Halloween: Cards, Costumes and Party Ideas

Halloween is 31 October, and in Britain that means one cold night, a bag of fun size chocolate and a costume decision made far too late. This page pulls together our Halloween cards, costume guides, party games and kids' ideas.

Our Halloween cards are drawn in house, printed in the UK and blank inside - handy for birthdays that fall near the end of October as well as the night itself.

Halloween card messages

• Happy Halloween. You're the scariest thing I know and I mean that warmly.
• Have a spooky one. Eat the good chocolate before the kids find it.
• Witching you a brilliant Halloween. Sorry.

Halloween birthday wording

• Born on Halloween, which explains a lot.
• Happy birthday. Blow out the candles before something else does.
• Best birthday date going - free decorations everywhere.

Party planning that works

• Put a finish time on the invite. Nobody wants a 10pm sugar crash on a school night.
• One good centrepiece beats a room full of tat - carved pumpkin, low lamps, done.
• Have a bowl of plain crisps. Somebody always hates the themed food.

Trick or treating in British weather

• Pick a costume that fits over a coat, not under one.
• Something reflective or a torch. Dark lanes at 6pm are the real horror.
• Agree the number of houses before you leave, not halfway round.

Halloween and autumn designs

Pumpkins, ghosts and the general gloom of late October.

Where to shop next

• Halloween cards
• Halloween
• Autumn cards
• Bonfire Night cards and party invites
• Halloween card and gift ideas
• Halloween party ideas
• Halloween party ideas for adults
• Kids' Halloween party ideas
• Halloween party games
• Halloween birthday cards
• Board games hub
• Birthdays hub
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Gifts to make someone smile
• Thinking of you gifts

Frequently asked questions

When is Halloween?

31 October every year. The countdown at the top of this page rolls over to next year on 1 November.

Do people send Halloween cards in the UK?

Less than at Christmas, but they're popular for kids, for October birthdays and as party invites. Ours are blank inside so they work for all three.

What's a good last minute Halloween costume?

Something built from clothes you already own - black jeans and a white shirt covers a vampire, a waiter or a ghost with one accessory. Our costume guides cover last minute, DIY and group ideas.

What Halloween games work for a mixed age party?

Apple bobbing, doughnut on a string, wink murder and a quick Halloween quiz. Our party games pages split them by age group.

When should I order Halloween cards?

By the middle of October. Orders placed on a working day usually go out the same day; First Class is normally next working day, Second Class can take up to five.