31 Days of Inspired Holidays: day 10: Cook together

* Cook together. Teach your children/spouse how to make your family tradition food. Come up with new family tradition delicacies together, making the things you most like of what is available and in season right now.

* Make seasonal conserves, spices, relishes, and other such things for Samhain and to give as presents to all your friends and relatives. The harvest is coming in as we speak, and there's plenty of things to do. Try something new and exciting.

* Make candy together.

* It's always fun to bake and decorate cookies together, so gather the family in the kitchen for baking.

* Gingerbread houses are not for Yule only. The spices are mostly the same, and you can make houses of most cookie doughs, it doesn't need to be gingerbread. Try your favorite cookie dough.
Decorate a real haunted cookie house for Samhain decoration. It's fun to do, and a really nice decoration, and then it's fun to eat after Samhain.

And here comes a rant. I know, I'm a ranting person. Sorry about this.

It's really not that a big deal to make a gingerbread house. I mean... there are these plastic thingies, "reusable" "gingerbread" houses... you just put them together and decorate with candy, and that's it. After the party you take the house apart, wash it and store, as just another piece of crap taking place. A REAL gingerbread house - or sugar cookie house, if you want to use candy that doesn't go with the special gingerbread taste - and most candy doesn't, I think - is broken into pieces, demolished, and devoured by delighted little vandals, and THAT's the most fun part of these edible pieces of decoration.

"Who has time today to bake, assemble and decorate a gingerbread house?" and "Nobody has time to bake and assemble a gingerbread house these days. There just isn't enough time to do it all."
What? IT'S NOT THAT BIG A DEAL!
 
And then I read this review. 
"I don’t know how many times we have bought a gingerbread house at Christmas time only to eat the candy off the top and maybe a shingle or two off the roof.  Quite frankly no one in our house (except me) eats ginger so the thought of a ginge-rless house that we can all enjoy without the leftover soggy house sounds perfect to me."
I'm sorry, but if your house is "soggy", you are doing something very, very wrong. Now, I don't know where in the world this lady lives, but if the weather is too hot to build a gingerbread house in February, then she probably lives quite down South. And perhaps she should review her holiday traditions AND STOP TRYING TO CELEBRATE A FEAST AS IT'S DONE IN NORTHERN EUROPE!!! Of all the stupid people... Plastic houses just to... Grr!

Also, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE GINGERBREAD! It can be sugarcookies, or any other dough that is rolled out and cut and baked and that hardens when it cools down. Any dough that behaves like gingerbread dough. Is this somehow difficult to realize? Am I saying here something revolutionary? I suppose I am... considering that there are people out there, who wouldn't be able to create whipped cream without some frozen ready-made gunk. I can tell you, that when I read at Pinterest a woman's amazed revelation of how easy it is to make whipped cream - you just pour the cream in a bowl and WHIP IT!!! - "I'll never buy the ready made stuff again!" - I found it hard to accept that she wasn't just being sarcastic. So - how could I expect people like that would realize that a "gingerbread house" doesn't need to be made of gingerbread... 

For your information, in Germany they have made cardboard houses, each piece carefully lined with parchment paper or aluminium foil, if they want to have a candy house that's more durable than a house made of cookie dough. Now, THAT would be a better idea. It's not EASY to build constructions of cookie dough, so I can understand that many won't. But - to get a little plastic house, that's the same every year, just to be able to "glue" pieces of candy on the house...

And also, I reacted on that in the review she says that it's a good idea to get two bowls of candy, one for the house and another for kids to eat as they decorate... If your child isn't old enough to not eat something he/she may not eat - like candy that is meant for decorating a candy house, or cookies made for a wedding, or what ever it is - he/she isn't old enough to be alone around anything edible, especially sweets and treats. A 4-years-old should know the difference of "mine" and "yours", and should know that everything belongs to someone, and if it doesn't belong to me, it's not mine to do anything with. I may not eat candy I find lying around, even if it's lying in a candy bowl on the table by which my mommy is busy using the candy to decorate a plastic house with. Isn't that basic manners? Pish.

31 Days of Inspired Holidays: day 9: Mulled cider party

* In Scandinavia it's a tradition to have a mulled wine, glühwein, a glögg party

ü - u umlaut - is NOT pronounced like u in English. It's "y", not "eye", not American y, but European y, like "u" in French.ö - is NOT pronounced like o in English. It's like "eu" in French. Like "i" in "sir" or "bird".

Glühwein is better to pronounce like "glue-wine" and glögg like clerk or dirk but without the "r". Try saying "glerck" and then drop the r. Nevertheless, even with the r, glerck is better than clog.

How ever you pronounce it, have a "glöggfest" next weekend or weekend after that.
(It might be best to call it "mulled wine" :-D Because that's what it really is.)

The form is more like a cocktail party, except that people are dressed for cold autumn-winter days, and behave like on a nice family evening. Loungewear is the proper dress code, and fleece and sweatpants are fully acceptable outfit. I mean... we are speaking about Scandinavia. It's like Europe's Canada.
(Just google "glöggfest" and look at what people are wearing.)

Because of the free form, glöggfests are very casual and friendly events.

The appropriate time is the evening, after 6 but before 10.

There is specific glögg crockery

That's a glögg set - small cups for the warm drink, with spoons; two bowls, for almonds and raisins (always served to glögg in Sweden) and a pot (or jug, here a teapot) for glögg, that can be kept warm, so there's often the tea light stand included.

Now, if you can't get a hold of one of these, any cups are fine. Coffeecups are better than teacups, though :-D (Or you could use the small, cylindrical ceramic sake cups.)

There are not many varieties, usually only one, perhaps two. Often the #2 variety is alcohol-free, but sometimes it's just different kind of glögg, like one red wine glögg and one white wine glögg. It might be better if you see that there is an alcohol-free variant, especially if you plan to allow kids to be with you, and something nice to drink for people who don't like mulled wine or warm cider, like coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Now, as it is Samhain, it might be more fun to serve something more Samhain-y than mulled wine, like mulled cider or hot pumpkin cider.

See that you have at least two cups / half-a-liter / a pint for each guest, that would give them 2-3 little cups of glögg, and other drinkables, like water and coffee.

As food, you should have gingerbread and other spicy cookies, cakes and pastries and - if you want to do like the Swedes, you'll serve the Swedish saffron buns. Gingerbread is really good with blue cheese. I like to serve also small savory pastries, hand pies and pirogs. Liver paté is good with mulled wine, I can imagine it's ok with mulled cider as well. Dark bread is better than light bread, like Danish rye, Russian rye or German pumpernickel. You could try the Steakhouse bread, with cocoa. Then different cocktail snacks, like spiced nuts and so on, are very good too.

See that there's about 6 pieces for every guest, and have a little more than that.

You can also arrange this as a holiday special for children. I think, for children, it would be better to build it as tea party, with hot cocoa or apple juice or something else nice, in stead of tea. In my mind tea parties are all pink and girly, but this one would be more what Wednesday Addams would do with her friends, if she had any. :-)

This image is from Echoes of Laughter by Angie. 

I think this looks like a lovely kids' tea party with hot pumpkin cider.

Now, if you are planning on having a "mixed" guest list - kids and adults - it might be a good idea to see that you have a couple fun family Halloween movies ready for the children to entertain themselves with, because adults can be really boring, especially when they get a little alcohol in themselves, and there's plenty of good food and good company. And teenagers might prefer to pretend to watch the "stupid kids' movie" when they actually are watching each other.

For a cocktail party it's a good idea to see that there are too few seats, so that people mingle, but this is a glöggfest, so see that everyone has a seat by the table, either kitchen table or coffee table. This is very informal party, mind you, and it's supposed to create the "having a sibling/best friend at visit" air. So don't invite people whom you are not that good a friend with, or people you don't know, unless they come with someone you know very well. Of course, this might be a good time to learn to know people, but it's more fun with just "your girls".

Also, you need to see that your guests get home safe and sound. Some people react worse on the little alcohol there is in glögg, and might need help to get home. Having an adult PJ-party and sleepover with your friends might be a good idea, and then you can see that there is a nice breakfast, easily prepared, like froze in some breakfast casseroles.

It's also a good idea to end a cleaning bee with a glögg fest, to thank all who came to help you with cleaning.

31 Days of Inspired Holidays: day 8: More activities

* choose a movie you are going to watch every Samhain. Create a tradition around the movie, like there now are Polar Express PJ parties, kids dressed in pyjamas, drinking hot cocoa and watching the movie, while parents are out doing the last minute Christmas shopping. Or Harry Potter parties, with a Hogwarts dessert table :-D

Here's a list of family friendly Halloween movies, some more frightening than others. Watch everything first before you let your kids see it. You can't forbid your kids from watching a movie they love, but you might want to... so you better know if you want your kids to see the movie BEFORE they see it.

You can also choose a movie for EACH DAY before Samhain, and a week after. :-) There's plenty of movies to watch.

(And here's a free printable Halloween pop-corn box and here's a very nice one - free printable popcorn cup - you could print it on ordinary paper and use as a template to cut the pieces of Halloween scrapbook paper or cardboard stock, to get it sturdier.
And you can laminate it on the inside by gently ironing thin see-through plastic bags on the inside. Or use transparent self-adhesive plastic foil cover film, what ever that stuff is called. And if your kids are small, laminate outside as well.
And here's some recipes for Halloween Popcorn you can fill the popcorn boxes with.)

* sing songs suitable for the season

* make lists of your favorite songs. Try to find at least 10 more new ones you haven't sang or listened at this season.

* Make a seasonal music CD and give to your friends

* Make a seasonal music video and post it on YouTube

* Compose and write your own Samhain songs. It doesn't need to be fancy and amazing. If you come up with nothing, "steal" an old traditional song and write new words for it. That's the way the Big Ones did too :-D

* Remember your favorite Christmas stories, books, picture books? Try to find something similar about Samhain, or write your own version. Let the family write the story. There really was no Polar Express before someone wrote the story. There was no Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer, before someone wrote the song. There was no Jack Skellington.

* create a play and act it to the whole neighborhood or friends and relatives. Once upon a time Nativity Play was just a story someone decided to enact. Now there are "Living Nativities" with "camel rides, dress-up and snacks".

 

31 Days of Inspired Holidays: day 7: Questions

Welcome to a new week! It's Monday, 7th of October.

We started very heavily, I know, but it's mostly because most people have a lot of energy on the first day of everything, and then less as time goes by. If you didn't manage to finish everything - which I think you might not have done, because you are not a freewoman like I am, you can finish things this week.

You should be greeted with a nice yard, door, and an inviting entry when you come home from work.
Keep looking at what would make this part even nicer, and keep this area clean and tidy until Samhain.
If you didn't have time to finish the yard, porch, entry and storages last weekend, you have plenty of time this week to put things right. But - you should focus on cleaning the kitchen this week, so that you can start the holiday food preparations.

Another thing you could be doing this week is the cards, if you plan to make your own
Make holiday ornaments and decoration items.
Make gifts, if you plan on doing something else than food gifts.

Other than that, there isn't much work to do this week. :-)

A couple of weeks ago was the "Living Room / Questions Week" at Holiday Grand Plan.
It's as well you answer these questions thinking about Samhain, to find your "perfect" Samhain

Do I see Samhain time primarily as a time for entertaining friends and renewing long lost acquaintances or as a time for family?

How much emphasis do our Samhain activities place on the spiritual side of Samhain?
(I think this is a very important question. Too much of our holidays - holy days - are forgotten on the altar of materialism and selfishness. I created this blog to lift up the connection to God, the spiritual aspect of our lives, which I believe even atheists need. I don't know how atheist spirituality looks, but I suppose one could call that philosophy, or lifestance.)

How involved is my family in the Samhain preparation?

What activities are particularly important to our family at Samhain? To myself?

Why do we observe the traditions we do in our house?

How important is an elaborately decorated house, homemade gifts or food, to my feelings about Samhain?

What would my ideal Samhain be like?

31 Days of Inspired Holidays: day 6: Decoration

I assume you didn't really have time yesterday to go through the decorations you found... so you'll have to do it today.

Pick a theme for your Samhain decoration. Most people don't think about this one minute. It's obvious. Halloween, black and orange, ghosts, witches, monsters, black cats, ravens, perhaps a little green and purple. Shadows and night and Gothic... but, firstly, this is not Halloween, this is Samhain. Our New Year. Secondly, black, night and horror is not automatically associated with Samhain. Maybe you prefer other colors. Maybe you would prefer a little more earthy harvest theme for your Samhain, with browns, oranges, yellows and greens, like pumpkins.

Plan your outdoors decorations. I don't like big, flashy light shows, but I like some lights outside. It is getting quite dark high up here in Sweden, so the little happy spots of light greeting bypassers in the gardens and windows is a welcome addition to the winter darkness.

This is Skogskyrkogården, The Woodland Cemetery, 

a UNESCO world heritage site

and a working cemetery in Stockholm, at All Hallows' Even. 

This is Swedish Halloween. 

A sober and serene holiday to remember the absent loved ones.

 Lights, of course, are not the only option for Samhain outdoors decoration. For example this: dancing gowns or this: ghost flowers would be interesting.
I really, really, really dislike the witches used as decoration. Like the "hanged witch" or "crashed witch". But, I doubt any witch would use decoration like that anyway. I suppose we all share the opinion.

Plan your indoors decoration as well. Start a walk-through at the door, and note where you might add a bit of holiday spirit with some holiday decoration. Don't overdo it, though. You don't need to fill every free spot with holiday decoration, and you shouldn't, either.

But some things to ponder and consider:

What do you want to show outside your home? Front door? Windows?

Are you allowed to decorate the front door? (In some residential areas the neighborhood doesn't approve certain decorations, some landlords don't allow anything outside your door, etc. Find out, also the fire hazard regulation and so on.)

Do you want a wreath or something else? What?

What is the first thing you see when you enter the home? What do you want it to be?

How do you plan to show the holiday cards, and in which room?

Mantelpiece, low bookcases, windowsills? They can be decorated very similarly. Do you plan to?

Do you plan to have specific holiday plants or flowers? Where? Which color?

Candles? See that you burn the candles safely and don't add burning flotsam close to flame. Never allow candles to burn alone in the room, unless you are 100% certain that if something happens and the candle falls over, it won't burn up the place.

In Denmark they have something called "kravlenisse" - "yule tomtes" made of paper that were attached to bookshelves, picture frames and other such places.

In Sweden there's a tradition to have "julbonad", a print with seasonal motif, usually with tomtes or a nostalgic illustration of a family celebrating ideal Christmas. This started probably sometimes in the 18th or 19th century, when country people wanted to make their sooty cottages nice for the feast, and added pretty pictures painted on paper - that was quick, easy and cheap way of decorating, and after the feast these pictures could be reused for the next holiday, or burned if they were too worn and dirty, and replaced with new pictures.

How about tabletops? How do you set the dinner table? Do you need to use one table for everything, or do you have several tables? Do you need special holiday centerpieces, napkins, flowers etc?

Do you plan on having a "candy bar" - or cake table - in the living room so that people can go and take some goodies as they watch the holiday movies, or what ever they do?

Do you plan on having a "crèche"? If so, where?

How about kitchen? Do you want to have special holiday textiles, potholders, towels etc?

Sofa and chairs, any special cushions or plaids for Samhain?

And so forth and so on.

Room by room decor planner printable

As you remember, yesterday I asked you to go through the holiday decor and see what needs to be cleaned, replaced, mended, thrown away or purchased. Add to that list when you have decided how you wish your home to be decorated.

It is good to collect ideas and inspiring pictures about holiday decor as well, and I love Pinterest as such a collection place. This is my Samhain board where I have gathered images and articles that inspire me.

31 Days of Inspired Holidays: day 5: Cleaning

I assume most people go to work and have too much to do on everyday week days to be doing the cleaning as well, so I'll just walk you through this week's cleaning on Saturday.

I think it would be good to clean the outside of your home, the door and the entry, so that everyone who sees your home will catch a little of the Holiday Spirit.

I also think it would be good to go through the storages (as I am expecting you do this every 6 1/2 weeks, you won't be having that much job to do, and your home will be nice and clean the whole year.)
so that you have room for everything you need room for, and find everything you might need, like holiday decorations.

Organized Home's cleaning checklists:
Front Porch
Entryway, Foyer
Storages (Garage, Attic, Pantry and Closets)

As you go through the storages, you'll be picking up the holiday decor and going through that. What needs to be cleaned, replaced, mended, thrown away or purchased?

Here's some great articles about holiday decor organizing, storing and
Real Simple: Storing Holiday Decor
Better Homes' "Ultimate guide to storing holiday decor"
12 smart ways to put away the holiday decor
Here's Jen from I<3organizing: a="" holiday="" our="" storage="">

Just organized: putting away Christmas

You also need to see if you need to have carpets and rugs cleaned, and schedule the cleaning.

31 Days of Inspired Holidays: day 4: Planning

Today is the New Moon, the day of St. Francis of Assisi and four weeks to Samhain day. 

Again, I turn to "Organized Christmas" to be inspired, and it works every time :-D
 
Create a Sabbath Planning Center, if you don't already have one. You can dress it up following the seasons around you, giving you some Holiday Spirit a good time before it's time to party and share that spirit with your loved ones :-)

 This is from Golden Boys and Me

 It's very much the style I see when I think about the holiday planning center.

Just not in those colors... and not with a picture by her kid. :-)

It would be really nice to change the chair cover by seasons, and all the other colors too.

I also have a Sabbath binder. I am planning on getting myself 8 of these, one for each Sabbath and the 6 1/2 weeks around it (4 weeks before, 2 1/2 weeks after), and decorate them appropriately. Right now I have my Sabbath papers in a folder of appropriate color, and I change the innards of the binder as the year passes. But - I have already noticed that my binder is very small, too small for the purpose... :-D
I am a magpie, I collect things...

Another thing to think about is the gifts. People usually love birthdays and Christmas, and I imagine it's because of the gifts. Not just getting things, but gifts. The tokens of love and appreciation. At least, that's what gifts are to me. I love gifts, because they to me mean someone has thought of me. I don't much care about the prize tag, if the thing is something I would have bought for myself, if it fits my decor or style, if I need it... the main thing, the most important thing is that someone thought of me. 

There is a word in Finnish, "tuliainen". It means "a gift given at arriving from a journey". The journey could be a visit to a foreign country, or one relatives or friends make traveling from their home to yours. "Tupaantuliainen" is a homewarming gift. ("Gift given at entering the new home")

I think it would be nice to give gifts at every Sabbath. It surely would make people, especially kids, interested and enthusiastic about the holiday :-D (And remembering Oprah Show's give-away episodes and all the participants for every give-away on-line, I think people like getting things. :-D)

There's also some historical information to support the idea of giving gifts on Samhain:

"Among the 7th century pagans of Flanders and the Netherlands, it was the custom to exchange gifts at the New Year. This was a pagan custom deplored by Saint Eligius (died 659 or 660), who warned the Flemings and Dutchmen, "(Do not) make vetulas, [little figures of the Old Woman], little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [another Yule custom]." 
- New Year's Day, Wikipedia

It is also a habit in Asia to exchange gifts at New Year.

This would be a perfect opportunity to share your harvest bounty with your loved ones, and give food gifts. There's plenty of wild mushrooms in the woods at this time of the year, and those can be canned or dried.
One thing you need to do today is to decide if you want to give gifts on Samhain and what to give, to whom, when, where and how. 

Consider the following: 
- A purposeful, peaceful Christmas 
In their printables there are some questions to ponder:
* Family vision (on giving)
* To give as a family:
* Secret Giving:
* New Tradition:
* What it means? (time 2 give)
* "Can you think of a way to include your school, church, sports team, Sunday school class, or a group of friends in a special giving project?"
* With my friends (giving)

- "At Christmastime it's customary to give something to the people in our lives who perform services for us during the year." Like postman, firemen, policemen, teachers, hairdressers, nurses and coaches. Maybe you could start giving already at Samhain, so that all those people got a little bit more in their pockets BEFORE Christmas? It doesn't need to be much, or a big gift, just a little token of your appreciation. But find out the rules and preferences before you give anything to anyone. Some people are not allowed to accept any gifts, some not money, some nothing but money... and the amount might be restricted as well.   

- Immediate family gifts
- Extended family gifts
- Adopted family/friends gifts
- Other gifts (teachers, neighbors, co-workers...) 

* Also, don't forget the October birthdays, namedays, or other special dates!

You need to decide if you will be sending cards, to whom, and if you buy the cards or make them yourself.

Write a Samhain card list. 
-People's names
-Addresses (check the addresses in good time before)
-Telephone number
- email? If you plan on sending electric cards, then you need this
-A square to cross when you have sent the cards, and another to cross, if you receive a card.

Buy cards or buy supplies for handmade cards (including thank you cards).

Think about labeling: nice pen, address labels, stamping?

Get stamps.

 A cute card made by "I am... Dreaming of Castles"

Make a holiday budget. There's plenty of free printable available on-line. Go through some of them to remind yourself of all the things you need to remember to put some money aside for.

- an article about planning your holiday budget with a free printable

- holiday budget sheets - gift giving budget, and all holiday expenses budget sheet

- holiday budget printable

- more about holiday spending with gift budget spreadsheet printable

- holiday gift budget worksheet

An article about holiday spending especially for Halloween.   

How to organize holiday shopping

organize your holiday receipts

* Write the menu. I think this is a really nice walk-through on how to plan dinner parties. And holiday dinners are exactly that. Whether you plan to feed only you and your familiar, or the whole extended family, the same rules apply. If you plan on inviting the whole family, or all your friends, write the guest list and send invitations with RSVP. And then start hunting the responses people will not send... :-D

On a guest list should be

- name

- address and email

- telephone number / mobile number

- RSVP

- food allergies and other such details

- room for other notes

- gifts received, given, and thank you notes

and here's also a very nice "ultimate party planner" printable, with very good reminders.

This is very nice as well: Holiday Menu Planning

Here's some worthy ideas as well: Menu Planning for Holidays, and so is here: 10 tips on how to plan a holiday menu

I prefer to serve all vegetarian for harvest feasts (Lammas, Mabon and Samhain), but Samhain is also the meat harvest feast, as it's beginning to be very cold outside at this time of the year, so animals can be slaughtered without the meat spoiling so quickly. 

Also, 11.11 is St. Martin's day, and Mortensaften is a Danish tradition, so I wish to serve goose on Samhain.

Holiday menu planner

Party menu planner

You need to plan the holiday menu, not only the dinner, but every meal you plan on eating on Samhain; breakfasts, snacks, dinner, supper, lunch and elevensies included. 

Because you should be able to take care of as much of preparing, baking and shopping as you can before the last week. 

You can freeze cookie dough and many baked goods manage freezing well. I think the Finnish Christmas caseroles (carrot casserole or kugel, swede casserole and others) are very nice Samhain sidedishes, and can be made in good time beforehand, and then just warmed for the dinner. So is Danish red cabbage or Swedish brown cabbage. All these are very nice with fatty meats like pork or goose.

You should also be able to buy most of the non-perishables needed for holiday cooking now, so that you can spread the budget more, and not need to buy everything with one salary.

(Also, if you plan on serving food for several guests, you need to go through your table setting and dishes, serving dishes, cutlery and table linen, and decide what you are going to hire, if you need to borrow some dishes from someone etc.)

Other things you need to plan:

- Activities. Are you planning on going to see some concerts or plays or other events? You need to get the tickets, now. Are you planning on going to pumpkin picking or hayrides? Get your spot, now. Make all the necessary arrangements, call people, see that everything is prepared and ready and just waiting for the time to come. 

- Parties and entertaining at other people's homes. Visits to make. Are you going to spend the holiday at someone else? You should still remember host/hostess gift and weekend bag packing lists. What else?

- Look at October schedule and find things that can be done in advance. Draft October schedule, day by day. Plan doing 15 minutes every day, be prepared to update your schedule according to unexpected problems. See when, where, why, how, with whom and with what. What can you do beforehand, and how much beforehand?

- Costumes - other clothes. Do you have appropriate underwear, all the necessary corsets, underskirts and hoops and whatnots? Do you have all the necessary accessories, the belts, pouches, wings and glasses? Do you have nice clothes for every event you have planned? Does your family? Is everything clean and patched and mended (if something was broken)? Batteries for lights? Lamps all fixed and working? Hair and makeup? Masks?

- Write a long-term shopping list divided into: canned foods, perishables for each holiday, linens and dishes, decorations, etc.