Happy October 2022!

I’m writing today from June Lake, CA. It’s a beautiful, cozy little town tucked inside an old glacier in the Eastern Sierras. Very scenic. You can actually see the stars at night and that took my breath away. Living in Los Angeles, I barely see any stars. It’s really sad. Anyways, up here in June Lake, Autumn is in full swing and you can actually see some trees changing colors. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how beautiful and amazing our planet is, and how amazing we live in an unexplored universe we know nothing about.

Then, I think about Putin and his war machine committing genocide and thrusting the whole planet closer to doomsday. Nuclear annihilation feels closer than it’s ever been. I don’t even remember this kind of complacency in the 80s.

There is no Halloween in our future. No trick or treating. No fun costumes. No parties full of people. No pumpkins, nor the ability to grow them. Last month, I stressed the importance of perserving Halloween traditions, and shared with you how I feel preserving traditions eventually becomes the only way to keep our memories alive.

Whatever traditions survive is what is going to move the survivors forward. I hope you join me this October to make Halloween traditions stand out and make people feel stronger and more connected to each other, people, our friends, family, loved ones, our world, this wonderful planet which grows big plump juicy pumpkins, and the universe, who remembers everything and is the only hope humankind has of surviving. Cast off those old traditions that strangle us, like racism, sexism, bigotry, and believe in science, medicine, research and development, space exploration…When I look at the stars, I see that God everyone’s always talking about, but not in any Bible, not in your TV set, not in the guns, and not in the tanks. Creation triumphs over destruction, so create a life you want to live and make good memories.

This month’s theme is dystopian Halloween. Maybe if we imagine the world struggling to save Halloween, we’ll actually strive better to do it for real.

Wishing you all a safe, joyous, haunted October!

Haiku of the Week

The theme this month is Halloween Memories.

orange maple leaves
lights dancing on a string
jack-o’-lantern pie

Monthly Haiku Corner – September

Five days into September and it certaintly doesn’t feel like Fall’s right around the corner. Heatwave aside, the official Halloween season has begun. Now is the time when human creativity and inspiration is at its highest. Our memories are crucial to this process. We steer far away from bad memories, but good memories will drive every inch of our being to replicate and it’s here that we find our inner child flourishing and building the foundation that the soul rests upon. Our theme this month is Halloween Memories. Halloween season is a time for making new memories, as much as it is about revisiting the joy of old ones. Have a magical season, everyone!

fallen leaves
trunk full of memories
October dreams

Happy September!

Welcome back ‘Ber months!
It’s the official start to the Halloween season. This month’s theme is Halloween Memories.

The holiday season is all about perserving traditions and making memories. Halloween and falltime is the most joyous time of year. There’s less stress and a focus on personal fulfillment, as opposed to Thanksgiving and Christmas where catering to the needs of family and friends takes priority. During Halloweentime, you are doing fun things to elevate your own mood, decorating and putting your own creative spin on things, and finding a spooky costume to entertain your inner child, and ward off evil spirits, of course! That doesn’t mean we are selfish beings or ignore family and friends. Far from it! We include them in our celebrations! We inspire them to tap into their own creavity and find happiness within by making great memories of their own. When it’s all said and done, no one remembers the cool stuff they bought or didn’t buy because they couldn’t afford it. It’s memories of going places, seeing things, meeting good people, and feeling the joy, inspiration, and love that Halloween lovers bring into our lives. Don’t underestimate how much the tiniest act can last a lifetime in our brains and drive us to experience that kind of joy again and again. Be kind and patient with one another. Do your part to protect the earth from climate change. Recycle, reuse, and conserve water and energy.

To all the creatives, the artists, bloggers, decorators, filmmakers, retailers, writers, my fellow members in the Samhain Society, and everyone in-between, I bid you a spooktacular season. You keep those fires burning all year long and finally get to see payoff during this season.

So, make good memories, everyone. Have a great fall and Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween 2021!

Halloween is a celebration of life! By….warding…off…the dead….anyhoo, whether you like the old vintage style, cute and spooky, spine-tingling chills and thrills, or super gory to the max, Halloweentime is a magical season filled with creativity, community spirit, fun, and wonder. Every year, Halloween Haiku celebrates all month long, and while it’s gonna be challenging, this year we’re doing it again!

Our theme in October is Halloween Icons…ya know, bats, black cats, ghosts, pumpkins, etc., all those things that are known to represent Halloween. Now, I’ve come up with a bunch, but I can’t wait to hear what icons you think Halloween just wouldn’t be the same without.

This Halloween season, I’m changing up the traditional 31 days format and I plan to use social media a bit more, so please, join in the fun, and follow me @Halloweenhaiku9 on Instagram and Twitter

Here’s what’s in store for October:

3^rd Annual Halloween Haiku Contest Sharpen those pencils! I want to see your most original Halloween Icons themed haiku. I’m giving away a Grand Prize Pack worth over $50!
I might even have some small prizes for runner-ups.

More details about the haiku contest will be announced on October 1^st.

Halloween Icons Photo Countdown (Instagram only)
October photo countdown to Halloween. No contest, just something to do for fun Oct. 1-31st. Let’s see those pictures! Use #halloweeniconsphotochallenge

31 Days of Halloween Schedule:

Monday Macabre (website and social media)

Mondays are always dedicated to Haiku, but every Monday in October we’ll celebrate Halloween icons.

Tiny Terror Tuesdays (social media)

Sometimes little things pack a big punch. Every Tuesday, I’ll be sharing scenes from my haunted dioramas and miniatures.

Wicked Art Wednesdays (social media)

Every Wednesday, I’ll share some spooktacular Halloween art. I might even post some my own original Halloween pencil stencil art.

Throwback Thursdays (website)

Every Thursday, let’s travel back to the golden age of Vintage Halloween advertising. Some ads were amusing, and some, were downright cringeworthy. Let’s debate!

Friday Fright Nightcaps (website and social media)

Witches aren’t the only ones who drink brews! Check-in every Friday evening to see what wild Halloween season-inspired cocktail I pull outta the cauldron.

Sinister Saturdays (website and social media)

Every Saturday, I’ll rotate between sharing one savory and one sweet recipe, all guaranteed to have you screaming for more! I may even try to make some of these myself. Now, that’s scary!

Poe Sundays (website and social media)

Just like we do every year, we’ll celebrate the gothic genius of Edgar Allan Poe, master of macabre.

Have a safe and happy Halloween season, everyone!

Happy October 2020

Back in Celtic times, it was believed that evil spirits take advantage of the thinning veil between our two worlds to pass through and terrorize humans, thus began the practice of holding huge bonfires, where the light warded off evil spirits. The Celts also started the tradition of wearing scary masks and costumes, done to trick evil spirits into thinking they were fellow demons, which brings us to Halloween 2020. The way this year is going, I suspect there’ll be whole lotta spirits crossing over to make mischief on Halloween night!

This is why it’s more important than ever to uphold our Halloween traditions by decorating our homes, wearing costumes, and carving pumpkins. Silly superstition, you say? Do you really want to take that chance? We can’t even keep toilet paper stocked and you think we can fight the living dead?! Trust me, if everyone does those three things, we will stave off the zombie apocalypse for another year.

If you’re looking for Covid-safe, fun activities for Halloween season, check out my post Halloween at Home: Fun Alternatives to Going Out and be sure to come back here every day this October for spooky fun and a chance to win some cool prizes.

This Halloween season, remember to reach out to loved ones and friends to wish them a Happy Halloween and be safe. If you do go out to haunts, parties, or trick-or-treating, please, please be safe, wear your masks, and practice good social distancing.

Halloween Kristy

Halloween 2020 Schedule

October is exactly one week away and Halloween Haiku celebrates all 31 days of the month!

This year, it’s all about Halloween at home. Don’t get down about Coronavirus trying to ruin Halloween, get creative!

Be sure to check in every day for cool, fun and inspirational Halloween artwork, poems, stories, and prizes. Prizes? That’s right, in additon to our annual Halloween Haiku Challenge, we’re going to be giving away some treats this October. Stay tuned for details!

31 Days of Halloween Schedule

Monday Macabre

Mondays are always dedicated to Haiku, but every Monday in October we go dark. Grab your crucifix, kids, cuz it’s about to get scary up in here, like super scary, satanic scary, Teletubbies scary.

Trick-or-Treat Tuesdays

Will you be tricked or treated every Tuesday in October? Only you can decide.

Wicked Art Wednesdays

Every Wednesday, I’ll showcase original Halloween art from the most talented artists from around the world, including works from two widely-known professional artists and two amateur or inspiring artists.

Throwback Thursdays

Every Thursday, let’s travel back to the golden age of 80s cinema horror and explore the totally tubular world of neon spandex and blood-splatter.

Friday Fright Nightcaps

Why do ghost haunt bars? Because they love free boos! Don’t worry if you can’t paint the town dead this October because every Friday night, I’ll share some freaky Halloween cocktails that will set your cauldron on fire!

Sinister Saturdays

Every Saturday, I’ll share some mouth-watering recipes to die for, and just like last year, I’ll be rotating between savory and sweet, all guaranteed to have you screaming for more!

Poe Sundays

This year, I’ll be sharing artwork from talented artists from around the globe, all in tribute to the master of macabre, Edgar Allan Poe.

Halloween Haiku Challenge 2020
#Halloweenhaikuchallenge

Share your most original or scariest Halloween Haiku during October for a chance to win a copy of Pumpkins and Party Themes: 50 DIY Designs to Bring Your Halloween Extravaganza to Life by Roxanne Rhoads of A Bewitching Guide to Halloween. Winner will receive the book via Amazon, standard shipping rates apply. Sorry, US residents only.

Contest starts October 1^st and ends at midnight, the witching hour, on October 31^st
Winners will be announced on November 1^st,here and on social media.

Don’t forget to follow @Halloweenhaiku9 on Instagram and Twitter.

Happy Halloween season, everyone!

Happy September!

I think we can all agree that Covid-19 pandemic has really upended our lives and changed how we socially interact with one another. I think that’s what makes the BER months so special is that it gives people the opportunity to celebrate the meaningful things in life. September has always been about the return to traditions and renewed hope in putting aside differences, coming together, and celebrating the community.

That feeling of camaraderie and goodwill only increases as the BER months continue. So, while it may be easy to get lost in despair over the current state of affairs of the nation, the easiest way to make the world a better place is to concentrate on bringing peace and love into our own lives and neighborhoods.

The Halloween 2020 season was always meant to be an auspicious event. Coronavirus threatens our community, dampens our spirits, and aims to spoil our fun, so it’s more important than ever to honor our dead and celebrate our holiday traditions. While it’s true that there will be scaled back public activities, Halloween is still very much on! That’s why this year, Halloween Haiku will be promoting Halloween at Home, a spooky night of fun and revelry from your very own couch.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, I encourage everyone to wear masks while out in public and practice a safe and social-distanced Halloween. All throughout the month of September, I’ll be sharing tips and suggestions on how to have a fun and safe Halloween, in lieu of trick-or-treating and big parties.

Later this month, I’m going to reveal details on the 2^nd Annual Halloween Haiku Challenge, and the schedule for 31 Days of Halloween, the yearly celebration of the haunting season, which happens every October.

Have a safe and happy Halloween season!

Haiku of the Week

dry heat
thinking of October
summer pains

Bring on Halloween 2020!

Covid be damned!

No, you’re not imagining anything. America is definitely ushering in Halloween earlier than we ever have before. We’re not waiting for the ‘Ber months. The unofficial pre-season starts now!

Between trying to keep our families and ourselves safe from Covid-19, the stresses of working from home, health worries, money woes, and fear and loathing of societal ills, including a looming election to determine the fate of America’s soul, honestly, we need the distraction. happiest pumpkin

Autumn and Halloween merch have already hit the craft stores, retailers have released their catalogs, and candy has hit the shelves. Halloween Haunters, artists, bloggers, content creators, and writers are buzzing with ideas and upcoming projects. The Samhain Society has new members, and I encourage everyone to hit up links to some of the best Halloween bloggers and content creators on the planet. Here at Halloween Haiku, I have cool celebrations planned this October, so keep checking back regularly.

I’ve also been reading responses from Halloween fans on social media forums and have determined that despite the pandemic, there will be so many cool things happening to ensure Halloween 2020 will be the auspicious event we all know it will be.

quote box

Of course, Halloween 2020 won’t be without its controversies. Some of us will be all dressed up, with nowhere to go. There are rumblings that trick-or-treating, parties, parades, haunted attractions, and other mass gatherings will get nixed. I can see why this is alarming, and it’s gonna be tough when autumn leaves peak and temperatures cool. We’re going to be tempted to throw caution to the wind and traipse around in the world, looking for inspiration and celebrations with our fellow Halloween fans. I got three words for you:

Halloween at home.

Carve your pumpkins. Decorate your homes. Pick out your costumes. Bake ghost cookies. Eat candy. Watch scary movies. Drink your spirits.

But please, please, for the sake of American lives, Halloween at home this year. Wear masks. Social distance. Let’s make America safe again.

Yeah, I really just did that. 😉

Honestly, I think Halloween at home is exactly what America needs, a reminder that Halloween lives inside of us. It’s not a place we go or a thing we do. It’s something in our hearts. It’s about honoring and remembering our loved ones and those who have passed on. Traditions mean nothing if there’s no one to share them with. As long as we keep that in mind, and we try the best we can to keep each other safe, we’re all going to have an amazing Halloween season. So, relax. Be smart. Be safe. Stop worrying. Halloween is what we make of it, and as long as you’re celebrating, nothing is canceled.

Have a Happy Halloween season!