It’s almost that time of spooks and horror, the halloween delight. Horror and thriller themes isn’t for everyone, but to those who are horror and thriller enthusiasts, it is understandable for you to want to look your best for the halloween party with a group of friends, or to decorate your house to give it a spooky vibe that will give the skin-crawling effect on others when they come to visit.
However, do note that when you are redecorating your house to fit the halloween spirit, do make sure that the decoration does not harm you in any other way. Creaky and damaged floors does add to the rundown effect of a building, but it is considered a hazard if you find yourself alomost trip every time you walk past that damaged floor area. Hence, it is okay to do some flood damage restoration to make sure the floor is safe, and you can put on fake elements or cracks to add to the spooky ambience.
Before we go into detail, let’s understand what halloween is.
For those keeping track, Halloween 2022 will be on Monday, October 31. Originating with the ancient Celtic holiday Samhain, when participants lit bonfires and dressed in costumes to scare away evil spirits, this practise has since spread throughout the world. Pope Gregory III in the eighth century established All Saints Day, which is celebrated annually on November 1.
The practises associated with Samhain were quickly adopted by the All Saints’ Day celebration. All Hallows’ Eve was the night before Halloween, formerly named All Saints’ Eve. Trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, parties, dressing up, and eating candy are all traditions that have developed through the years as Halloween has progressed.
If you’re interested to make a haunted house to fit the occasion, here are some things you should know.
It takes a long time to put up a haunted house. This makes logical, given the extensive setup required for the many pieces of equipment used in the scares. In no particular order, there is the lighting, flooring, walls, fences, props, animatronics, touch pads, sound systems, fog machines, and safety equipment. Take a look into the scary workings of a haunted house!
Designing a Spooky Haunted House Setup
The design of a haunted house is the first step in creating an atmosphere of fear. The goal of most haunted attractions is to keep visitors guessing about what will happen next. Some of the layout’s features might be hiding places where actors can wait to startle or otherwise harass unwary guests.
Although the layout of a haunted home may appear to be a confusing maze, it has really been planned out with the visitor’s safety in mind. The maze’s outside walls usually lead to a few different exits, and most haunted houses are built this way. Not only do egress designs improve safety, but they also make it easier for actors to enter and exit the haunted house.
Using Frightful Decorations and Creepy Themes
After a layout has been finalised, it’s time to put the finishing touches on an ambiance that will leave visitors shivering in fear. Using audio-visual tools and well crafted settings, one may easily exploit people’s irrational anxieties. Black lights and glow-in-the-dark decorations are utilised in combination with low illumination.
Fear is heightened for guests with strobe lighting and creepy music. People are startled by air horns and animatronics when they touch pads on the floor. Depending on the layout of the building, visitors may have to use their sense of touch to find their way through the maze or even move large objects out of the way.
Preventing Exposure to Potential Dangers in a Haunted House is a Priority
When performing maintenance on a scary attraction, the team’s first responsibility is always the guests’ safety. A well designed haunted home will scare visitors into thinking they’re in danger, without really putting them in harm’s way. Haunted attractions have insurance and safety equipment to protect guests from harm. So that everyone may enjoy the attraction safely and efficiently, they will enforce a strict capacity policy.
However, even haunted attractions might face risks and dangers. In this article, we will go over five physical dangers that haunted attraction managers and owners should always be alert of:
- Dangers of Falling Down and Slipping
- Conflagration-Prone Ornaments
- Obstacles along the Path
- Injuries to the Body
- Air Quality Indoors
Other halloween traditions that you can try out!
Making Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween
Jack-O’-Lanterns were initially carved using turnips rather than pumpkins in Ireland. Legend has it that they were inspired by the story of a guy named Stingy Jack who caught the Devil repeatedly and would only release him on the condition that Jack never went to Hell.
At his death, Jack learned that even God in Heaven didn’t have much use for his soul, thus he would forever haunt the afterlife in his spectral form. So that Jack could see where he was going, the Devil placed a blazing coal inside a turnip. At some time, locals realised they could ward off bad spirits by carving frightening faces onto gourds.
Pagan Halloween Trick-or-Treating
The history of going door to door asking for candy is shrouded in mystery. Some believe that during Samhain, Celts would lay out food for the spirits, ghosts, and dead that roam the Earth at night. Eventually, humans started donning costumes like these aliens in order to receive perks such as free meals and drinks.
Mischief Making
Because it is a phenomena that changes from place to place, the origin of the pre-Halloween celebration, also known as “Devil’s Night,” is sometimes debated. Some historical accounts place the tradition of practical jokes on May 1st activities. However, it appears that good-natured mischief was part of both Samhain and, later, All Souls Day. Scottish and Irish immigrants brought with them the custom of celebrating Mischief Night on Halloween, a holiday perfect for sugar-high mischief makers.
Snacking on Sweets
Halloween traditions include going door-to-door for goodies. Before the mid-20th century, “treats” weren’t always sweets. Toys, cash, food, and nuts were also distributed. In the 1950s, confectionery producers marketed individually wrapped treats for trick-or-treating. People complied for convenience, but sweets didn’t dominate until 1970s, when parents feared anything unwrapped.