Brewing up a spookily safe party
By: Fran O’Donnell, Contributor
Ghosts, ghouls and everyone in between: are you feeling down this Halloween? Are you looking for a way to get into the spooky spirit (pun very much intended) while remaining physically distanced? Fear not, you’ve come to the right place! As a Halloween aficionado and professional introvert, I have been training my whole life to bring you this list of fun Halloween activities that you can use to keep your celebrations both spooktacular and safe.
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Dress it Up
Just because we’re staying indoors doesn’t mean that we can’t wear costumes. In fact, now is the perfect opportunity to wear whatever you want without having to worry about being too cold in the chilly October air. Not sure what to wear? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Last year, I wrote up a guide to DIY Halloween costumes on a budget. The world is your graveyard when it comes to costumes this spooky season.
Best of all, you can enter your costume in the Sil’s costume contest! Just snap a photo before 11:59 p.m. on Halloween night and post it to your Facebook or Instagram story for a chance to win. Wearing something fun and having the chance to win free stuff? Sign me up!
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Stream the Screams
Halloween really wouldn’t be the same without at least one movie marathon. Thankfully, you can use an extension like Teleparty (formally Netflix Party) to stream all your favourite movies with your friends. Got Disney Plus? You can watch favourites like Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloweentown and many more. You could also try a horror movie to really get you in the spooky spirit. Here is a handy dandy list of Halloween movies and where you can stream them.
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Scare Up Some Snacks
There may not be trick-or-treating this year, but that shouldn’t stop you from breaking out the candy. You could also brew up some sweet treats of your own, with any number of easy Halloween snacks. Candy apples, snack bars and marshmallow ghosts, oh my!
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Ghost Story Spooktacular
Speaking of the spooky spirit, why not share some ghost stories around the campfire (Zoom call)? Have each of your friends pick their favourite scary story, and then read them to each other through the video call. For an extra little kick, you can turn out all your lights and use your phone’s flashlight to light your face. Oh jeez, I’m feeling scared already.
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Get Crafty
You knew this was coming, right? It’s not Halloween unless you have a little jack-o’-lantern hanging out outside your house (if you’d like to know why, check out this article from last year on Halloween traditions!). Break out the pumpkins and get creative! If you like, here are some stencil patterns to get you started. Pumpkin carving not your thing? Here are some fun craft ideas to get you in the spirit, minus the mess. Decorate your mausoleum to your heart's content.
Remember it is still vitally important to stay indoors right now and physically distance. Please be kind this spooky season and stay at home.
If you’re an avid reader of the Silhouette, then you’d know our annual rendition of Sex and the Steel City, much like the paper itself, has evolved quite a bit over the past couple of years.
Putting together this year’s sex-positive publication meant embracing the diverse ideas around sexuality, love and health. It’s about creating a non-judgemental space where experiences can be shared, identities are expressed and art can be enjoyed.
Through Sex and the Steel City we were also able to explore Hamilton’s history, challenge the issues our communities’ face and open eyes to future possibilities with passion and dedication.
Every word and visual in this issue is also a reflection of the privileged position we, as a publication, are in to unapologetically express ourselves. A position that has been continuously denied to people historically and as of late.
For this reason our cover includes re-creations of stills from the recently discovered film Something Good - Negro Kiss. Directed by William Selig in 1898, the film depicts the earliest on-screen kiss between two Black stage entertainers and challenges the racist caricature prevalent in popular culture. In the 29-second silent film, Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown convey undeniable expression of love, pleasure and happiness.
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We hope to continue the conversation around barriers that continue to marginalize identities today while also celebrating everything good they have to share.
Sex and the Steel City is a hopeful expression that love will prevail.
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