10 Spooky Halloween Party Themes For Your October 31st Bash

Halloween party themes can be almost as hard to chose as Halloween costumes. Sometimes they could seem repetitive, or boring, or overdone, but if done well, Halloween party themes can be your best friend.

Halloween is a really interesting holiday. It is believed to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) when people lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. The Celts lived 2,000 years ago in what is now Ireland, the UK, and northern France. Halloween was essentially their new year’s eve (the new year started on 1 November). It marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. On the night of 31 October, they believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to the earth as the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.

Halloween now is more so an evening of fun, sweets and interesting costumes. Because it is now so ingrained into the popular culture you can have loads of interesting Halloween party themes. Here are some that you might consider for this year’s Halloween.

1. Brexit Party

The new deadline for the UK leaving the EU is 31 October so why not use the opportunity to plan a spooky Halloween Brexit party. Even the Guardian has suggested it. It’s not only a Halloween party theme that has probably never been done before, but it will give you and your friends an excuse to dress up like politicians.

Dress up like members of parliament. Serve up some Tory toad in the hole, Theresa Mash, Boris bacon butty, Farage’s fish and chips. So the best of the bland British cuisine. Definitely no curry, humous and guacamole! Root vegetables only. And no beans, because the tomatoes for the beans are imported. And no kebabs after the party. For nibbles, you can have British pork scratchings. None of those pretentious European olives!

Music: Brian Adams Brexit Hits with special guest Elizabeth Hurley

2. Haunted House

One of the classic Halloween party themes that never go out of style. And you can be really creative with it. Who said you have to have a typical haunted house. Think about what haunts you and your friends. You can do a mundane haunted house. It will be haunted by horrors such as “cutting my hand when getting the stone out of an avocado”, also known as “the avocado hand”; TV show spoilers; Missing the last tube home; Running out of toiler paper; Royal Mail “sorry we missed you” card when you are in; Asking someone when they are due when they are not pregnant. You get the gist.

3. Circus

One of the other classic Halloween party themes. A circus theme will definitely have very nice decorations. You can have an amazing circus-themed menu. Peanuts, hot dogs, candy floss, popcorn… all great party foods. You could do fun circus, spooky circus, American Horror Story type circus. There’s plenty of options. You can check out some cool costumes here. If you are looking to do some cool DIY decorations, you could check out these ones on Pinterest. And if you need more general ideas for your circus party, you can click here.

4. Asylum

This one can be really spooky! You can, again, do it American Horror Story themed: dress up as the characters, recreate some decor, etc. But you can also just create your own. You can do a funny spin on it and flip the idea of Asylum on its head. Make the theme your own.

5. Gothic

Gothic architecture has inspired so many novels. Gothic fiction, which is basically a subgenre of Gothic horror, features horror, death, and at times romance. Think The Woman In Black, Dracula, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights. If you go for Gothic Literature you can have everyone dress up as your favorite character from a Gothic novel. You can also have your party be inspired by the eerie looks of Gothic architecture. Or based on Gothic fashion, which is really impressive and over-the-top. Either way, Gothic can be an amazing theme for your Halloween party.

6. Elysium

No, not the film. Elysium from Greek Mythology is a paradise where the heroes go to in the afterlife. This theme can be really simple, just imagine who would be in Elysium and dress up as them. That is also a great conversation starter. You can decorate based on what paradise looks like to you. And then serve your favorite food. Sounds pretty good to me.

7. Witch Soiree

Get all your friends and organize yourselves a good old witch soiree. You can serve interesting cocktails that look like potions. As well as play some interesting games. Have candles around the house (but be careful, because they’re a fire hazard). It’s one of the simplest Halloween party themes you can have. But it works!

8. Midsommar

Midsommar was a huge film this year and it could make a good Halloween party theme. It is also an easy costume. All you need is a completely white outfit, some flowers. You can see how people design their flower crowns. You can serve drinks that have a red tint to them (only people who’ve seen the film would get this). It’s simple, fun and novel.

9. The Handmaid’s Tale

You can organize a party based on Margaret Atwood’s famous novel (which has also been made into a film and a popular TV show). It will definitely be a spooky party. It’s also quite unusual, but still popular enough. Don’t go for a sexy approach to the costume, though. That’s a bit controversial.

10. Vampire

We have to end the list with one of the most iconic Halloween party themes. Vampire may seem like a bit of an overdone party theme, but you really take this theme anywhere. You can do a classic vampire party and do something really classy, formal and Dracula-esque. You can do Vampire spoof. You can even do Twilight if your heart desires. It’s a great theme and it’s something everyone will get.