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.

Japan’s 100 Scary Ghost Stories

Japan’s ancient history, rich culture and heritage are spun with death superstitions and ghost stories.

Here are just a few of these traditional superstitions that are connected to death.

The Japanese believe people should “cleanse” themselves after attending a funeral. They do this by throwing salt over their body.

They believe one should never cut their fingernails at night for this brings bad luck or a “haunting” to this person.

They also believe certain numbers should not be referred to--the reason for this is the number 4 is the homonym for death and the number 9 is the homonym for suffering within their culture. An example of this is when they state, “Don’t buy four of those. Don’t give four of these.”

People in Japan share a variety of ghost stories, ghost myths, and legends. The following game evolved from traditional Japanese supernatural beliefs and the fact so many ghost stories are retold.

The “100 ghost story game” which is known as Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai first was played during the Edo period, 1603-1868.

Here is how it is played:

At night, the host of the party lights 100 candles. Players sit on the floor in a circle with the ring of candles in front of them.

Each player takes turns telling a Kadan, their word for a ghost story, and then they extinguish one of the candles in front of them. As the night goes on and each story is told, the room grows slowly darker. 

The result is these stories become scarier --at least to the listener who is now sitting in a dark room.

Many Japanese feel as the last candle is extinguished during this game it represents the conclusion of a spiritual evocation, which summons spirits or ghosts. Which tops off the evening with an added scare.

In one earlier form of this game samurai warriors played it to test their courage.