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It’s coming, maybe sooner than you would like when you are still enjoying the warmth of summer, but fall is not that far away and that means that one of people’s most favourite holidays is not that far off. Yes, Halloween is that wonderful celebration that gets people in their fancy dress costumes and ready to show off. It is a time when people plan carefully what they are going to wear and spend weeks putting it all together. It is also a time when people tend to like to dress up in a traditional fancy dress costume and try to make it the best ever or when people dress up as the main film characters of the past year. The most popular costumes of the year are often based on the popular films of the year and for Halloween 2011 there are sure to be a number of costumes that will be crowd-pleasers. Let’s take a look at what people will be wearing this year.

Harry Potter Quidditch Robe

First of all, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is out this summer. This is the final film of the amazing Harry Potter series and its release means that the Harry Potter costumes are a hot item again this year. Dressing up as Harry himself or as Ron, Hermione, or one of the other Harry Potter characters is going to be an “in” thing to do. Even dressing up as a witch or wizard will be more popular this year, and doing so will allow you to capture that magical spirit.

Then there is the new film release of Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1. This film brings about another of the traditional creatures that are associated with Halloween – the vampire. Dressing up as Edward Cullen would be a treat for any man and all you need are jeans, a grey overcoat, and an Edward Cullen wig. The whole idea of vampires is alive and well in 2011 and dressing up as Dracula or any other vampire is also sure to be a hit.

Another very popular traditional Halloween costume is the pirate and Pirates of the Caribbean has brought that back and ensured this costume is alive and well during the past few years. This year, with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean 4, the pirate costume will make yet another comeback and whether you decide to dress up as any old pirate or wench or whether you decide to dress up as Captain Jack Sparrow himself, you will certainly set the stage for a fantastic Halloween and a fancy dress party to be remembered.

Bleeding Scream Mask

The Scream mask and costume has been popular since the original Scream film came out in 1996. This year sees the release of Scream 4 and with it a resurgence in the popularity of the Scream mask, costume, and accessories. This is a supremely scary Halloween horror film that has become a classic and dressing up as the Scream is the ultimate in horror and the ultimate when you are looking for a good time.

Transformers Costume

Finally, there is a film out this year that doesn’t have pirates, witches, wizards, vampires, or the Scream. Instead it has something from the childhood of many of today’s parents. Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon is the newest of the Transformers films and it has spawned a number of costumes, including Optimus Prime, Bumble Bee, and Megatron. These were once mere toys, yet have been brought to life by the big screen.

Ultimately, there are dozens of costumes that one can choose from for the 2011 Halloween season, but the ones described above are bound to be some of the most popular ones because they are riding the wave of film popularity. You can choose any one of these and dress up just like one of the characters or you can be the more basic and beastly creature and add your own personality to the costume. Either way, when you show up at your fancy dress party you will be sure to receive compliments galore.

Music is such a cornerstone of human society. It is something that brings about laughter and tears, it brings back memories of people and of times gone by, and it brings up emotions for everyone. We have music that was written for certain occasions and holidays and then there is music that has just become associated with these special times. Halloween is one such holiday. There is a wide variety of awesome, fun, and chilling music that we associate with Halloween and this music is fantastic to play at a Halloween party or to have on in the background when you have trick-or-treaters come to your door.

Let’s start with the famous pop and rock stars who have created songs that over the years have become favourites at Halloween. Of course, the first one that comes to mind for most people is Thriller by Michael Jackson and this may be the most popular of all Halloween songs, especially since Vincent Price does a voice over on the track. Other popular songs are Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell, (You’re the) Devil in Disguise by Elvis Presley, and Feed My Frankenstein by Alice Cooper. Others include Witchy Woman by the Eagles, Love Potion #9 by The Clovers,She Blinded Me with Science by Thomas Dolby, Superstition by Stevie Wonder, The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels, Black Magic Woman by Santana, Super Freak by Rick James, Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendricks, Don’t Fear the Reaper by The Blue Oysters, Bat Out of Hell by Meatloaf, Abracadabra by the Steve Miller Band, and Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones.

Many films have also added to the list a number of fun and fabulous songs that are perfect for Halloween. How about the Ghostbusters theme song written by Ray Parker Jr. or Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. There are some other really great songs that have come to us from the big and small screen, such as the theme song from Jaws, the theme song from the Addams Family, the Twilight Zone, and the Halloween movie. Even the creepy and eerie Tubular Bells Pt. 1, the them song from the Exorcist, is sure to get your skin prickling on haunting night.

Many of the above songs are suitable for children. Two other timeless classics that are always played at Halloween and are great for kids are the Monster Mash by Bobby Boris Pickett and the Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley. These are such fun to dance to and sing along with and kids and adults just love them. In addition, many children’s entertainers have created albums of original Halloween songs that have become favourites and which will one day be in the realm of the classics.

Another way to have the right sound at Halloween, whether you are welcoming trick-or-treaters to your door or welcoming guests to your party is to play a CD filled with the haunting sounds of Halloween, sounds like doors creaking, people screaming, ghosts moaning, bats screeching, the wind howling. These sounds will raise goosebumps, especially on a dark Halloween night at a house that is decorated with a scary scene. One very popular set of sounds to get was out of circulation for many years, but is now available as a iTunes download. This is the Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House, which is a collection of sounds from the Disney movies and from the rides in the Disney theme park that was originally released in 1964.

It is incredible to realise how much of an influence music has on the celebration of Halloween. It takes up a subtle yet important role in the background, but when we consider a Halloween without these songs it just doesn’t seem right. So next Halloween be sure to get a recording of all your favourite Halloween songs to share with friends, family, party guests, and trick-or-treaters. You will be happy you did and so will they.