Halloween Pursuits…an ongoing column

Ed. note- This is reprinted from a 1999 edition of BooNews. Enjoy!

The Childrens Party Book

This fabulous illustration by Frances Tipton Hunter is from the Children’s Party book by Marion Jane Parker with recipes by Helen Harrington Downing.. This marvelous little book from 1923 appears to have been a promo for Calumet Baking powder.

The following is a suggestion for an activity taken from the Halloween party section of the book. I recall performing a similar activity at a party when I was small. Kids love this sort of activity.

The Witches Cauldron

Over a make-believe fire in a secluded corner of the room suspend a large iron kettle. At some time during the evening an old witch rushes into the room. The lights have been turned very low to make it more witchy. In a covered basket the witch has a number of the ingredients which she will need for charms. She gives the basket to the hostess and then retires, muttering to her witches kettle. The hostess explains that the objects must be passed through every hand till they reach the witch, and forms the company into a line. Then she bandages everyone’s eyes and passes first a hot baked potato. This will pass very quickly to the next and all along the line little screeches follow. Next comes a chestnut burr, then a piece of ice, an old glove filled with mush, a large soup bone, a large grape without the skin and an oyster. The horrid feel of these various things will keep the company squealing and when the last has been dropped into the witches kettle the bandages are removed and they may all look in. The old witch then stirs and stirs and later in the evening takes from the kettle written fortunes for each guest.

Modern Ideas For Your Halloween Party

This year is being heralded as the eve of the Millenium. Millenium parties are being planned for New Years and major money is being spent on the celebrations.

How can Halloweenites celebrate this most exciting occasion? Try having a Millenium themed party with a sci-fi twist. Your guests can costume themselves in their favorite alien gear. Of course you need to offer futuristic foods, so bone up on say- Klingon appetizers and blood wine!

You could also have a Y2K survival party….instruct guests to come dressed in survivalist gear, give Civil Defense instructions, bomb shelter symbols, bottled water and dried fruit as party favors. The menu could include NASA style cotton candy available from science museums, bottled drinks and (for the truly die-hard survivalist) K-rations.

Even more fun might be to have your guests arrive dressed as Y2K bugs! You can serve ‘anti-virus serum punch’, data ‘bites’ and ‘memory’ chips. Activities could include having guests act out their worst Y2K fears in a game of charades, or going on a Y2K scavenger hunt. Sounds like fun to me!

Vintage Catalog Cut

Rivoli Merchandise Co.

54 Howard St., NY, NY 1961 Issue

These novelties ranged in retail price from 29 cents to 98 cents. Can you guess which cost the most?

No. 97 double sided ‘trick’ & ‘treat’ sides still costlyr! b