I've never really been particularly keen on traditional Halloween decorations because, quite frankly, none of them ever manage to be at all scary. Sure, a jack-o-lantern can be cute, but how often does the sight of one sitting on your neighbor's front porch really give you a fright? To get into the spirit of the season, you don't need a lot of ghoulish decorations or Halloween paraphernalia. All you need do is turn out the lights and light a few candles. After all, there's nothing like some dark shadows to really get the imagination in overdrive.
As someone who enjoys indulging her childhood penchant for the macabre every October while still maintaining a certain level of, shall we say, decorum, I can't get enough of D.L. & Co. and (the more affordable) Modern Alchemy candles -- both brainchildren of the candle maker, perfumer and probable genius Douglas Little. The Seven Deadly Sins candle set ($150, shown above) is a wonderful opportunity to indulge in your own favorite sin(s) -- and, broken up into individual candles, would invariably be amusing gifts for your seven favorite (or least favorite) friends this year. ("Why did she give me a pride candle?...Is she trying to tell me something?")
My absolute favorite though is Modern Alchemy's Salem candle ($45), which has a gloriously authentic bonfire smell...perfect for burning (next to) your favorite witch. I visited Salem, MA, my junior year of college in mid-October and was completely agog at how crowded it was. Indeed, I remember being sorely disappointed by how overrun it was by tourists and how most of the sites seemed to cater to a rather cheesy and/or childish version of the events that occurred there over three hundred years ago.
That same fall I was taking a course on Witchcraft in America, which was really just about the witch hunts in New England in the late seventeenth century. At the time I was taking the course, I was completely unaware that I was in fact related to (and indeed named after) the a woman who was among the first group of women convicted of witchcraft in America: Sarah Wildes. It was only after my husband started doing some genealogical research on my family that we discovered that Sarah's maiden name was Averill (as in my first name) that the link became clear. Sarah though, like all other "witches" (save the sole male victim who was instead crushed to death) at Salem, was hanged rather than burned. Despite the historical inaccuracy of the fiery scent and image, the candle is nevertheless a haunting reminder of my family history. On a more cheerful note, it's also a wonderfully cozy...and slightly creepy...scent to burn on a cool autumn night.
I have a penchant for pairing candles with books and/or movies, as a foodie might pair wine with cheese. With your choice of D.L. & Company candle, may I suggest Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind, a haunting novel about the world's greatest perfumer and his quest to capture and create the ultimate scent.
If you'd prefer to cuddle up in front of your TV this weekend, I'd highly suggest Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. I am an unabashed fan of both Mr. Burton's and Johnny Depp (who plays Ichabod Crane) and of their many collaborations together, this one just may be my favorite. As an added bonus, the set, costumes and make-up are utterly fantastic and well deserving of the movie's Oscar nods (and win in Art Direction). Indeed, I'd argue that Burton and Little are cut of the same, beautiful black cloth.
Happy {haunted} weekend, everyone!
From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!
~Traditional Scottish Prayer~
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