Did you know - That Halloween is older than Christmas? Halloween dates back over 2000 years, to the times of the ancient Celts. They lived in an area which today makes up the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Northern France. The Celtic name of the holiday that we now celebrate as Halloween was Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”). However this name varied depending on regions - In Wales the name of the holiday was Hollantide, in Cornwall it was known as Allantide; and in Brittany it was called Kala-Goanv.
Wear your Halloween fancy dress costume, experience a night of witch-crafts, spooky trails, and frightening face painting, fang-tastically spooky surprises, spooky creature hunts, gory ghost walks, bats, giant spiders, Tricks n treats, creepy castles, spooky challenges, creepy garden trails, pumpkin hunts, pumpkin craving, haunted cabins, forest of fear, headless horseman, frightening face painting,cobwebs and cast spooky spells..........
HALLOWEEN EAST SUSSEX
FROM SATURDAY 20th OCTOBER TO SUNDAY 28th OCTOBER 2018
(October Half-term: Monday 22nd October - Friday 26th October 2018)
DRUSILLAS PARK AND ZOO - Alfriston
Halloween Shriek Week Sat 20th - Sun 28th October 2018
If you are bored of all your local haunts, stake out the fun at Drusillas Park over the Halloween period. We’ve conjured up some fang-tastically spooky surprises to keep your little horrors half term happy.
Address: Drusillas Park & Zoo, Alfriston Road,Alfriston, East Sussex, BN26 5QS.
ALFRISTON CLERGY HOUSE - Polegate. (National Trust Memberships)
Creepy-crawly halloween trail Sat 20th - 28th October 2018 10:30am - 4:30pm
Embark on a creepy-crawly Halloween themed self-led trail. This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.for trail. Address: The Tye, Alfriston, Polegate, East Sussex BN26 5TL .
BODIAM CASTLE - Nr Robertsbridge (National Trust Memberships)
Black Cat trail Saturday 20th to Sunday 28th October 11am to 4pm. Hunt around the castle to find our mysterious cats lurking in the shadows. £2.50 per trail, including a prize for each successful hunter.
Address: Bodiam Castle, Near Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5UA.
BATEMAN'S - Burwash (National Trust Memberships)
The Smugglers' Trail Sat 20 - Sun 28 October 2018, 10am to 4pm
Get out and about in the garden and find the clues for our half-term trail. The notorious smugglers of the Hawkhurst Gang have been seen back at Bateman's. Search the garden to find out what they've been up to and claim your reward. Normal admission + £2.50 for trail.
Address: Bateman's Lane, Burwash, TN19 7DS.
BLACKBERRY FARM
Not too scary Halloween fun! 22nd - 26th October 2018. Half price entry for all children who arrive in fancy dress. Fancy Dress, spooky egg hunt, Craft Sessions. Story Time, Face Painting, Tractor rides and lots more. Address: Blackberry Farm,Whiresmith,Nr Lewes,Sussex,BN8 6JD
DEVIL'S DYKE - Saddlescombe Farm
Halloween Pumpkin Carving & Scary Mask Making Saturday 27th October 2018 10am - 12 . Choose your own pumpkin and then transform it into your own scary creation then make your own Halloween animal mask! Choose your own pumpkin and then transform it into your own scary creation then make your own Halloween animal mask! Event £8 per child
KENT & EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY
Halloween Fright Night Express on Friday 26th October 5pm. Come in fancy dress, workshop to include pumpkin carving and face painting. fire breather, train ride and fireworks.
Address: Northiam - Bodiam, East Sussex. Tel: 01580 765155
KNOCKHATCH ADVENTURE PARK - Hailsham
Halloween fun and activities 20th - 28th October 2018. Enter their Containment, If you Dare!
Ghost hunt and receive a small treat!
Address: Knockhatch Adventure Park, Hailsham Bypass, Hailsham, BN27 3PR. Tel: 01323 442051
1066 BATTLE OF HASTINGS, ABBEY AND BATTLEFIELD
Haunted Abbey Sat 20 - Sun 28 Oct 2018 10am - 4pm. Feeling brave enough to take on the haunted abbey ruins of Battle? Be prepared to be scared this autumn half term as a frighteningly fun day out awaits you. Have a go at creating creepy crafts and see if you can scare us enough to win a prize for the best Halloween costume, awarded to the most spine tingling attire each day.
Address: 1066 Battle of Hastings Abbey and Battlefield, at the south end of Battle High Street, TN33 0AD
MICHELHAM PRIORY - Hailsham.
Hallowe’en Weekend Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th October 2018. 10:30am - 4pm
Traditional entertainment with Punch & Judy,crafts, trails and heaps of scary Hallowe’en fun with Crazee Hazzee. Family ghost hunt; 5pm – 8pm. Please pre-book.
Address: Michelham Priory & Gardens, Upper Dicker, near Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 3QS.
MAYBERRY GARDEN CENTRE - Portslade
Address: Mayberry Garden Centre, 7 - 17 Old Shoreham Road, Portslade, East Sussex, BN41 1SP.
NEWHAVEN FORT - Newhaven
Halloween Fun at the Fort!! Newhaven Fort has lots to offer the whole family this half term.
Address: Newhaven Fort Fort Road, Newhaven, East Sussex BN9 9DS.
PARADISE PARK - Newhaven
Address: Paradise Park, Avis Road, Newhaven, East Sussex, BN9 0DH.
THE OBSERVATORY SCIENCE CENTRE
Halloween Weekend 27th & 28th October 2018. A weekend of drop-in Halloween activities, small extra charge. Address: The Observatory Science Centre, Herstmonceux, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1RN. Tel: 01323 832731
WILDERNESS WOOD - Hadlow Down
Address: Wilderness Wood, Hadlow Down, East Sussex, TN22 4HJ
Did You Know - The real reason why costumes are worn on Halloween?
While millions of us around the world wear costumes on the 31st of October very few actually know where the tradition actually stems from. The Ancient Celts believed that the gate between the worlds of the living and the dead was opened on the eve of New Years. - October 31st. The souls of the dead could cross onto the plain of the living for one day only, as ghosts. The only problem with this was that some of these ghosts were not too pleasant! They would destroy crops, houses and were even believed to murder those amongst the living who had befallen them during their lifetimes. In order to disguise themselves from these malevolent ghosts the Celts would don costumes made from Animal skins and heads! By doing this it was believed that the ghost would not be able to recognise them as living and believe that they too were spirits. So, there you have it, in the past costumes were worn for self-preservation while today we just wear them for fun!
HALLOWEEN WEST SUSSEX
FROM SATURDAY 20th OCTOBER TO SUNDAY 28th OCTOBER 2018
(October Half-term: Monday 22nd October - Friday 26th October 2018)
Wear your Halloween fancy dress costume, experience a night of witch-crafts, spooky trails, and frightening face painting, fang-tastically spooky surprises, spooky creature hunts, gory ghost walks, bats, giant spiders, Tricks n treats, creepy castles, spooky challenges, creepy garden trails, pumpkin hunts, pumpkin craving, haunted cabins, forest of fear, headless horseman, frightening face painting,cobwebs and cast spooky spells..........
FISHERS FARM PARK - Wisborough Green.
Halloween Happy Hauntings 20th - 28th October 2018. It’s all happening at Fishers this hair-raising half term for the ‘Halloween Happy Hauntings’! Join the ‘fang-tastic’ goings-on at Fishers Farm Park this Halloween with your own little monsters. With pumpkin carving, the famous ‘Spook Show’ in the theatre and the ‘Gory-ent Express’ ride all add to the terror-rific experience that awaits you ‘witch’ will you choose first?!
Address: Fishers Farm Park, Newpound Lane, Wisborough Green, West Sussex, RH14 0EG
EARNLEY BUTTERFLIES, BIRDS AND BEASTS - nr Chichester
Spooky Halloween Fun October Half-term 20th October - 28th October 2018.
Events & Competitions for all the family.
Address: Earnley Butterflies, Birds and Beasts, 133 Almodington Lane, Earnley, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 7JR.
ARUNDEL WETLAND CENTRE
October half term Pond dipping for mini-beasts, crazy crafts sessions and our special ‘Yuk Factor Show’. Vampire boats and Wetland Witch's Potions Class. Address: The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Mill Street, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9PB.
AMBERLEY MUSEUM AND HERITAGE CENTRE
Witching and Wizarding Week 20th - 28th October 2018. 11 am - 3pm. Halloween themed activities. Choose your wand. brew potions, have flying lessons and follow the Halloween Trail.
Address: Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, Amberley,near Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 9LT.
BORDE HILL GARDEN - Haywards Heath
Halloween Hocus Pocus 20th - 31st October 2018. Dare you wander the Garden to find all the clues on our spooky trail.
Address: Borde Hill Garden, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1XP.
FLIPOUT CHICHESTER
Half Term Bounce Deal 22nd - 28th October £9.50 per hour! Was £11.00
AFTER DARK HALLOWEEN Half Term 26th October 6 - 9pm. Fancy dress & prizes will be given for best dressed. Live halloween clubbing experience.
Address: Atlas House, Glenmore Business Park, Portfield, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 7UW Tel: 01243 256590
PETWORTH HOUSE AND PARK - Petworth (National Trust Memberships)
Ilive's Hair-raising Laboratory trail. Saturday 20th to Sunday 28th October 2018 10am - 5pm. Elizabeth Ilive loved to experiment in her science lab at Petworth. Help her before her latest spooky science experiment goes horribly wrong. Are you brave enough to help her find a solution on this frightening Halloween trail? £3 per trail. Halloween Crafts 23rd to 25th October 11am - 4pm. £2 per child. If you're after a Halloween masterclass then have a go at making a pumpkin garland, paper jack o'lantern, a hanging bat or a yarn wrapped mummy. Normal Admission Charges Apply.
Petworth House & Park, Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 OAE. National Trust Memberships
RSBP PULBOROUGH NATURE RESERVE - Pulborough
Wild families - Halloween Hootenanny! Fri 26th & Sat 27th October 2018. 11 am and 3 pm. Follow our spooky wildlife trail, hunt for creepy crawlies, make a twig skeleton, a birch broom and some bat bunting to take home with you ready for Halloween.
Address: Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve Wiggonholt Pulborough West Sussex RH20 2EL.
TULLEYS HALLOWEEN
Halloween Week Spooktacular October Festival. The UK’s top Halloween family attraction.
Address: Tulleys Farm, Turners Hill Road,Turners Hill, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 4PE. Tel: 01342 718472
WEALD AND DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM - Singleton, Chichester
Autumn Half Term Activities
Address: Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0EU
WEST DEAN GARDENS
Halloween Activities 24th - 28th October 2018. Halloween trail and activities
Address: West Dean, Nr Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0QZ
MORE ABOUT HALLOWEEN
The 19th century. This period saw the growth of Samhain from a small paegan festival into the world-wide celebration that marks Halloween today. The 19th Century was characterized with a new wave of immigrants from Europe, particularly the immigrants from Ireland, who were mainly responsible for developing the popular version of Halloween that we celebrate today. Taking inspiration from Irish and English traditions, newly arriving Americans began to dress up in different costumes: They also developed on the tradition of "souling" a tradition where Irish peasants would exchange cakes (soul cakes) for food or money. Of course when the Irish arrived in the new land thigs were not exactly easy for them and the harmless tradition became decisively more aggressive with tricks (vandalism) played on those unwilling to give treats. This pastime is where the tradition of Trick-or-Treating comes from. The 20th century changed Halloween from a mildly celebrated harvest celebration into a full blown international holiday. At the beginning of the century, Halloween parties were organized for both children and adults. Parties focused on foods of the season, games, and festive costumes, but the real explosion in the popularity of the holiday came in the 1950's - when the Baby Boomers were just... babies. From that point on Halloween has grown from strength to strength.
HALLOWEEN TODAY While Halloween has grown into the second largest national holiday in the USA in the UK (it's home) it continues to grow year on year. Across the United Kingdom and the majourity of Europe Halloween is celebrated with parties, games, and trick-or-treating all with great costumes and Halloween decorations. it is widely acknowledged that Halloween is the most creative of all holidays. There are always a plethora of impressive costumes that you will come across and you should expect to see your fair amount of witches, Devils, Zombies and Horror Film Costumes on a street near you come October 31st. You should also expect to see some amazingly creative haunted houses and a few dishes of delicious Halloween treats. However, the most important thing is that whatever you do - just make sure that you are having fun!
