Tip of the Week: Halloween Movies

What do "Friends" and "Hocus Pocus" have in common? Answer below...

One of my favorite Halloween memories with Memaw is when she would read Halloween books to me every night during the month of October.  She would read many different books, but always started the storytelling with one book:  “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”.  It was one of her many ways of getting into the Halloween spirit.  Other things she did was decorate the house with witches, ghosts, vampires, spiders, and haunted houses.  She would burn wonderful candles that smelled like pumpkin.  And she was always cooking fall favorites–apple pie, pumpkin bread, apple cider with cinnamon sticks, and pumpkin pie.

And every weekend evening, we would curl up on the couch, with a cozy blanket and warm cider, and watch a Halloween movie.  Remembering those cozy nights with Memaw, snuggled up with full bellies, surrounded by the pumpkin candle scent and lit-up decorations, makes me miss her terribly. But I recreate those evenings in my own house and I always start the season watching Memaw’s favorite movie “Hocus Pocus”.

She loved that movie.  She would always say it was the perfect Halloween movie.  It had witches, magic, history, suspense, an all star cast, pumpkins, black cats, zombies, music, and best of all, tons of humor.  Memaw really showed me how to celebrate Halloween (and really any holiday or season) because she involved all the senses–sights, tastes, smells, sounds, and textures of Halloween.  Even though my children are adults and have moved out, I still decorate the house.  I still light pumpkin candles every night.  And I still watch some fantastic Halloween movies.  This is how you celebrate holidays and carry on traditions.

So, my tip for the week is some wonderful Halloween movies.  Most of these are movies that you can watch with children.  I like more suspenseful movies than scary movies.  However, if you are into getting the crap scared out of you, then you can easily look up some really scary movies to watch for Halloween.  Me, I’m just like Memaw–give me a Halloween theme, good acting, and some funny moments and it's a great movie.  Here is my list–in no particular order…

1. Hocus Pocus 1 and 2 

2. Practical Magic  

3. Harry Potter–all the movies are perfect for Halloween

4. Halloweentown  

5. Corpse Bride

6. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 

7. Beetlejuice 1 and 2  

8. Ghostsbusters  

9. The Addams Family  

10. The Haunted Mansion  

11. Hubie Halloween  

12. E.T.  

13. Monster’s Inc

Decorate your house, light some candles, turn off the lights, and curl up on the couch with a warm blanket.  Pick a good Halloween movie and start creating your own perfect memories and traditions.  Remember, “It is all a bunch of Hocus Pocus.”

What is your favorite Halloween memory?  Let me know in the comments.

#Halloween movies

#Traditions

#Family

Answer: In Hocus Pocus, there is a scene where the characters are celebrating the "death" of the Sanderson Sisters. They celebrate in front of the iconic fountain that is in the opening credits of the sitcom "Friends".