News
Happy Friday the 13th! Here are 13 spooky things to do today
Happy Friday the 13th! And this one falls in the spookiest month of the year. Who doesn’t love a double spooky?
Right now there are a lot of true horrors in our world. We don’t have to pretend they’re not happening to do our duty and continue to live. It’s time to turn off the news, get off Twitter and live in the good kind of fear instead of the irrational kind. Here are some fun, spooky, good time things to do on this auspicious occasion:
- Watch Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher
The Conservative Critic certifies this insane series as lit. It’s definitely spooky but it’s also deliciously literary. The show structures the demise of a powerful family around several famous Poe tales all ‘housed’ within the Fall of the House of Usher primary story. Edgar Allen Poe is one of the greatest (if not the greatest) American author and his stories hold up to the weight of a dramatic modern retelling. Spooky is spooky and EAP gets it right no matter the situation.
- Volunteer at your local animal shelter
Giving back is a good way to get your mind off the horrors of this world. Many a black cat don’t have a cozy bed to go home to tonight. Your local animal shelter could probably use a hand cleaning up cages or a donation to keep them operational.
- Learn tarot, astrology or tea leaf reading
You don’t have to believe in the occult to have fun with it. Things only have power which we give power. Simply knowing the basic rules of tea leaf and tarot are fun and interesting and a heck of a party trick. Pick up a deck and start learning what all the cards mean and how to predict the future without having to know it. You’ll be a hit at every party you go to.
- Get a tattoo
It is a tradition in the tattoo community to discount tattoos on Friday the 13th. So if you’ve been thinking of your first or next ink, today is the day.
- See the Taylor Swift Era’s Tour concert movie
Taylor Swift’s hit concert series hits the big screens starting tonight. If you’re a Swiftie but couldn’t make one of the shows, this is your chance to see all the action up close! Or maybe if you’re just interested in what all the hype is about, this is a chance to experience Taylor Swift for a much smaller price tag. 13 is Miss Swift’s lucky number so the day is perfect in her honor.
- Go on a walk
Something about don’t step on the cracks or you’ll break someone’s back? It’s mid-October. The weather is probably as perfect as it’s going to get wherever you live in America. Get outside, breathe the air. Step on all of the cracks. Run from all the black cats. Let the spooky vibes of fall soak into your skin.
- Check out the Halloween festival at your local Zoo or garden
Zoos love a lightshow. All over America local zoos put on special Halloween and Christmas light specials to draw in customers and ensure funding for their animal care and research. They’re usually loads of fun with plenty to see and do for both adults and kids. In DC, the National Zoo opens the Snake House at night which allows visitors to see the snakes awake and active since they’re nocturnal. It’s a treat!
- Have a scary movie night
Invite over your friends, have everyone bring a dish and put on your favorite Halloween movies. Maybe you love the really scary classics like Nightmare on Elm Street or maybe you’re more of a Millennial Disney Channel Original Movie purist and you like the Halloweentown Series. Either way, some potluck, a good group of friends and some classic spooky films is a great way to spend a Friday.
- Does your museum have a mummy? Some do!
Mummies are rare prizes to be found outside of Egypt. Sometimes, if a local college or organization discovers a mummy, Egypt permits the mummy to leave the country for educational purposes re: display it in a museum. Some surprising museums are lucky enough to have a mummy on display and if they’re going to come to life and terrorize a town it’s probably going to be on Friday the 13th. If you’re in these areas – go check out your mummy!
- Joseph Moore Museum, Richmond, Indiana
- Wayne County Historical Museum, Richmond, Indiana
- Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts
- Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
- Reading Public Museum, West Reading, Pennsylvania
- Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, New York
- Go on a ghost tour
Pretty much every community in America is mildly haunted or stories would say as much. Ghost walks serve two purposes: they’re scary and fun but they’re also historical. It’s a nice night to walk around feeling spooked and learning about the historic part of your time.
- Attend a thematic book signing and talk
Across the country authors with relevant material have been scheduled for book signings and talks. Local authors, famous faces and everything in between will be available at your local bookstores and coffee shops. It’s the perfect opportunity to pick up something new to read and to support your local brick and mortar businesses. If you plug “book signing today” into your search engine, you will come up with results from Dallas, Orlando, Tuscaloosa, Coral Gables and every other city in America. Give it a try!
- Make a bakers dozen of treats
Make 13 cookies. 13 muffins. 13 homemade jerky stips. Whatever your thing is, make 13 of those with the family for good luck and for enjoyment.
- Make or buy a good luck charm
Again, things only have power that we give power. But good luck charms can be fun! You can buy a ‘good luck charm’ (to over simplify) like a dream catcher from a local tribal artist or a lucky crystal from a local collector or shop. But really, any ‘totem’ can be given the notion of “good luck” if you want it to have that notion. In fact, even a square of fabric placed and forgotten in a pocket can improve mood, confidence and ultimately success when rediscovered. Make something small and light and easily tucked away for a rainy day.
Enjoy the spooky afternoon! Try not to walk under any ladders.
