Halloween Party: Telling Ghost Stories

This fun party game is for teens and adults.

A while back, I shared a post entitled, Japan’s 100 Scary Ghost Stories. The Japanese love ghost stories. 

This interest evolved into a game where they would light 100 candles, and then the participants would sit on the floor in a circle around them.

These candles provide the only light in the room where this activity is done. Each participant tells a ghost story and then blows one of the candles out.

As more stories are told, the room becomes darker and darker, which adds to the scary atmosphere.

The traditional Japanese belief was that this activity worked as an evocation that actually would conjure ghosts to appear. This belief was so strong that samurai warriors did this activity to test their courage.

100 Candles can easily be adapted as a game to play at Halloween parties.

Variations:

Guests do not necessarily need to sit on the floor. A coffee table or other table could be used, as long as participants encircle the candles.

The number of stories told can be adapted to how many are attending the party, but at least seven or more stories should be shared if the goal is to have a “scary” impact.

Request your guests to come prepared to share a ghost story. It is best if they can “tell” this story, but depending on their comfort level, they can also choose to read it.

At a large party, you could have just some of the guests tell the stories, while the rest sit and listen.

Another way to play this game is the traditional “Pass it on Story.”

In this variation, guests do not need to come with a ghost story. Instead, have your friends sit in a circle around the lit candles.

The first participant starts a ghost story, then blows out a candle. The next guest continues the story and then blows out another candle. With a smaller group, people could take second, third turns, etc. until all the candles are blown out.

The host can show various pictures during this game-- it stimulates the storytellers' imaginations and creativity. Or scary music can be played softly in the background.

How scary this activity becomes depends upon the participants.