[Zombie Pumpkins!]

I hope you know how much we all really appreciate your hard work boss! And I'll always raise a drink to you at my party - which without your amazing work would be pumpkinless and vertically sad indeed!

I do, and I thank you! The supportive appreciation is probably what holds me up, so I don't collapse before November.

[ghostface]

It's fun to hear what everyone does on the BIG day. Lots of variety, but nice to see everyone get into the spirit somehow, even if you just hang with your lit pumpkins and watch a horror movie.

What do I do on the biggest day of the year? Sit at the computer and answer customer support questions for this site all day.

But as the sun gets low in the sky, there's not much else I can do with the site, other than let it run it's course. At that point, I finally step away from the computer and allow myself to actually enjoy the holiday.

I put on my costume, and give my jack o' lanterns a last look. Drag out the fog machine, turn on the strobe light, place the tombstones on the lawn. And await the arrival of the trick-or-treaters and their parents who will hopefully be all "ooh" and "ahh" over the pumpkins.

Friends and family stop by throughout the night to see the show, and I'm running around like a mad man. It's really all a blur. At any given moment, I could be handing out candy, relighting candles in my pumpkins, socializing with guests, taking countless photos, checking on the music and projector, or shoving a sweet snack into my mouth for an energy boost.

Once the ToT-ers stop ringing the bell (or we run out of candy, whichever comes first) the porch light goes off. But the pumpkins stay lit, of course! At this later point in the night, I finally get my first chance to sit down. Whichever friends/family are still lingering will gather around the table for some food. A Halloween feast.

As the witching hour arrives, and all the guests file out, it's time for me to do final photo shoots. Before the costume comes off and the pumpkins are blown out, I have to make sure I have adequate pictures to document everything. And with my perfectionism, this photo work can take a while.

By the middle of the night, I'm running on fumes. I shamble to the bathroom and scrub off the costume makeup. I plop down on the couch to finally relax. I put on a Halloween movie to wind down my night (usually Trick 'r Treat or Nightmare Before Christmas). But I usually don't make it past the opening credits before passing out.

I mumble to myself, "Another Halloween.... I did it...." and then I sleep for about 15 hours.

I hope you know how much we all really appreciate your hard work boss! And I'll always raise a drink to you at my party - which without your amazing work would be pumpkinless and vertically sad indeed!

It really is amazing how hard you work for us minions. We appreciate that so much. Without you my Halloween would be dull and pumpkinless! You are truly awesome.

[mesmark]

There's no T-o-T-ing here in Japan and hardly any Halloween. But, I have my Halloween party here on the last Sunday of October. Generally that's it for me. I have the party at a community center and clean up. Since everything is all packed up, I don't get it out again until the next year.

After the party all of the people that helped are invited back to our place for dinner, drinks and sitting around. It looks somewhat like Ryan's night. People shuffle out around 10pm or so. I hug my wife and say, 'We did it! Another Halloween done!' We clean up a little more, maybe look at some of the pictures, and then I hit the bed.

The actual Halloween night is pretty much the normal day. I do leave up a few decorations in the classroom until Nov. 1. but it's generally business as usual. And time to start planning the Christmas display

[SuperSonic]

It's fun to hear what everyone does on the BIG day. Lots of variety, but nice to see everyone get into the spirit somehow, even if you just hang with your lit pumpkins and watch a horror movie.

What do I do on the biggest day of the year? Sit at the computer and answer customer support questions for this site all day.

But as the sun gets low in the sky, there's not much else I can do with the site, other than let it run it's course. At that point, I finally step away from the computer and allow myself to actually enjoy the holiday.

I put on my costume, and give my jack o' lanterns a last look. Drag out the fog machine, turn on the strobe light, place the tombstones on the lawn. And await the arrival of the trick-or-treaters and their parents who will hopefully be all "ooh" and "ahh" over the pumpkins.

Friends and family stop by throughout the night to see the show, and I'm running around like a mad man. It's really all a blur. At any given moment, I could be handing out candy, relighting candles in my pumpkins, socializing with guests, taking countless photos, checking on the music and projector, or shoving a sweet snack into my mouth for an energy boost.

Once the ToT-ers stop ringing the bell (or we run out of candy, whichever comes first) the porch light goes off. But the pumpkins stay lit, of course! At this later point in the night, I finally get my first chance to sit down. Whichever friends/family are still lingering will gather around the table for some food. A Halloween feast.

As the witching hour arrives, and all the guests file out, it's time for me to do final photo shoots. Before the costume comes off and the pumpkins are blown out, I have to make sure I have adequate pictures to document everything. And with my perfectionism, this photo work can take a while.

By the middle of the night, I'm running on fumes. I shamble to the bathroom and scrub off the costume makeup. I plop down on the couch to finally relax. I put on a Halloween movie to wind down my night (usually Trick 'r Treat or Nightmare Before Christmas). But I usually don't make it past the opening credits before passing out.

I mumble to myself, "Another Halloween.... I did it...." and then I sleep for about 15 hours.

Ohh Ryan. Like everyone else has said. I'd still be with PM if it weren't for me finding the BETTER site! The things you do for us, is just amazing. I'd be pumpkinless if it weren't for you inspiring my many carves a season.

Like a lot of others, I also decorate the lawn with Tombstones, along with the pumpkins, its about all I do in terms of decorating, the rest comes with ease. My house is the only one lit up like a Christmas tree (huh, no pun intended). So I get all the attention on the block. I also like to watch Halloween movies in the last ten days of October and up until Nov 3rd. I get some downtime, so I get to watch the movies I didn't watch through out the month. OR I can buy foamies if there's any left.

[saramiller]

I love costume parties! I always have. It's just fun You get to be creative, and either really really scary or maybe paying homage to favorite characters and such.And all the pumkin stuff that rolls into stores in the fall is awesome. Pumkin poptarts, pumkin english muffins, pumkin eggnog YESSS Also hey the general spookiness. Nothing like laughing all your friends being terrified in a haunted house

[blueikaos]

Last year I waited and waited...not 1 single trick or treater.

Since I work at Spirit Halloween this year, I may be put on the schedule. If not, I'll probably buy a small bag of candy, In the event I get a TOTer...watch a horror movie and probably fall asleep early! haha

[Lala]

My mum gets mad when I deny to give them candy.

You should give them a penny. One of my all time hated Halloween treats and that was 30 years go...with inflation that's super insulting now!

I give teens with no costume on and a backpack shoved in my face - a handful of ice. because I'm mean like that. hahahaha

[NOONE]

I honestly just dress up and carve pumpkins. I might do a movie night with my new college buds but not sure what the plan is yet. I would do more but apparently Halloween not good enough to have a school break with it. I think fall break should just be moved to over lap Halloween.

[staticfurball]

Like many of you we get a good amount of trick or treaters, between 150-250 on a good rainless night. Each year my husband and I swap jobs between taking the kids out and staying homre to scare little ones and teenagers. Our street gets pretty hectic around here, my disttrict is one of the best in the city for Halloweeen and we takre full advantage. Some times we let people climb into the yard for photos with our mymmy and werewolf. When the last straglers have hgone I take my pics of the yard and my kins before I take them in ,pumpkin thieves are rampant around here, last year between my sister and I we lost a good 13 kins.
Then if we have a sitter and Halloween fals on a weekend we go to a party if there are any, if not its horror movie marathon for me. some times I sit around and think of tentative decore plans for next year......oh and I rummage my kids candy Thats the best part!

[purple1worm]

Like many of you we get a good amount of trick or treaters, between 150-250 on a good rainless night. Our street gets pretty hectic around here, my district is one of the best in the city for Halloweeen and we take full advantage. Some times we let people climb into the yard for photos with our mummy and werewolf. When the last stragglers have gone I take my pics of the yard and my kins before I take them in ,pumpkin thieves are rampant around here, last year between my sister and I we lost a good 13 kins. !

Lol! I still can't believe somebody took all our 'kins, including the one you didn't carve. Oh well at least we didn't have to get rid of them either though.

I always book the week off to prepare and put out my decorations. I'm not brave enough to put them out to early, they might get ransacked! The day of Halloween I usually finish my last carves. Since there are so many trick -or- treaters, my beau and I take turns giving out candy. After the candy runs out, I usually take some pics then head inside to enjoy a movie!

[Ajax]

Only 8 days left!!! it's crazy. I've been putting at least 2 patterns on a night minimum I have 16 transferred now probably gut Sunday and carve Monday Tuesday next week is going to be a big blur. I plan on seeing silent hill Saturday night though the calm before the storm.

[Lala]

This year on Halloween I'll be heading over to my parents house in the morning to put Zombie makeup on my Dad (I heart my Dad - haha) then I'll be heading over to help with my Godson's Class Halloween Party and watch the Costume parade.

Then I'll zoom home and put the final touches on the decor, put my zombie costume on, and start making FOOD! (which actually, I'll do the day before and then heat it up) because my Bestie, her hubby and her SEVEN kids are coming over, and my parents and 2 godsons are coming over too!

We'll take turns taking the littles out trick or treating and handing out candy - I think I'm going to make "Trick or Treater Bingo" this year or something.

Lots of Halloween movies (more on the tame side, since we'll have littles here)

then clean up, snarf candy and bed!

[SuperSonic]

I start carving on Saturday! I want to be done on the 30th! Then... I wait.

[S.A.M]

I love Halloween night but like so many others the preparations start well in advance, I usually start carving 3-4 days before Halloween laving the big day free to put out the display. It's all a big rush on Halloween morning/afternoon to set up the display, I can only have it a certain size and it all has to be put up and taken down in the same day, it's crazy

There always seems to be an anxious/quiet time between finishing the display and waiting for Trick or Treaters, will there be any? What if no one comes? What a waste but I get all the sweets to myself

But as the night sky reddens with the setting sun on All Hallows Eve and day turns to night, if you listen carefully you can hear in the distance...screaming!! Laughing! The melodic chant of Trick or Treat! The ghouls are on their way, Halloween is here and I love it!! The next few hours are spent handing out treats, answering questions and trying to make sure every kid gets something, there is such a hubbub it's easy for the little ones to miss out.

The ToTers have usually been and gone by 20:30 and then it's time to chill out with a beer or two, take some pictures of the display and get some dinner; jacket potatoes, cheese and beans and after that it's time to scale the display back, pack away all the props. But I keep the pumpkins out past the witching hour to ward off any evil spirits that may be roaming, I'll redeploy some of the 'kins to the back and side of the house I mean you've gotta cover all sides

Finally it's time to hit the sack and end the evening as always with Halloween (1978) on DVD (or TV if it's on)