends at 12noon Pacific on Sunday, April 30^th.

Prize: A Ghostly Prize Pack valued over $50.

Please click here for contest rules/disclaimer stuff.

Two Ways to Enter:

1) Via WordPress:

Create a login or sign into WordPress
Follow our webpage: www.halloweenhorrorhaiku.com
Post your own original Halloween haiku in the comment section of this post

2) Via Instagram:

Follow us on Instagram: @halloweenhorrorhaiku
Like the “Happy 5th Anniversary Halloween Horror Haiku” photo.
Add your own original Halloween haiku in the comment section; or
Tag me in your Insta-post and use the following #HalloweenHaikuChallenge

The winning haiku will be chosen based on originality, spookiness, or that which best invokes the spirit of Halloween.

Winner will be announced on Monday, May 1st.

I’ve only always wanted this blog to be a positive safe space for people who enjoy Halloween, horror, and haiku without being harassed, intimidated, or persecuted. Thank you to all my supporters, the readers, the writers, fellow bloggers, fellow members of Samhain Society, and fellow Halloween, horror, or haiku lovers from all corners of the globe who stop by to check out the blog. I appreciate your time and energy. Here’s to another great year of Halloween Horror Haiku!

Advice from a Jack-o-lantern by HalloweenKristy

Happy New Year, 2023!

Welcome, January! I don’t do resolutions because I can never keep any promises. Life simply gets in the way sometimes and adapting is name of the game. That’s not to say I don’t make changes. Truth is, I’ve been thinking of quitting this blog for some time, but later this spring will mark my blog’s 5th anniversary and I’m proud of my little creations. So, I’m going to stick it out another year and see where the road leads.

Blogging hasn’t always been easy. Last year was a dismal time. I have not been able find the balance in work-to-home life after the pandemic. The first two years of blogging seemed promising. Then, I realized there was another Halloween Haiku writer who returned from a long hiatus and insisted in creating a competition. It was awkward and weird. Totally killed my inspiration. I ignore that person and exist in my own space because my haiku are original. I never claimed to do anything first, especially where a 3,000 year-old art form is concerned.

My real enemy is social media. I added “horror” to my blog name to differentiate between any other halloween haikus, no matter when they started. I thought I would gain more followers doing that. The unpleasant reality is my blog is a little too niche, even for fans of Halloween, horror, or haiku. Thus, I’ve failed to make any kind of mark. I don’t have the time to keep up Halloween trends, nor the skills to run entertaining or informative social media accounts. If you’ve noticed, I stepped back from Meta (Facebook) and Twitter altogether. While I’m happy to be part of The Samhain Society, it seems my lot in life is to always be the square in a circle. But, hey, this is no pity party. I am GenX. Being alone ain’t nothing new.

So, here I am, giving blogging in 2023 a chance. This year I’m going back to basics, just writing haiku. Halloween and horror haiku to be specific. Trying something new though, all my haiku will connect to tell a story that fits a monthly theme. Actually, I did it in December 2022. Every Monthly Haiku Corner, I will announce the theme and give readers a little background blurb. From there, a tale will unfold week after week and by the end of the year, I should have 12 different micro stories, told in haiku format. Occasionally, I’ll post some other stuff too, a horror movie list for those looking for recommendations, a Friday Fright Nightcap here, a Wicked Art Wednesday showcase there, but mostly, it will be all about the Halloween and horror haiku.

I wish everyone all the best this year. May 2023 be good to you. Be safe and have fun. May you find love and inspiration this year, and of course, good health, joy, happiness, and prosperity.

7 Gifts That Don’t Suck for Vampire Fans

Kicking off the 2022 Christmas gift-giving guide season with 7 gifts that don’t suck for vampire fans. Vampire fans are a picky bunch and luckily, there are numerous gift ideas that will quench their bloodlust and won’t break the bank.

Bleeding Skull Candles

Bleeding candles are all the rage. Something Different Vampire Blood Tears out of the UK sells taper candles online or through Amazon, or you can try these bleeding skull candles from Gute, which look even cooler.

Gothic Black or Purple Damask Throw Pillows

These beautiful gothic throw pillows designed by Teri Sherman and sold through Redbubble are easy ways for vampire fans to goth up a regular couch or bed. Sold in black, purple, and red.

Coffin Ring

Nothing says I’ll love you forever like a coffin ring made of Onyx from Blood Milk Jewels. Of course, there are cheaper alternatives out there for people on a budget, or pricer options, for those looking to get even more serious.

Vampire Capes

Capes are in! Okay, well, long capes like this Black and Red Reversible Cape from the Pyramid Collection is still tricky fashion and better suited for costumes, but short black capes and ponchos are definitely a thing. They go with everything from little black dresses to jeans and boots, and they keep little black hearts warm.

Bela Lugosi Collection from Creepy Co.

Bela Lugosi has an entire line of officially licensed and trademarked clothing and merch sold online through Creepy Co., which offers a number of officially licensed horror collections. Thanks to his business savvy and vigilant family, Bela Lugosi is practically synonymous with his most famous role, Dracula, the 1931 film from Universal Pictures, and I’m all for keeping that legend going. From pins to patches, socks to t-shirts, and my personal favorite, the poster pajama set, surely there is something here for vampire fans of all ages and types.

Wine Gifts from Vampire Vineyards

Vampire Vineyard won the domain name game over vampire.com and successfully trademarked a number of vamp names and images to use with their brand. Their single wines come with a cute little Vampire Wine Cape and are actually quite tasty. Vampire offers a broad range of wine, food gifts, and other merch. Everyone knows wine is the true elixir of life, so vampire fans can relax with a bottle and stop worrying over whether their blood types match.

The Vampira Diaries, 1954-1956 Book by Jonny Coffin

Maila Nurmi a.k.a Vampira, the first inspiration for all the mistresses of the dark that followed, had a bit of a rough life and it’s hard to be supportive of her legacy when there’s next to no official merchandise out there. That’s why this limited edition pre-order coffee table book to celebrate her life is so important. Authored by the eccentric Jonny Coffin, creator of the original Coffin Case, this is a chance for fans to learn a little more about the Original Glamor Ghoul and it’s sold directly through her official shop run by her family, which is nice. I hope they can capitalize on Vampira’s popularity and run a successful store. Btw, I hear only 1000 hand-stamped books will exist, so they’re likely to sell out fast.