Halloween

Always observed on October 31

Facts

2011 Product News

• Hallmark offers more than 260 Halloween cards, including cards for children, humor cards, bonus surprises, and even cards that practically send themselves.
• The widest variety of new greeting card innovations can be found at Hallmark Gold Crown® stores and include:
  • QR ‘Quick Response” Code Cards that link to a video of popular characters – such as Cars, Scooby Doo, Marvel Super Hero Squad, and Disney Fairies – when the barcode is read using a cell phone camera.
  • Reveal Cards that are perfect for youngsters.  These cards add to the magic of Halloween when the recipient rubs the designated spots, the heat helps to reveal hidden picture or message. 
  • Cards that come with a 3-D Poster & Glasses that feature popular licensed characters – Tinkerbell, Scooby Doo and Marvel Superheroes.  These are prefect for a bedroom or locker.
  • Cards with Sound that take on a new dimension when motion, light, paper mechanics, online surprises and a Halloween twist are involved.
  • Online Surprise Cards that come with an access code. This code provides access to Crayola's Story Studio which allows the recipient to create, print and color a self-made story book or to Hallmark's Hoops & YoYo site where they can get an additional online activity with these fun characters.
  • Kid Attachment Cards that each feature a fun glow-in-the-dark gift such as a monster button, skull backpack clip, candy corn necklace or black cat hair bow.
  • Boutique Cards feature slightly more sophisticated, eye catching designs. Messages crafted in haunting prose and spooky verse delivers spirited wishes. Creepy Halloween facts add to the experience of each card.
• Twelve Halloween cards in the line were created by consumers as part of a contest held earlier this year on www.hallmarkcontests.com.  These cards feature pets that bring their finest and fiercest to the annual Halloween party.
• Hallmark.com also provides a selection of e-cards and paper cards that may be personalized and mailed directly to the recipient.
• Hallmark Gold Crown Stores will have everything needed for a frightfully-successful Halloween party:
  • The stuffed Hokey Pokey Skeleton sings a parody of “The Hokey Pokey” Song and “sticks his whole head in and his whole head out and shakes it all about.”
  • The Rockin’ Talkin’ Witch’s Hat can add fun to any Halloween get together. Press the button and the hat moves back and forth in sync to a song.  
  • Add some ooky, spooky, freaky fun each time you open the refrigerator door with the Fun in the Fridge Ghost.  This guy will surprise some and get everyone in a festive spirit with its hilarious songs and sounds. 
  • The Hocus Pocus Treat Presenter has lots of room for Halloween tricks and treats, and don’t forget to open the book for an unexpected, crackled greeting.  
  • With a wave of Glinda’s wand, the Good Witch Bad Witch entertaining accessories will give foundation for some memorable parties – flying monkeys and all.  The line features a Ruby Red Slipper Wine Bottle Holder, Good Witch Bad Witch Mug, and a bottle opener, wine stopper, wine charm set, serving tray with spreader, trivet, napkins and coaster set all featuring witty witch related sentiments.  
  • Hallmark Gold Crown stores also offer one-stop shopping for Halloween decorating needs with items such as unique candy presenters, room decorations, gift and treat bags, paper party supplies, and stickers.
• Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments brought back The Peanuts® Gang this year and threw in a couple witches for good measure. Seven new Halloween ornament designs are available:
  • Four of the designs feature favorite Peanuts® characters dressed in Halloween costumes suited to their unique personalities – Lucy as Mrs. Frankenstein, Charlie Brown as a vampire, Snoopy as Frankenstein and Linus as a Werewolf.
  • The fifth ornament is called The Great Pumpkin’s Visit and features Linus, Sally and Snoopy. Move a lever to see Snoopy move and hear memorable moments from this Halloween classic.  
  • Are you a Good witch or a Bad witch?  You make the call between the Wicked Witch of the West or Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz.
• Hallmark Gold Crown stores offer a variety of Halloween gifts for all ages:
  • The Peanuts® Gang is back with two wonderful book selections. "It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" now features sound and is ready for you to experience as you get ready for the Great pumpkin to appear. Check out "Peanuts® Holidays through the Year – Five Classic Stories" for 158 pages of pure Peanuts® fun.  All of the classic characters will be involved for a little holiday fun.
  • We’re Not Scared of Anything is a Recordable Storybook that debuted during the last Halloween season and is back. It features exclusive voice-capture technology that enables a person to record each page of a book and have it played back over and over as the recipient turns the pages.
  • A unique book titled “The Monster Mash” that uses the lyrics from the classic song as the storyline will be available. Fun and graphic illustrations bring the story to life in this 36-page book.
  • The Dancing Lights Haunted House water globe features an animated light show that provides a fun effect with its layered lights; a Halloween Mini Glitter Globe Assortment is also available and would be perfect for a mantel, desk or entryway table.
  • Bring a festive touch to anyone’s home with a Hocus Pocus Hurricane Lamp, a Flickering Witch Candle, Hocus Pocus Countdown Calendar or Hocus Pocus Sound Button. 
  • Hallmark Gold Crown® stores offer a variety of other unique Halloween stuffed animals. Press Snoopy Mummy’s ear, for example, and he will perform his “mummy walk” to the eerie music of “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” The plot thickens as Snoopy tries on a few costumes to try out his trick-or-treating skills, see him as Frankenbeagle Snoopy, Li’l Spooky Snoopy and Count Snoopula. Scooby-Doo is back, but this time hiding in a jack-o-lantern, and he shakes and speaks when activated.  The Totally Ticklish Witch shakes with a press of a button and giggles and sings when you tickle her tummy.

Holiday History

Halloween is a secular celebration based on ancient Druid customs, dating back to 700 B.C. The Druids, a Celtic religious order in ancient Britain, Ireland and France, believed that the souls of the dead returned to mingle with the living on “hallowed eve.” People dressed in costumes to disguise themselves from these spirits.

Halloween first was celebrated in the United States in the 1840s, when Irish Catholics, fleeing from the potato famine, brought Halloween customs with them to America. The tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns originated with Irish children who carved out the centers of rutabagas, turnips and potatoes and placed candles inside.

The first Halloween cards in the U.S. were produced in 1908. Hallmark produced its first Halloween cards in the 1920s along with a limited line of Halloween party accessories, such as nut cups and bridge tallies. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Hallmark began producing Halloween centerpieces, masks, children’s things, and paper partyware items.

In Stores

Available at Hallmark Gold Crown® stores nationwide and wherever Hallmark products are sold. Use the store locator on Hallmark.com to find the nearest Hallmark Gold Crown store.