Halloween, such fun!

29 October 2014 | Esther Ligthart | Trends & Inspiration

This week it is all about Halloween in many countries in the world. Although most popular in North America, the fun has spread to countries that have no connection at all with the origins of this celebration.

All rings are by Stephen Webster! Claws.....perfect on Halloween!

All Hallows Eve

All Hallows Eve, the original name of Halloween, is the initiation of the triduum of All Hallows Tide. This is the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remember our ancestors, our loved ones who died, the Saints (Hallow)and martyrs.

Rachel Entwistle bone bracelet

Laugh in the face of death

Within All Hallow Tide, there is a traditional focus on All Hallows Eve that revolves around the theme of using humor and ridicule to confront the power of death.

Wonderful and scary at the same time: Theo Fennell

Pagan, Celtic, Harvest and Liturgy

Some say that the feast now has also some pagan origins and also traditions like the Celtic Harvest festival, all combined into the festivities known to us today.

Stephen Webster

Why so many traditional Halloween recipes are vegetarian

There was a tradition, encouraged by church that asked people to keep abstinence from meat. This resulted in the tradition Halloween food we know today containing apples, colcannon, cider, potato pancakes, soul cakes…

Gorgeous pictures of Old Hollywood. Love them! The ring is also pictured above and is by Theo Fennell

Jack o'Latern

The carved pumpkins come from Ireland and Scotland. The original Jack o’ Lanterns that were used to scare of the evil spirits were made of turnip. But in North America, pumpkin was much wider available and much larger and softer to carve.

Spiderrrrr by MCL ( Matthew Campell Laurenza) jewelry, cute cupcakes, amazing spider by Hemmerle, Le Vian spider web, little bats both by unknown artists *

We love American culture

Although the origins of the feast seems to come from Europe, it has become so popular in the U.S. especially and this has drawn attention, as many things that are big in the U.S. do, to other parts of the world. Slowly spreading the fun, without the original liturgical meaning, to the rest of the world.

Bracelet of skeletons holding a gemstone by Alexander Mc Queen who wasn't shy to use skulls and skeletons, spider from Etsy: Sunflowermom, ring by Bochic, two cute moons for your ears by:Kultia Jewels, and then art by an amazing artist. Her art is really searching to touch, in my opinion, what is art and still beautiful or touches the edges of feelings of disgust. I think it is awesome, but see what you think! The artis is: Jessica Joslin

Halloween as inspiration for jewelry?

Halloween is a big theme in fashion and jewelry. Although in the lower price category you might find much more specific Halloween jewelry, with pumpkins and all that, the high end jewelry brands did not shy away from the more morbid and scary themes at all.

Not for the arachnophobic hehehe.....Lydia Courteille

Would you wear a spider around your neck? I am not sure if I would but......

To me, Halloween jewelry is all about fun. I am not into dark stuff at all, but I do like the humor part of it. Would I wear a spider on my neck? Not sure….but I adore to see what jewelers, designers and jewelry makers on Etsy and so forth, have invented.

Lydia Courteille...extremely dark jewelry. More art by Jessica Joslin

Cross a border, dare push the boundaries of beauty

Although it is only the second year maybe, that I see some Halloween stuff here in Holland, I do get the fun idea of it. And this is what I adore in jewelry too. Fun, play with themes, dare to cross a little border of what is beauty and what is still likeable. Humor and craft. Courage to go a little step further.

Cufflinks by Deakin & Francis

Skull jewelry is fashionable and hot!

Skulls have been connected with death of course and also with Halloween, there was a tradition to lit candles in skulls on a graveyard in Brittany….And skulls have been and still are, a huge fashionable item to wear, even if you are not riding a Harley Davidson or like the Gothic scene.

Deakin and Francis yellow gold cufflinks, ring with four skulls also by Deakin and Francis, Skull and bee by Alexander Mc Queen, Mohawk skulls ( so funny!) by Deakin & Francis and the last pair is by Ralph Lauren ( costed around 10.000 dollar and I never expected this from Ralph Lauren!)

Culture and sub-culture...a wonderful mix blending into fashion

We embrace little pieces of different cultures and different sub-cultures. And this is most noticeable in fashion.

Front page picture: Hollywood stars sure love a good party. Heidi Klum is famous for her outrageous outfits! The little family is Neil Patrick and his husband and children, one of the Olsen twins, Jim Carrey, Kim Kardashian and Kate Perry....:-)

I, Esther, wish you a great Halloween party!

Etsy: Melancholymind, bracelet with Zombie theme: also Melancholymind and pendant with bat is by Kit Carson

Etsy is such a fun place to find inexpensive but great jewelry to make you smile and dare to experiment with some bolder themes: cameo pendant is by:Lithia creations and costs around 12 euro, the pendants with the scary pumpkin and Mexican style skull are by Pendant Island and are around 11 euro, the zombie is by Jewelry Island and is around the same price. The gorgeous pumpkin ring is by: Isewcute

Wonderful bat ring by the Italian talented designer: Giovanna Bittante, little scorpion stings by Rachel Boston, Bat earring, ultra-dark by Lydia Courteille, Etsy spider from Fableandfure, funny skeletons earrings by Lydia Courteille, necklace by Giovanna Bittante, Art Nouveau pendant of a bat.

Last but not least some more delicate, but beautifully matching the theme, jewelry: Stephen webster for te ring and the bracelet and the earrings ( oh beautiful!) by Elisa Dray