67 Creative Halloween Phrases (And 29 Spooky Quotes) To Get You In The Halloween Spirit

Halloween is just around the corner, are you ready?

Sure, you’ve maybe picked out your costume and bought some candy, but have you really given much thought as to what you are going to say to welcome your guests?

There’s always “Happy Halloween”, but if you want to be a little more creative, try one of the Halloween phrases we’ve gathered below. 

23 Halloween phrases to greet guests and trick or treaters 

Looking for other ways to answer the cries of “Trick or Treat”? If you are looking for other Halloween phrases other than Happy Halloween, try the following.

Holding an “adult” Halloween party? Greet your guests at the door in your best costume with these Halloween catchphrases. 

1. Ghostly Greetings!

2. Eat, drink, and be scary!

3. Stop in for a spell.

4. We’ll have a spooky good time.

5. Sit for a spell and enjoy a brew!

6. I put a spell on you.

7. Enter if you dare, foolish mortals.

8. Welcome to your nightmare.

9. Pick your poison. (when offering them drinks or snacks)

10. May tonight be the darkest, scariest night of the year!

11. Drink up, witches!

Want to create an unforgettable Halloween memory? Instead of just “normal” old “Happy Halloween” greet the costumed Trick or Treater’s with one of these greetings instead.

12. Have a spookily good Halloween!

13. Halloween is a real treat.

14. It’s the most frightful time of the year!

15. Have a fang-tastic night. 

(This is a great one to use if you are in a vampire costume!)

16. Happy Haunting!

17. Have a bootiful Halloween 

(Perfect way to answer the door in a ghost costume!)

18. I witch you a Happy Halloween 

(Goes great with a spooky witch costume!)

19. Boo to you from our crew

20. See what’s up our sleeve, this All Hallows’ Eve 

(Dress up as a magician and perform a little trick while saying this greeting)

21. Beware the witching hour

22. Witches and mummies and ghosts, oh my!

23. Wishing you a night full of frights and a bag full of delights!

17 spooky and fun Halloween catchphrases to decorate with

Roll out the welcome mat with some spooky decorations and maybe a spooky sign with one of these creative greetings on them.

1. Caution! Witch Crossing

2. Please park all brooms at the door

3. Don’t be a scaredy-cat, ring the bell.

4. If you want a tasty sweet. . . be sure to holler trick or treat!

5. Believe in the magic of Halloween 

6. Don’t worry, we don’t bite (much)

7. Witch way to the candy?

8. It’s all about the candy

9. Watch for the undead

10. Beware of cute little monsters

11. BYOB (Bring your own broomstick)

12. Not every witch lives in Salem

13. Halloween Central

14. Home to one cute son of a witch.

15. Keep calm, trick, or treat and carry on.

16. Ghoulish guests welcome!

17. Ghosts, goblins, monsters, and more will come walking through the door.

27 creatively spooky and funny Halloween Quotes

Some of the Halloween phrases here are really “punny”.

1. Werewolves are fur real

2. Vampires drive me batty

3. Ghouls just want to have fun

4. Join our Coven 

5. Zombies love a girl with brains

6. If you’ve got it, haunt it

7. It’s a boo-tiful night for Halloween

8. Ghastly greetings

9. Witches welcome

10. Happy Howl-oween!

11. I want my mummy

12. Ghosts don’t give a sheet

13. Let the ghoul times roll

14. I’m just here for the boo’s

15. Teamwork makes the scream work

16. If you’ve never carved a pumpkin, you don’t know Jack

17. A haunting we will go

18. Vampires party all night

19. I love Halloween so much, it’s scary

20. Let’s have a skele-ton of fun!

21. Vampires know how to have a bloody good time

22. Hope all the candies don’t go to waste.

23. Ghosts were people too.

24. Got treats?

25. A real witch in disguise.

26. May our best witches go with you!

27. I boo believe in ghosts.

29 Spooky quotes to set the mood this Halloween

If you want to go beyond just Halloween catchphrases, look to literature, theater, and even the movies for inspiration. 

Here are some fun Halloween related quotes to send a shiver down your spine

1. Where there is no imagination there is no horror.

This gem comes from the mind and the pen of the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle knows a thing or two about how to stir the imagination and create an atmosphere of suspense and mystery with a few well-chosen words.

2. Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.

These iconic opening lines from William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” set the stage for not just the play, but also for our idea of “witches”. Three mysterious women gathered around a bubbling cauldron of mysterious liquid – witchy indeed.

3. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.

Another great line from “Macbeth”, Shakespeare sure known how to use words to send a delicious shiver up and down your spine. 

4. Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen, voices whisper in the trees, “Tonight is Halloween.” 

Want to start the festivities with something a bit more evocative than a simple “Happy Halloween”? Try reciting these lines from Dexter Kozen.

5. When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween

These evocative lines from an unknown author really capture some of the reasons why Halloween is such an enchanting holiday.

6. Abandon hope all ye who enter here

Dante Alighieri placed this quote as the inscription on the gate of hell; why not use it to greet guests by placing it in a sign over your door this Halloween? 

7. Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.

The opening line’s to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” are beautiful, evocative, and oh so atmospheric. The sense of existential dread and longing for a lost love this poem calls up makes it perfect to set the mood for Halloween. 

8. A person should always choose a costume that is in direct contrast to her own personality.

Still not sure what to go as this Halloween? Take some free advice from Lucy Van Pelt during “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

9. Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallow’s Eve.

Legendary science fiction author Ray Bradbury gets it.

10. When the spooks have a midnight jamboree/They break it up with fiendish glee/The ghosts are bad but the one that’s cursed/Is the headless horseman; he’s the worst

These classic lines are from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” describing the Headless Horseman. 

11. It’s as much fun to scare as to be scared.

This quote from the legendary horror film actor Vincent Price captures exactly why it is that Halloween is a fun holiday for both children and adults. 

12. Darkness falls across the land, the Midnight Hour is close at hand.

Speaking of Vincent Price, he recited this iconic quote from that staple of any Halloween playlist, “Thriller” by Michael Jackson.

13. I’m a homicidal maniac, they look just like everyone else

Wednesday Addams is an icon, and a great Halloween costume to try out. Don’t forget to learn some of her “killer” lines like this one.

14. Magic is really very simple, all you’ve got to do is want something and then let yourself have it.

This enchanting quote is from the classic Halloween movie “Halloweentown”.

15. We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.

Word’s to think about from one of the modern masters of horror, Stephen King. 

16. On Halloween, witches come true; Wild ghosts escape from dreams. Each monster dances in the park.

Poet Nicholas Gordon captures the lovely, eerie atmosphere of a Halloween night. 

17. I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly.

Words of wisdom from “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives.

18. We came, we saw, we kicked its ass.

You can’t go wrong with adding some “Ghostbusters” to your Halloween celebrations, be it by watching the movie, playing the theme song, or dressing up as one of the heroes. This line is from Dr. Peter Venkman, played by Bill Murray.

19. There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch. 

While adults enjoy Halloween too, author Robert Brault is correct when he implies there’s a reason a child enjoys Halloween just a little more. 

20. Acting is like a Halloween mask that you put on.

Interesting quote from River Phoenix, a promising young actor who we lost too soon.

21. Halloween is not only about putting on a costume, but it’s about finding the imagination and costume within ourselves.

Radio personality Elvis Duran sums up the joy that both kids and adults feel when they’ve finally found the right Halloween costume.

22. Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.

This little gem is from the author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling.

23. I was working in the lab late one night/When my eyes beheld an eerie sight/For my monster from his slab began to rise/And suddenly to my surprise. He did the mash/He did the monster mash/The monster mash/It was a graveyard smash. He did the mash/It caught on in a flash/He did the mash/He did the monster mash.

Another staple of any proper Halloween playlist, “The Monster Mash” from Bobby Pickett.

24. Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

Another killer spooky line from William Shakespeare, this time from “The Tempest”.

25. I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey.

Many people love to watch and sing along to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” during their Halloween parties. You can use this quote from the show to welcome guests to your Halloween party.

26. It’s Halloween; everyone’s entitled to one good scare.

This line is uttered at the start of the slasher film “Halloween.” While it goes horribly wrong during the course of the movie, it sounded good initially.

27. Shadows mutter, mist replies; darkness purrs as midnight sighs.

This quote is from Rusty Fischer, who writes supernatural young adult novels. He certainly knows how to create the right mood with his words.

28. If human beings had genuine courage, they’d wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween.

We could extend the scary fun all year if we took author Douglas Copeland’s advice.

29. Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night.

Am sure every child will agree with author Steve Almond’s assessment.

Conclusion

Learning the way people around the globe celebrate holidays is always a great way to gain insight into their culture. 

If you are a language learner, try asking your online language learning tutor about how they celebrate Halloween.

You can start by learning the different ways that they greet each other “Happy Halloween”, then move on to learning about the traditions that surround the holiday and how they celebrate.

If you are lucky enough to get the chance to celebrate Halloween in another country, make sure to make the most of this time to learn about the different traditions and customs that surround the holiday. 

Ask if they go trick or treating or dress in costumes or have any special rituals with which they commemorate the day.  It’s a great way to start a conversation and practice your language skills!

Wherever you are spending your Halloween, don’t forget that the most important thing is to join in the fun. It’s a spooktacular excuse to act like a kid again. Enjoy!