Thread: Midnight Feast Anyone?

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Does anyone here have a Midnight Feast on Halloween?

I want to start the tradition of a Midnight Feast on All Hallows Eve and I was just wondering if anyone else does this and how it comes off.

The way I envision it...The children have all gone home and now it's time for the adults to fully enjoy all they're hard work. Low lighting, dining table appropriately set with all the Halloween regalia and a dinner of Autumn's finest offerings.

Then after dinner...alcohol and getting to play in the yard haunt, wheeeeeeeee! I'm just a great big kid and wanna play too, after all, I paid for most of it!

Then movies 'til dawn, or until everyone else craps out...it's tough to keep the over 40 up past 2:00 am!

What do all of you do after the TOTing ends?

That seems like an excellent idea, Aunt Sissy. Yes, getting some of the over 40 crwod to stay up can be daunting, but this sort of tradition/ritual isn't designed for just anybody; the RIGHT people will stay up without any more motivation than the holiday itself. Of course, this year may be tougher since it's a Wednesday night, and those who work, etc... you know the right folks to invite, I am sure.
As to what folks do after the ToTing is over... there was a neat three or four page thread about that very topic last year:

What does everyone do after the last TOT?

My answer and a lot of others are in there, it's a fun thread!


Mike C.

What do we do after the ToTers leave? Usually crash in front of the telly with some treats and a monster movie!

A good friend had a party last Halloween after the trick-or-treating was over and we just had to bail out. We had a pretty involved haunt going on and then of course work the next day...

Not trying to kidnap your thread, but since you mentioned a celebration at midnight, here's something that always confused me. Maybe some Samhain celebrators rs could help me out here. As a Catholic, we celebrated Halloween on Oct 31, then November 1 was observed as All Saint's Day. I always pictured in my imaginative little mind the witch's celebration at midnight...but was it midnight going from the 30th to the 31st, or from the 31st to the 1st? When is Halloween's witching hour?

Mike C - I just re-read your response from last year's thread, and I truly appreciate the line "breath in Halloween one last time"... You know that tomorrow the sun comes up to frost and fog, and the world is a little bit ...different. It's nice to stand there Halloween night, think about the fun you've shared, the memories you've made. While a weak comparison, it reminds me of Sparky Griswald at the end of "Christmas Vacation" - we pulled it off...

Chris:

Technically we should celebrate those that have passed before us from Midnight the 31st to Midnight the 1st. But we being the caring crowd that we are tend to spill our celebrations over in both directions. Good question though.

Originally Posted by Aunt Sissy

Then movies 'til dawn, or until everyone else craps out...it's tough to keep the over 40 up past 2:00 am!

Hmmm....one of my parties always has 90% over 40s (many well over 60) and the older ones seem to always be the last to leave. Last year, it was close to 4am when the last of the guests ambled home, and they were in their 70s. Keep it interesting - and they will stick around....especially if there is still plenty to drink and nibble on. Choice of music helps too

As a Catholic, we celebrated Halloween on Oct 31, then November 1 was observed as All Saint's Day. I always pictured in my imaginative little mind the witch's celebration at midnight...but was it midnight going from the 30th to the 31st, or from the 31st to the 1st? When is Halloween's witching hour?

I was raised Catholic also and as you seem to, I always understood midnight from the 30th to the 31st to be the "dangerous" hour. All Saints Day is Nov. 1, although it may have something to do with the sun rising on All Saints Day. I have a vague memory of a nun telling us about that.

Found this on fisheaters.com maybe it explains it a little better:

31 October and 1 and 2 November are called, colloquially (not officially), "Hallowtide" or the "Days of the Dead" because on these days we pray for or remember those who've left this world.

The days of the dead center around All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows) on November 1, when we celebrate all the Saints in Heaven. On the day after All Hallows', we remember the saved souls who are in Purgatory being cleansed of the temporal effects of their sins before they can enter Heaven. The day that comes before All Hallows', though, is one on which we unofficially remember the damned and the reality of Hell. The schema, then, for the Days of the Dead looks like this:



31 October:
Hallowe'en: unofficially recalls the souls of the damned. Practices center around the reality of Hell and how to avoid it.
1 November:
All Saints': set aside to officially honor the Church Triumphant. Practices center around recalling our great Saints, including those whose names are unknown to us and, so, are not canonized
2 November:
All Souls': set aside officially to pray for the Church Suffering (the souls in Purgatory). Practices center around praying for the souls in Purgatory, especially our loved ones

This was very close to what I remember reading years ago.

What i was trying to say was: from midnight 10/30 (12:01 am being the beginning of 10/31) to midnight 10/31 (12:01 am being the beginning of 11/1) is All Hallows Eve and so one for All Saints Day and then All Souls Day. Sorry, I wasn't very clear before. Mufasasmommy was right and said it lots clearer.

Aunt Sissy and Mufasasmommy:

Thanks for the information!
Again, I'm sorry for nudging the thread into another direction -
Best of Luck on your midnight dinner!

I love the idea! I don't have any adult friends who'd be up for it though; they all think I'm nuts as it is.

I can definitely see me and my kids, 16 and 20, doing something like that though. I fact, I've already told my daughter that when she and her brother have families of their own, I want Halloween to be the big holiday family gathering at our house. We've got a good start on that tradition. I hope it sticks as the years go by.

That sounds like so much fun! The best of luck with your dinner.

It sucks that Halloween is on a Wednesday this year...everyone has to work the next day (exept me...yahhoo!!) Being Sun-Wed has it's good moments sometimes!

Maybe when it falls on a Friday we can do something like that!!