This blog post is by Nance V., Dusenberry-River Library.
It is finally fall in Tucson!
It’s that time for festive fun as the holidays roll in. One of my favorite holidays as fall sets in is Halloween. If you are also a spooky-season lover, but bone tired this time of year, then I hope you enjoy these self-care activities that I’m putting into practice this year.
Firstly, if you’re trying to avoid crowds, then I recommend virtual tours of infamous time capsules such as:
- Paris Catacombs ( Catacombes de Paris )
- Chernobyl ( Virtual tour - simple utility to discover some parts of exclusion zone )
- Pittock Mansion ( 3-D Model - Pittock Mansion )
- the Salem Witch Museum ( Witch Trials Online Tour | Salem Witch Museum )
These are all free and accessible to enjoy from the comfort of your couch!
Don’t forget to stretch and care for any tension in your body.
Halloween-themed yoga is a great way to combine fun and self-care. My personal favorites are the black cat, rounding the spine on all fours with your chin towards your chest, and corpse pose, lying flat on your back at the end of a yoga session. There are even poses you can do without getting off your chair. You can always find online tutorials such as Halloween themed yoga poses you can do at your desk! 🎃
After moving our body, why not wind down with a cozy spooky movie night?
There are plenty of incredible classics like:
- The Adams Family (grab a copy of the 2020 animated version at your local library!)
- Coraline (you can find the book—available in print and digitally—at your local library!)
- It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
- The Haunted Mansion
You can also watch classic movies like Clue and Scream on Kanopy Streaming Video. My personal favorite spooky movie on Kanopy is The Love Witch! Please note, if you've not set up a Kanopy account, you will be prompted to do so after clicking on the links.
When movies aren’t enough, and if you’re an expert overthinker like me, it helps to deep dive into something fun.
I really enjoyed going down the Halloween history rabbit hole. I learned about:
- What guising is—Mercat Tours
- The history of costumes in the US—Children's Theatre Company
- The reason behind carving jack-o-lanterns—Britannica
Then there were lesser-known traditions:
- Do you know what punkin chucken is?—How Stuff Works
- Do you know the history behind popcorn balls?—The Cooking Facts
- This was my first time learning about the apple peel tradition, too!—The Salt - NPR
Look into them yourself, and hopefully you will have as much fun as I did.
At the end of it all, what matters is our well-being and joy.
So, enjoy the season of pumpkin spice and everything nice without feeling ashamed. Not only does it smell amazing, but it’s an infrequent treat. It’s only right we get excited for a warm mug of something sweet.
