This Couple's Epic Halloween Tree is the Spooky Tradition We Didn't Know We Needed
Ever heard of a Halloween tree? Neither had Chris Hardwick. But a few Octobers ago he arrived home from a standup tour to find one in the foyer of the Los Angeles home he shares with his wife, actress and model Lydia Hearst.
“On top was a motion-activated ghost that went ‘woooo’ when you walked by, and there were tombstones and spiderwebs around it," Hardwick, a comedian and host of the ID10T podcast, says. "I’d never seen a Halloween tree before, but I thought it was amazing."
The idea had come to Hearst after she’d ordered a tree from Frontgate and was eager to put it up even though Christmas was still several months away. "Holiday decorating has always been a big tradition in my family," she says. "I decided we could start with a Halloween tree on October 1, then change it to a Thanksgiving tree in November, and finally redecorate it for Christmas. This way, we'd get to enjoy a festive tree for three months."
Every year the theme for each holiday changes, though the decorations often incorporate the couple's collection of movie props and memorabilia. "I'm a huge horror fan," says Hearst, who recently played the villain in the Lifetime thriller Psycho Sister-in-Law. Favorite pieces include a head made from the original mold from Beetlejuice and all-things Chucky from Child's Play.
"People will come over, see the horror props and say, 'Oh it’s nice your wife lets you keep these out,' and I say, 'No, they’re hers!'" laughs Hardwick. "Luckily, we have the exact same taste."
"One Christmas tree was themed around Gremlins, which is one of my favorite holiday films," Hearst says. "It was covered with mogwais and surrounding the base of the tree were all of our Gremlins props. It was our Christmas card that year."
Hearst sources new decorations for their trees from Etsy and Amazon, and the couple also keeps their eyes out for pieces while traveling. "Ultimately though, the holiday tree idea is not about spending money or shopping," says Hardwick. "It's a way to express your creativity and try out new ideas with your family. At Halloween, for example, you could create an 'advent calendar' with little bags of candy kids can open each day."
"Kids can decorate the Halloween tree with paper bats and pumpkins, or strings of candy corn," Hearst suggests. "For Thanksgiving, it can be tracings of their hands on paper, cut out and colored to look like turkeys. It doesn't have to cost much."
"Especially with the non-traditional Halloween and Thanksgiving trees, there should be no pressure, just a physical representation of how you see the holidays," Hardwick continues. "With everyone home more this year, it's great for families to have this outlet. It's actually cathartic."
"And a lot of fun," adds Hearst.
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