How to Celebrate Halloween at Home

I don’t know if there’s anyone out there who thinks 2020 isn’t a really really strange year. Here in Amsterdam, we spent our summer with some high hopes that things would be more open and relaxed come fall. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. We’ll be in a partial lockdown for the next few weeks.

Halloween is my all time favorite holiday. Since moving to the Netherlands, I haven’t gotten to celebrate much. Halloween isn’t a holiday for the Dutch, so celebrations and parties are minimal. In fact, last year a friend and I went to an 80s themed party at the Hoxton and were the ONLY people dressed up. Awkward.

Needless to say, I’ve become pretty good at finding ways to celebrate Halloween at home. Since so many of us will be under some sort of restrictions this year, I wanted to share some ways to still make the holiday special at home.

Keep reading for ways to celebrate Halloween at home. And if you’re lucky enough to be able to dress up, check out this post for some chic Halloween costumes.

Xx, Kelsey

Bake pumpkin treats

I recently made these pumpkin snickerdoodles, and they are So. Good. Highly recommend making these to celebrate Halloween. They’re not terribly difficult, and Jon and I devoured half a dozen in one sitting.

Watch a Halloween movie (or several)

This is probably the most classic way to celebrate Halloween at home. I’ve got plans to have a girlfriend over to watch Hocus Pocus and order brunch delivery on Halloween. Other classics on the list include: Hotel Transylvania, Harry Potter and the Sorcer’s Stone (that Halloween feast!), Halloweentown, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Decorate the house

Even though we might not be going anywhere this year, you can still make the house feel festive. I picked up some bats to stick to the walls around the house. Window clings and spider webs are also a great way to add some spooky decor.

Dance along to a themed playlist

No lie I’ve been playing this Spooky Season playlist while working this month. It’s got a great mix of classic Halloween songs and some songs that have a spooky theme.

Carve pumpkins

This one is always a little difficult in the Netherlands (pumpkins are hard to find!). But carving pumpkins always makes it feel like Halloween to me. As a kid, my family was huge into carving pumpkins. We’d each carve multiple so they lit up the whole front walk. Carve some pumpkins and light them up at home for a festive feel.

Stock up on your favorite Halloween treats

You can bet I’ll spend eight euros on a bag of candy corn this time of year. Having a dish on the coffee table just makes things feel more festive. Is there a candy that reminds you of Halloween? Pull it out to munch on while you watch movies on the 31st.

Try some Halloween makeup

Just because you aren’t going anywhere doesn’t mean you can’t get dressed up in some way. Throw on a comfy pair of leggings and then get festive with some skull makeup. Even if all you do is take a photo for Instagram, it’s more fun than just sitting around! Check out this tutorial for a creepy skull look.

Make Halloween cocktails

There are so many great themed cocktails to make the day extra festive. I personally love adding some spiced rum to hot apple cider, but you can also check out these recipes! There’s something for everyone.