This is our first edition and we are very proud to say it's just in time for the number one parapsychological holiday. That's right, Halloween. At this time of year, both children and adults delight in the idea of creatures of the unknown walking the earth among us. I know this has always been my favorite holiday. I am very excited to be able to share with you some costume ideas and history of this holiday.

Halloween, known to ancient Celtic people and modern day pagans as Samhain, was the holiday associated with the end of the harvesting cycle. In the mythology associated with Samhain, this was the holiday that the sun god died to be re born in December at Yule. This was not a time of sadness, but a time of celebration and merriment. They built bonfires and had parties well into the night.

Other mythology associated with Samhain is the belief that the veil between the living and dead is the thinnest at this time of year. This is where the idea for dressing up for Halloween was born. People would dress in costumes with the belief that in doing so, the spirits that roamed the earth would mistake them as other spirits and not try to harm them.

During the Crusades, this holiday was vilified by the church as a holiday of Satan. However, these ancient pagan people never believed in Satan (neither does their modern counterparts), having their own mythology with Gods and Goddesses. While many other pagan holidays were adapted to fit the Christian calender, Samhain was not. This is why often people in today's society associate Halloween with evil or with the devil.

Other traditions from Samhain were (as they still are) bobbing for apples, apple cider and the telling of ghost stories. The adapted version of the Samhain community feast is that of children going door to door to trick or treat.

While the holiday of Halloween is Celtic, other cultures have such holidays. For instance, many Hispanic cultures celebrate the day of the dead. They dress in masks, pack a lunch and go to pay their respects to the relatives that passed on before them. It is again a day of celebration. They start planning weeks ahead of time. They often decorate the graves and bring gifts. Although this ritual is still practiced, some variations occur. One example of this is some people set plates of food outside their house a week before Halloween. This is to invite their loved ones in for dinner. As the week progresses, they set a new dish out each night a little closer to the house. On Halloween, they "dine" with their relatives, setting places for each deceased loved one they've "invited" for dinner. Due to the fact that sometimes these spirits are believed to linger, the first half of the ritual is repeated in reverse the week following Halloween. They thank their guest for coming, invite them back for the next Halloween, tell them whatever they need to and place the meals further and further from the house.

The idea behind dressing up is to be something you really aren't. Many people think you have to be a monster, ghost or ghoul to accomplish this. I, on the other hand, think using your imagination is more fun. Store bought costumes are good, but I personally like the idea of making my own.

The use of environment can be a great tool in deciding what to dress as. For example, once while working in an office, there was a memo sent around regarding disappearing office supplies. This gave me the idea of an "Office Supply Black Hole". This costume, while simple in it's creation, was both creative and funny. Simply take a back outfit and buy a few office supplies, such as Post Its, paper and pens and attach them all over the outfit. Be sure to leave room to comfortably sit!

Other ideas include going as something you've seen on the news. For instance, you could dress in a an orange suit, carry a briefcase, attach handcuffs and leg shackles and go as an Enron executive. If you are going with a date or partner, they could dress like a homeless person and go as one of the Enron employees.

A little advice about Come As Your Favorite Dead Person parties. Don't go as Jerry Garcia. It stopped being funny and creative BEFORE he died. Instead, actually choose a favorite dead person. I like going as a lesser known celebrity. If you go as Elvis or Marilyn, it's likely that you will encounter your doppelganger. Pick someone you like, but also be sure to choose someone that it is not likely anyone will come as. I like the ideas of Sylvia Plath, Dorothy Parker, Jimmy Duranty and Joseph Campbell.

For the kids, the same thing applies. Find something that your child is not. Most children want store bought costumes of whatever is popular at the moment, but if you find something they like that you can make (with their help, if their age permits) make your own. This year is my niece's first Halloween. We are creating her costume out of a two toned dress, a head band, some fake flowers, some 10 gage wire, sheer panty hose and glitter. She is going to be a fairy. The wings are made of ten gage wire shaped into butterfly wings, covered in the clear panty hose with glitter glued to and inside it. The dress we are decorating with the same flowers as the head band. I also like the idea (for older children)of being a bag of jelly beans. Get a giant clear plastic bag and cut arm and leg holes. Fill it with different color balloons and tie a ribbon at the neck.

The main thing is to be creative and safe. Get imaginative and have fun!