Post-Halloween Blues

By Preethi Mangadu
Web Content Contributor

For many people, Halloween is their favorite day of the year, but now it has passed. With it, some sadness sets in as the cheery holiday season is starting, and many are having trouble getting into this season while leaving the spookiness behind.

However, there is no need to fret because there are ways to keep the Halloween vibes alive while the family feasts and Christmas lights are brewing. Here are five tips on keeping the eerie feeling spry:

Watch Spooky Holiday Movies:

Movies often let you enter a different world than the one that you are in, so why not keep the Halloween vibes with some horror movies! I personally love Friday the 13th, The Exorcist, The Ring, and more. However, there is a subgenre in the horror world that encompasses this next season: Holiday Horror Movies. A few of them are Krampus, Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night.

A personal favorite is Holidays which is an anthology of horror stories that revolve around several holidays: Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Of course, if you are not into horror movies, a classic Halloween/Christmas movie exists: The Nightmare before Christmas.

Shift your Halloween decor into holiday decor

Many Halloween enthusiasts often stock up on Halloween decorations every year from many stores. For instance, I purchased some of the fruit-themed decorations that Target was selling this year. Well, instead of taking them down, let’s add some holiday cheer to them just as Jack Skellington tried to do when he stole Christmas. This year giant skeletons were a trend for Halloween decorations which can easily be turned into holiday decorations with some Santa hats and presents. Another thing you can do is decorate wreaths and Christmas trees with a spooky theme. Add in some black, orange, and purple ornaments, skulls, candy, and more!

Decorate Holiday-themed Pumpkins

Who says that pumpkin carving is strictly for Halloween? It is still Fall, so pumpkins will still be available! Pumpkins can be decorated any way you choose. You could carve out anything your heart desires, from dreidels to Christmas trees to turkeys. There are many ideas out there for pumpkin decorations. While scrolling on Pinterest for inspiration, I even saw three pumpkins stacked to create a snowman! Take out your carving knives and paintbrushes to start decorating pumpkins!

Visit Ghost Tours and Haunted restaurants

If your Post-Halloween Blues last longer than the holiday season, then take out your ghost hunting equipment because ghost tours and Haunted restaurants are active year-round! Austin is actually believed to be one of the haunted cities in Texas and they have many ghost tours such as Austin Ghost Tours, Haunted ATX, Austin Ghosts, and more. There are many haunted restaurants nearby as well such as The Tavern, The Cadillac Bar, and more.

Start your Halloween Countdown!

 If all else fails, start your new Halloween countdown and start planning out your costume or costumes for next year! Remember, your spooky season can be when you want it to be, so don’t let others dictate when you want it to be!

For my Halloween lovers, have a spooktacular holiday season!

Featured Image by Preethi Mangadu