Ouija boards
Right - in at the deep end. Originally a parlour game and a bit of a laugh, these things have a heavy reputation, mostly due to spooky stories told by grandmothers and portrayal in films.
This is probably less terrifying for people who don't believe in spirits etc. You can print out an alphabet and grab a CD to use as the planchette (the part you put your fingers on), or you can buy the official Hasbro board game. There's even one with batteries that lights up.
Bobbing for apples
For many, this game is more hassle than craic. Nevertheless, for some reason it retains its position atop the list of well-known Halloween games. Get a bucket of water and add a few apples. Try to get them out with your mouth. Prepare to be soaked. Next.
Snap apple
Games were seasonal back in the day. Apples are in good supply, so apple games are, too. Hang an apple from the ceiling using a piece of string. Everybody has to try and get a decent bite out of the apple with their hands held behind their back - some versions have guests blindfolded and in others, you have to eat the whole apple.
Postmortem
Blindfold everybody and place various gooey foods into bowls and invite your guests to feel the various parts of the “body”. If there’s something that’s more craic than pretending a bowl of spaghetti is brains, then frankly I don’t want to hear about it.
Cluedo
“Cluedo isn’t a Halloween game,” I hear the chorus sing. Well it’s a mystery game and if you wear a witch’s hat, anything can be a Halloween game. It’s not like there’s a “Halloween Monopoly” I could include.
Halloween Monopoly
In Googling "Halloween Monopoly" to firm up my statement in the previous item, I came across the real deal. It's called Boooo-opoply. Why didn't they call it Monsteropoly? It's hardly likely there's another Halloween-themed Monopoly game with that exact name.
Monsteropoly
As it turns out, this is also already a thing. I'm now undercover in the murky world of ghoul-themed versions of Monopoly. It's a topsy-turvy universe of metal dogs, little men with moustaches and a recklessly lenient penal system.
Ghost stories
An upturned flashlight under the chin and you're good to go. Or, you could adapt the tradition for 2016 and use your smartphone while reading stories from the spooky corners of reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Ghoststories/
Dressing up
A time-old tradition. If you don't want to be like everyone else and dress up as Harley Quinn, The Joker or Eleven from Stranger Things, check out these alternative costume ideas: http://iti.ms/2eakIJA
Barmbrack
It wouldn’t be Halloween without metal in a cake.
Baked inside this fruity snack, traditionally, was a piece of cloth, a coin and a ring. If you got the rag, you’d be poor, while the coin predicted riches.
The ring - the only inedible object from the traditional “recipe” still typically included - is a sign of impending marriage.
Carving pumpkins
Jack-o-lanterns are another long-held tradition. Scooping out the innards of a pumpkin and carving grotesque, mostly triangular faces is a must-do around Halloween.
Variations include turnips and even sugar beet, apparently.
In recent years, the Teal Pumpkin Project, promoted by allergy awareness groups, has had some momentum in the US. If you see a blue pumpkin on somebody’s doorstep, it isn’t gone off, it means there are “non-food” treats, for the benefit of kids with allergies.
Ivy Leaf
These old traditions seem to be big on fortune telling. Everybody grabs an ivy leaf and places it in a cup of water and leaves it overnight. If, in the morning, your leaf is intact and not spotty, you’ll have good health for the year. If it isn’t, you’ve added nicely to your morning-after-Halloween misery.
Colcannon
Cabbage or kale and mash was eaten as part of the traditional Halloween spread. They really liked putting hunks of metal in food back then; the game here would be to wrap a coin in foil and put it into the potato for the kids to find. Probably not a good idea.
Find the recipe here: http://iti.ms/2dI6Aec
Spooky night out
If all else fails, you could go full Derek Acorah and hit up one of the thirteen spookiest spots around Ireland: http://iti.ms/2eajs9e
Or, if massively long graveyard tours are your thing, have a look at these 50 must-see graves: http://iti.ms/2dI6Yto
Spooky night in
Netflix is currently streaming the Goosebumps TV series from the 1990s. I'll say no more.
For a list of events on in Ireland around Halloween, go here: http://iti.ms/2eapDdi
