Thread: When Holidays collide!!!

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well now that I know '09 haunt will continue. Something I always had thought of but was leary to try, "don't mess with those holiday icons" I was told. Then I saw anothe haunt that did just that. They did Santa Claws, the evil easter bunny, and the evil tooth fairy. SO do I do a haunted holiday. Decorate for christmas, with lit up trees and have demented elves, and perhaps Santa Claws at the end of this room??? or would this be bordering on offensive, as one person said. It is a haunted house it already is offensive

I'd say if you are itching to try it, go for it. Those holiday icons have been turned "unsavory" in various horror movies somewhere along the line, and I would say that as long as you steer clear of overtly religious figures, I can't imagine you would have any particular complaints.
EDIT: I suppose it should really depend on your audience. My apologies, but I'm too lazy to look around for clues as to whether you yard haunt or do a "no one under --" maze. If you just have little TOT's visiting, I would say there may be some concerns. But I think that would be a great theme to work with if you deal with a mixed/older crowd. Warped beloved characters make for a fun haunt, as some of my favorite mazes at Knott's Scary Farm's Halloween Haunt include 'Malice in Wunderland' (intentionally misspelled) and various incarnations of a cartoon characters gone-wrong theme.

I say go for it! I have always wanted to do a couple rooms like that, but never ended up doing it. There was a haunt in my area that had "Happy Horrordays" as their theme last year, it was pretty cool!

A place I would suggest masks/costumes would be Bump in the Night Productions. They make a very awesome "Peter Rotten Tail" and a creepy "Santa Claws" mask. Check out their site at BumpInTheNightProductions.com - Bump In The Night Productions Home

As long as it a satanic, I would. I decorate my house to the theme of A Nightmare b4 Christmas,my mother who lives nearby, use to tell me, dont do anything that will offend the neighbors, I told her, If Disney does it , it is okay for me to do it.

It's dancing a fine line, IMHO. I view my haunt as a way to keep goodwill between neighbors and have them see Halloween as a fun time. I have (no lie here) 25 kids in my near vicinity and half of them are 6 years old or younger. So, I avoid gore or anything over-the-top. I want to have fun too and I don't want to worry about upsetting my friends/neighbors.

To the little ones, Christmas and it's icons are loving treasured things. I don't want to mess with that at all. I loved Christmas when I was growing up and I want them to feel the same way.

One year, when I was a new haunter I had a hanging man on a gallows. I was a little worried about that (it was the year when nooses were in the news) but I forged ahead anyway. Well, I found out later I did upset a neighbor of mine and I've regretted that. I should have listened to my little voice.

Now, there is no way to avoid upsetting everyone. It's inevitable. But, I also don't want to steer right towards it.....

I hate to be a downer here too, but I have lots of little 4 year old Princesses and Snow Whites toddling up my sidewalk on October 31, and as scared as they are to come up and get candy, I would hate to put something in their minds that they just can't forget... and not in a good way. I personally wouldn't do it.

If it were inside, and adults only were invited, absolutely - go for it. It would be a really cool theme, then.

well, this is how the haunt lays out: THey go through our garage which will have up to three "rooms" if you will. The holiday theme could be in there. Then they go to the patio, a worn out grass patch, the swing set, then we make two more shack out of pallets. All in all they will go through about 9 rooms each with their own theme. So you see, it wont be all dedicated to the other holiday one room would be. The garage, possibly or the back yard. So unless they actually go through it, they won't see anything. This year from 5:30-7:00 we will have a matinee where it won't be quite as scary, just because until dark sets in it just isnt very scary. So we may just have christmas lights up during the first 90 minutes and add the charachters after 7:00. I dont know for sure.

this was one of my favorite display made by hobbyguy of when holidays collide was tastefully done When Holidays Collide Pics 2007

my plan for 2009 was when halloween celebrates christmas display , but my husband said are the tots ready to see skellies dressed as elves and so one , i never do gory i dont go for that but since i am kid friendly haunt i changed my mind for now to elaborate the idea more . ....but as you see from the link above it can be tastfully done so i am still holding on to my idea .

so my toughts for you is , if you have kids and good neibourgh that have kids maybe think hard before doing that type of display outside for everyone to see

I'm already considered a little "odd" and somewhat eccentric for what I do at Halloween.

If I started "interfering" with Santa and the Easter Bunny, the neighbours would probably petition to have me put into a nice, snug room with soft walls.

I think Wristslitter's Nightmare b4 Christmas display is great though, and if I thought I could get away with it, I'd probably give it a go.

so......do you all think it is too risky? Or if done in good taste it would be ok? Once again to be devils advocate what is in good taste? I have body parts galore. I have done a doll room,
I have two chainsaws running, many things such as those, so what applies to good taste when it comes to a haunted house? Or is it the holiday icons that are taboo? I do have two small children that would be exposed to this on a everyday basis. I talked to my son he is on board with the idea and said "COO!"