"Boo!" Your Neighbors with a Boo Gram on Halloween

Have you ever been "boo'd" by your neighbors? I haven't. I you have, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't, however, you may be wondering what the heck I'm talking about. Booing, or ghosting as it is also called, is a fun Halloween tradition among neighbors. I actually just heard of the trend. Although it is quite popular in some parts of the country, most people, as I have since found out, have no idea about booing. Booing sounds like fun and I hope others will begin the tradition.

Booing is the act of leaving boo grams and treats on a neighbors front step or porch. A boo gram is a mysterious little poem. As part of a boo gram, there is a large "Boo!" decoration left so the neighbors who have been boo'd can hang it on their front door or window. This lets others know that the house has already been boo'd. Also included with the boo gram are some treats. The treats can vary greatly, anything from a small bag of candy to an elaborate gift basket. In the case of ghosting, the tradition is essentially the same. However, instead of a boo gram there is a similar mysterious poem used that says "You've Been Ghosted." Booing can be done during the middle of the day or in the dark. The key is to leave the gift, ring the door bell, and run. The fun of booing comes from the fact that you have no idea who boo'd you. Once someone has been boo'd, they must boo two more people as instructed by the boo gram. Booing usually takes place during the entire month of October, but it isn't uncommon for it to not take place until the two weeks before Halloween.

If booing sounds like fun, why not start up the practice in your neighborhood? First, choose your target. I recommend doing this first because it may help you to know who you're booing before you create your "Boo!" treat basket or bag, which is the next step. Your treat(s) can be anything you want. Some ideas to include in your bag/basket are candy, cookies, children's toys, candles, apple cider, etc. Next you will need to create your boo gram. This site offers several free boo grams to choose from. This site offers another boo gram to choose from. All you have to do is download and print. Finally, "hit" your target. Leave the "Boo!", ring the doorbell, and run!

Booing is sure to be fun. I plan on starting the tradition in my neighborhood. I hope others will continue the tradition. If you are planning on booing this year, I wish you luck and have fun.