Party on the Dark Side
By: Stephanie Andrews
“I dwell in a lonely house I know
That vanished many a Summer ago,
And left no trace but the cellar walls,
And a cellar in which the daylight falls
And the purple-stemmed wild raspberries grow.
I dwell with a strangely aching heart
In that vanished abode there far apart….”
Excerpt from the Ghost House by Robert Frost
Hello Friends,
At this time of year, Halloween decorations are littered with finesse and magnitude in my neighborhood. I will be honest with you, this is not my favorite holiday. I love seeing kids dressed up and trick-or-treating, but I’m usually quite unimpressed with Halloween decorations. Typically, my friends and family chastise me for my simple disdain of the holiday, while they are out having much more fun.
Our kids, Jack and Allie, were all dressed up for Halloween years ago.
Fed up with my dissatisfaction and critical feelings, I began working on an attitude shift and conducted some research for a more nuanced look at Halloween. I stumbled upon the Victorian period in my research, and it led me to aspects that I am very interested in. For instance, did you know that during the Victorian period, séances were in full swing, allowing people to speak with the dead at parties? Apparently, according to this blog from our friends in Winnipeg, many Victorians (including Queen Victoria herself!) were disillusioned with traditional religion. They were questioning some of the Bible’s claims. This “speaks” to me as both my mom and best friend are mediums, and I find this other world intriguing.
House 10 Designs created this mantle scene using a piece of Styrofoam insulation and adhering skulls and other trinkets, then spray-painted it black.
As I learned more about the Victorian salon parties, I also learned that sometimes they would have a single woman look in a mirror and see her future partner. This process, which involves the use of mirrors, is called Scrying. How cool is that for a party trick! (Or was it?). “Heroines ate apples at midnight on Halloween while looking in a mirror for the face of a future husband. They followed balls of unwound yarn to dark barns and cellars, falling helplessly into the arms of some gallant hero”. This information is straight from iskullhalloween.com by LesleyBanatyne. Such romance! Now I am in!
Eyeballs for dinner? Mozzarella balls, prosciutto, and olives.
Again, I went deeper to try to dispel my unappreciation of this holiday. I learned that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of Sherlock Holmes acclaim, as well as Madame Curie, Mark Twain, and Frederic Douglass all attended seances. This New Yorker link says it all: Why Did So Many Victorians Try to Speak with the Dead? During the 1870s, the Halloween parties were in full swing. Dressing up, bobbing for apples, and mixing drinks were usually part of the celebration, and the decorations were elaborate! Victorian women were expected to be artistic, and their party plans would sometimes include invitations with poetry delivered inside a carved pumpkin and other intricate, creative schemes—how cool is that! I am beginning to wonder how to explore this holiday more deeply, in terms of its meaning and social significance.
A flaming pumpkin in Candler Park.
I began thinking about Victorian homes and the beauty that exists in Atlanta’s Inman Park and Grant Park neighborhoods. And I started thinking about my friend Rebecca, of House 10 Designs, who curates an elaborate Halloween celebration every year. She is like a modern Victorian woman, artistic, creative, and always outdoing herself at her last party. She thinks nothing of spending hours creating the perfect creepy mantle, cultivating a purple cocktail complete with edible eyeballs, and producing other delectable appetizers for her guests to enjoy. I have never (really!) seen anything like it or met anyone like her! And her Victorian home in Grant Park is the perfect backdrop. Her diligent effort and precise attention to every detail were making quite an impression on me and perhaps even helping me to appreciate the season. She is quite the stylist, party planner, and gracious host.
Rebecca’s mantle details include spray-painted skulls, moss, greenery, candles, and rolled-up fortunes.
“I try to make my home feel like it belongs in Halloween. I want it to have the soul of a Gothic house or a witch’s home — think The Addams Family meets old-world charm — layered, moody, yet still beautiful. I use vintage pieces, candlelight, and rich textures to create an authentic, not staged, atmosphere. I’ll mix old silver, dark glass, and deep colors so it feels collected rather than themed. But I never take it too seriously — it’s still a little kitsch because it is Halloween, and the whole point is to have fun with it.” Rebecca Kaufmann, House 10 Designs.
I have so enjoyed this book! Learn everything about making taking your Victorian home to the next level!
You probably didn’t need an impetus to enjoy this fall holiday; you are probably a person who enjoys the silliness and knows how to have fun! And for that, I am grateful to know you. However, if you did enjoy this brief journey into Victorian history, you may also appreciate this book that has made an impression on me: Victorian Modern. I do love this era, and these homes.
An autumn collection of natural items collected on a walk.
Amidst the cheap plastic pumpkins and the cobwebs of misery
Lies a thin veil over the past that captures a long history.
Pop, oh Pop, how are you doing?
We miss your smile and your deep knowing.
Send me a sign from a mirror or a ball
And I will know that it’s okay to fall.
I don’t particularly like this quick poem about the Halloween season, but I enjoy writing poetry, so I wanted to share it! I hope you enjoy the fall chill and will reach out with your own Halloween musings.
Thank you for reading,
Stephanie