Throw a Superstition Party for Halloween or Friday the 13th
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My friend Michelle turned 40 on Friday the 13th, and asked me to help her plan the party. She wanted to embrace the superstitions associated with Friday the 13th, so she told me to go all out on lucky and unlucky party elements. What we ended up with a fun and superstition-themed party that was not only great for her Friday the 13th birthday, but would also make a unique, non-scary Halloween party theme. I love unique spins on classic holiday party themes, and a Halloween superstition party exactly fits the bill.
Throughout the entire party space, I focused on superstition and luck. We held nothing back, and filled the party with so many traditionally unlucky things that a lot of guests had to admit they were a little nervous being there! I'm going to share with you all the goodies I created for the party, including the invitations, centerpieces, decorations, and menu ideas. They can all be used for a Halloween party, Friday the 13th party, or any superstition-themed event.
Superstition party invitations
To really set the tone right away for this party, I designed an invitation featuring a broken mirror. Be sure to check out my full Friday the 13th party invitation tutorial for details. Michelle has a lot of friends, so I ended up making 50 invites!
Superstition trivia party game
For a fun icebreaker to get the guests talking, we set out a superstition trivia game. I came up with an unlucky 13 questions (gotta keep up with the theme!) about superstitions, and designed a simple printable card, which I'm happy to share with you all!
To use our free printable Superstition Game Cards just download the PDF, print enough for your cards guests (plus one copy of the included answer sheet for you), and cut them out.
Our party guests put their completed cards in a box, and Michelle drew one every half hour or so. If the answers were all correct, that person won a prize.
Our superstition party game prizes were lottery tickets tucked into a lucky Chinese red envelopes. It was the perfect prize to really encapsulate the ideas of luck and superstition. Unfortunately, nobody came away a lottery millionaire, but one guest did win $20!
Lucky and unlucky party decorations
The decorations were so fun for this party! To start off, I got the biggest ladder I could find and put it outside the entrance to the building. Guests were encouraged to walk under the ladder in order to get to the party. This definitely set the tone for the evening, and guests knew what they were in for the second they arrived. (Note that we rented space in a large, old house for this party... this isn't where Michelle lives!)
Near the entrance, I played a looped recording of the song "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder which welcomed the guests in a humorous way.
Once guests entered the building, they saw a table adorned with several items for the party. The trivia game cards (and box for completed cards) were here, along with a guest book. This is where I placed the party favors, which were lucky rabbit's foot keychains. We figured having such an iconic good luck charm in their pockets would help uneasy guests feel better about all the bad luck around them.
More good luck (and a snack) came from a buffet of Lucky Charms cereal on the same entry table. You can bet the marshmallows were pretty well picked through by the time the party was over.
One final touch to the entryway — and the one that I think freaked people out the most — was a dozen umbrellas that I had open and upside down. People were so shocked to see that we were casting all superstitions aside at this party and letting it all go! We had each guest pose in front of the umbrellas for a photo, which we collected for Michelle's album.
One of my most clever touches to the party was a very subtle one. In keeping with the lucky/unlucky theme of the night, we had 13 tables for guests to sit at and each table had 7 chairs.
Good luck / bad luck centerpieces
Each of the 13 tables needed a centerpiece, and rather than make them all the same, I decided to make each one a little different. I did a ton of research and found as many superstitions as I could, and brought them to life as centerpieces. Each table featured one "good luck" and one "bad luck" superstition. This was my absolutely favorite part of the party!
(You'll also notice a bunch of tiny "40" confetti on all the centerpieces, which were there because it was Michelle's 40th birthday. You obviously wouldn't do that for Halloween!)
GOOD LUCK: The number 7 is considered lucky.
BAD LUCK: The number 13 is considered unlucky.
I shopped my local craft store for papiér mâché numbers and painted them in bright colors.
GOOD LUCK: An elephant is good luck, especially if its trunk is facing up.
BAD LUCK: It is bad luck to step on a crack.
I got a free broken tile at my local home improvement store, borrowed a doll from my niece, and borrowed an elephant from a friend who collects them (Thanks Jo!).
GOOD LUCK: Carrying a rabbit's foot is good luck.
BAD LUCK: It is bad luck to put a hat on a bed.
Little Jo let me borrow her doll's bed and hat, and I already had rabbit's feet from the party favors. Easy!
GOOD LUCK: Mistletoe in the house protects it from thunder and lightning.
BAD LUCK: It is bad luck to stab knitting needles through a ball of yarn or to leave a knitting project unfinished.
I found fake mistletoe in the silk flower section at my local craft store, and I borrowed a half-done scarf from a knitter friend, and stuck the needles through the ball of yarn.
GOOD LUCK: Blue beads protect the wearer from witches.
BAD LUCK: It is bad luck to have a load of bread upside down if a slice had been cut from it.
This was an easy one! I sliced a loaf of bread and put it upside down on the table, then draped it with a string of blue beads.
GOOD LUCK: An umbrella opened inside the house is bad luck.
BAD LUCK: A four-leaf clover is good luck.
I found a child-size umbrella that was small enough to fit on the table while open, and filled it with four-leaf clovers that I cut out of green cardstock.
GOOD LUCK: It is good luck to pick up a penny that's heads up.
BAD LUCK: Spilling salt on a table is bad luck unless you throw a pinch over your left shoulder.
I picked up some inexpensive salt shakers at the dollar store, filled them with salt, and tipped them over. A roll of brand new pennies from the bank — all heads up — and a canister of salt finished it off.
GOOD LUCK: A horseshoe with the points facing up is good luck.
BAD LUCK: The luck will run out of a horseshoe with the points facing down.
Living in Kentucky made it easy for me to find two horseshoes, and I mounted them (one face up, one face down) to pieces of wood with balls of clay.
GOOD LUCK: A frog inside the house is good luck.
BAD LUCK: A bird inside the house is bad luck.
I picked up a papiér mâché house at the craft store and painted it. Then I found a tiny bird and frog in the floral section, and placed them inside.
GOOD LUCK: A cat onboard a ship is good luck.
BAD LUCK: A black cat crossing your path is bad luck.
I painted a toy ship black and added a miniature cat on deck. Behind it, I placed a large black cat that I found in the Halloween section at the store. (If it's not Halloween season, try searching the toy section for a stuffed animal instead).
GOOD LUCK: You'll get a wish if you blow out all the candles on your birthday cake.
BAD LUCK: If a candle lit as part of a ceremony blows out, it's bad luck.
I frosted a piece of Styrofoam with royal icing to make a durable fake cake, and put several blown-out candles on it. I put candles in a candelabra and for a party-safe version of "all lit except one", I made paper flames and taped them to the wicks of all but one candle.
GOOD LUCK: Three butterflies found together are good luck.
BAD LUCK: It's bad luck to have shoes upside down or on a table.
I put a pair of brand new shoes (so that the table remained clean) upside down, and added three silk butterflies I found in the floral department at the craft store.
GOOD LUCK: An acorn in your pocket is good luck.
BAD LUCK: A broken mirror is 7 years of bad luck.
I have to admit that this one freaked me out a little! I got a small, framed (so that the pieces would stay together) mirror, then I went against everything I've been taught since childhood and broke it on purpose, by gently hit it in the middle with a hammer. I got some small wooden acorn shapes from the craft store, since it wasn't the right season to find them on a tree.
So many fun centerpieces! Since some of them were a little obscure, I created little "good luck" and "bad luck" cards describing each one, and placed them on the tables, displayed in a menu card holder.
I've got these cards all ready to go in a handy printable for you, too. Just download and print our Superstition Party Centerpiece Cards onto white cardstock, cut out, and display.
These centerpieces were not only fun to create and shop for, but they ended up being a great way to get guests to mingle. Everyone at the party traveled around the rooms throughout the night, wanting to see what was on all the tables. It really kept the crowd moving around and everyone got to see everyone else.
Menu ideas for lucky and unlucky party food
The food served at your party should fit the superstition theme as well, and anybody who has ever eaten black eyed peas on New Year's knows that some foods are definitely considered lucky.
These are some lucky foods:
- greens (cabbage, collards, kale, chard) are considered lucky because green symbolizes money
- legumes (black-eyed peas, lentils) are considered lucky because their round shape resembles coins
- pomegranates are linked to abundance and fertility
- citrus fruits are associated with luck and wealth
- grapes are considered lucky for a sweet year
- round breads and cakes resemble a ring and symbolize continuation of life and new beginnings
- long noodles represent long life; the longer the noodle the better
- pork symbolizes progress and prosperity
There are some unlucky foods:
- lobsters are unlucky because they move backwards, symbolizing setbacks
- chicken is unlucky because birds scratch backwards, symbolizing regret
- anything with wings is very bad because your good luck could fly away
- white food is bad because white is the Chinese color of death
For Michelle's party, we gave both lists to the caterers and asked them to come up with dishes that were inspired by the lucky foods, with as few unlucky ingredients as possible. They came up with a wonderful menu that included:
- roasted pork sliders (lucky pork served on lucky round buns)
- spaghetti pasta salad (with lucky long noodles)
- coleslaw (lots of lucky cabbage)
- homemade potato chips (more lucky round food)
And of course we labeled all the food with signs so that people would know how lucky their meal was!
We also concocted a special drink that we dubbed "Lucky 40 Punch" that was a mixture of white grape juice and pomegranate juice, garnished with orange slices. Besides being full of lucky fruit, it was also very tasty!
For the birthday cake, we opted to play up the idea that round cakes are especially lucky, so I created an arrangement of cupcakes that spelled out "40" in several colors of icing. We put them on a round table which made a really great presentation. Tiny chocolate letters spelling out "Happy Birthday" adorned the cupcakes on the edges. (I made them by piping melted chocolate onto wax paper, then sticking them upright in the icing after they hardened.)
39 comments so far:
This party was amazing! I love every last detail! Congrats on throwing a spectacular event!
Thanks, Julie!
Wow! What creativity and what fun! This must have been so much fun to plan and to attend.
This party looks fun! I am going to try it on friday the 13th . Thank you so much!!
OMG!!! I sooooo have to play copycat on this one!!! You ROCK!
Thanks Michelle. We'd love to hear about your party after you throw it :)
Wow... I *attended* this party and didn't even notice all the subtleties: the Stevie Wonder "Superstition" music, "40" spelled out by the (DELICIOUS) cupcakes, or the fact that there were 13 tables.
I probably missed some more!
And yes, the party was a blast!
I was just wondering about the venue. I was married in Briarcliff, Ny at Mansion Hill. Is that it?
Corry, sorry, not the same place. But since it looks so similar, your wedding must have been gorgeous!
Thanks Chica and Jo, you did an awesome job!
Thank you! I love this idea and plan to use it for my group!
This reminded me of another party - a luncheon fashion show - that I attended a few years ago and would like to host but I need to find the details, if any are out there.
The models made their own costumes/fashion statement. One dress had "buttons & Bows" attached, another was called "eating on the Run" with plastic knives, forks and food items! One wore bell bottom jeans with bells sewn on. That's all I can remember right now. They were all creative and funny. If you could point me in the right direction, to the right people, or find where I could find the information, I would be greatly appreciative.
If you haven't heard of this before, maybe with your collective creative minds, you can come up with a kooky fashion show party theme.
Thanks, Arnalee Miller
What a fun idea, Arnalee. We'll keep an eye out and if we see or think of any ideas, we'll let you know!
Thank you, Chica. It was a fun show and the Mistress of Ceremonies was hysterical.
Thanks for the great ideas. We are giving my granddaughter who will be 13 on Friday the 13th a superstition party and you had some good information that will be helpful.
Wow, she's turning 13 on the 13th! Have a great party, Marti, and we hope you'll come back and share some ideas and details with us.
This is great! My mom is turning 40 on Friday, December 13, 2013! So it's like, 12-13-13! DOUBLE THIRTEENS!
For Friday 13th in September this year, i will work on a 4 leaf clover wreath, inspired by all your wonderful wreath ideas! :) any ideas you could give to help me go about doing this?
Clever idea for warding off the bad luck, Harrison. I think the easiest thing to make a bunch of 4-leaf clovers out of would be green felt, or perhaps cardstock?
Thanks for the advice! I think i will take on board your advice and use green felt, but i think it'll be very time consuming to cut out all those pieces. Any ideas on how I could make the whole process as quick as possible? :-)
Harrison, you might be able to use a die cut machine on felt, if you can find a die the shape you want.
Thanks so much for your creative and fun ideas. My Sunday School class is going to have a Friday the 13th party in September and we will use a lot of your ideas.
Glad to help, Betty. Have a great party!
Hello,
I am planning to use your ideas for our staff party on 9/13. However, I was wondering if you could provide a key for the superstition quiz. Thanks!!
Great ideas!!
Oh my goodness, Julia... how could I have forgotten to give you the answers! I've just modified the downloadable game doc and added a page with answers. Have a great party, and please come back and tell us about it!
We are having an office birthday party for one of our staff this Friday. I am using your ladder idea just to get into the office! That's a great one!
I thought about getting tiny umbrellas and opening them. Maybe putting some cheese or something on it.
Thanks! How fun!
Thanks so much for posting this. I have a Friday 13th birthday this year and have been browsing, looking for ideas, and you have basically planned my entire party! Thanks again x
So glad we could help, Fiona. Have a great party!
This is a great idea! I'm going to use it for my daughter's 13th birthday - she wanted something unique and "cool" and the kids will have a blast with this. Thanks for sharing! :-)
You're welcome, Melanie. Have a great party!
My husband, a twin, was born on Friday the 13th and tomorrow is his 62nd birthday on Friday the 13th. We are having a take of your superstition party. I am posting the bad/good luck cards all around the house, I don't have room for all the table center pieces. We are playing the games and others. I have Lucky Charms and Rabbits feet. It should be fun! Thanks for the ideas!
How fun, Louise! So glad we could help inspire you.
I am planning a superstition party for my daughter's sweet 16 in 2 years and this is a great list of things to do. Thank you for sharing.
Would love to see how it turns out!
These are some wonderful ideas, I am turning 34 on Friday 13th and I am throwing a party with the Friday 13th theme. These ideas should make for a wonderful time.
We are throwing a Friday the 13th party tomorrow on my husband's 62 birthday. He was born on Friday the 13th, so I consider it my lucky day! Instead of good and bad luck, we are just doing good luck things. We have 13 guests and 13 foods and 13 different place settings. Too fun!
Thank you for these wonderful ideas!!! Next Friday the 13th I am having a surprise party for my goddaughter's 13th birthday! Coincidentally my dog is turning 7 that day! I have watched my goddaughter full time since she was 3 months old, so they are practically sisters!!! It couldn't be more perfect for a lucky/unlucky party like this! Thank you for posting this!!! You did all the research for me!
My 2 black cats both passed away last year (@18!)...maybe I should go to the shelter???
Desiree, we're happy to help! Sounds like a fun party.
Thank you for sharing! We are throwing my daughter a Superstitious Sweet Sixteen on 11/13!!!