| 1. HAPPY HALLOWEEN | | | | However, the anarchy still remained |
| 2. SUMMER'S END | | | | from the early Celtic days. Favorite |
| 3. SPOOKY | | | | tricks of the time were knocking over |
| 4. THE COLD SHOULDER | | | | outhouses, especially with someone |
| 5. HALLOW'S EVE | | | | inside and unhinging fence gates, |
| 6. BOBBING FOR APPLES | | | | freeing farm animals and the like.8. OR |
| 7. TRICK | | | | TREAT |
| 8. OR TREAT | | | | The treat part of trick-or-treating |
| 9. JACK O' LANTERN | | | | originated with a 9th century European |
| 10.THE GREAT PUMPKIN | | | | custom called "souling". On "All Souls |
| | | | Day", early Christians would walk |
| 1. HAPPY HALLOWEEN | | | | door-to-door begging for "soul cakes", |
| Of all the mainstay holidays that | | | | little squares of bread made with |
| populate our year, Halloween is one of | | | | currants (yummy). You see, at the time, |
| the oldest, dating back thousands of | | | | it was believed that the souls of the |
| years. Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Easter | | | | dead remained in limbo on earth and that |
| and even Christmas are youngsters by | | | | prayers would speed the soul's passage |
| comparison.Follow me and I'll take you | | | | to heaven. The more soul cakes the |
| on a trail that follows it through the | | | | beggars would get, the more prayers they |
| ages to the costume and candy nighttime | | | | would promise to say on behalf of the |
| promenade we celebrate today.2. SUMMER'S | | | | dead relatives of the givers.9. JACK O' |
| END | | | | LANTERN |
| Originally starting out as an ancient | | | | An Irish folklore tells the tale of a |
| Celtic holiday, Druidic priests regarded | | | | lazy trickster named Jack. In his whole |
| the day as the end of the year and a | | | | life he never made a single enemy, nor a |
| celebration for the year's harvest. | | | | single friend, never did an honest day's |
| October 31 was the first day of a | | | | work or performed a single selfless act |
| three-day celebration called Samhain, | | | | for anyone. But despite his sloth and |
| meaning "the end of summer". It marked | | | | constant state of inebriation, he was |
| the passage from the season of the sun | | | | able to foil the Devil's attempt at |
| to the season of darkness, but was also | | | | taking his soul. |
| a festival for honoring the dead. The | | | | One Halloween Jack's number was up and |
| Celts believed the laws of space and | | | | the Devil arrived to do his deed. Jake |
| time were suspended on this night, | | | | was of course having a pint at the pub |
| allowing the spirit world to crossover | | | | and asked the Devil for permission to |
| and intermingle with the living world.3. | | | | finish his ale. The Devil agreed and |
| SPOOKY | | | | Jack struck up a conversation. He asked, |
| As the story goes, the disembodied | | | | "If you really have any power, you could |
| spirits of all those who had passed away | | | | transform yourself into anything, right? |
| throughout the preceding year would come | | | | Even a shilling." The Devil took it as |
| back on that night in search of living | | | | challenge and transformed himself into a |
| bodies to possess for the coming year. | | | | silver coin. Jack snatched up the coin |
| Apparently, it was their only hope for | | | | and scratched a cross-shaped scar into |
| an afterlife. To protect themselves, the | | | | the face. The power of the cross, being |
| Celtic priests developed spells, charms | | | | like kryptonite to Superman, made the |
| and ritualistic burning sacrifices to | | | | Devil powerless and held him captive. |
| appease the wandering spirits that | | | | Jack bartered with Satan, he would free |
| roamed the night.4. THE COLD SHOULDER | | | | him if he would grant Jack another year |
| Of course, being alive you certainly | | | | of life so that he would have time to |
| didn't want to get possessed, so on the | | | | repent. Having little choice, the Devil |
| night of October 31st, people would put | | | | made it so. A year passed, Jack being |
| out the fires in their fireplaces and | | | | Jack, never got around to getting off |
| furnaces, to make their homes cold and | | | | his bar stool to repent. |
| undesirable to the wandering spirits. To | | | | Again it was Halloween, but Satan was a |
| complete the ritual, they would then | | | | no show. Suddenly Jack knew why, |
| dress in ghoulish costumes, parading | | | | presto-change-o, Jack was dead and |
| around the neighborhoods causing ruckus | | | | standing at the pearly gates. He was |
| and destruction in order to scare off | | | | getting to go to heaven. Ah, but before |
| the spirits looking for a warm body to | | | | admittance he had to get the okay from |
| inhabit.5. HALLOW'S EVE | | | | St. Peter. Checking his records, St. |
| The word Halloween is a concoction. | | | | Peter gave Jack the thumbs down, |
| Samhain (pronounced sow-en, the sow | | | | boo-hoo, for Jack had never performed a |
| rhymes with cow, that "en" part is | | | | single selfless act. Off to hell Jack |
| important to remember) was combined with | | | | would go. |
| the November 1st Catholic holiday of | | | | However, Satan wasn't having any of it |
| "All Hallows Eve", otherwise known as | | | | either. He was still ticked for getting |
| "All Hallows Day "or "All Saints Day". | | | | tricked. Having nowhere else to go, the |
| The old English word "Hallow" meant to | | | | Devil gave Jack a single burning ember |
| sanctify. It was the day for honoring | | | | in a hollowed out turnip. With only this |
| the Catholic saints. By the 7th century | | | | simple lantern to light his path, |
| AD it was adapted as "All Soul's Day" to | | | | rejected from heaven and hell, poor Jack |
| honor all the dead and not just the | | | | was doomed to wander in the darkness |
| saints. Over time, these two | | | | forever. |
| celebrations were combined into one | | | | The Irish originally used turnips as |
| mega-fest by the growing populations of | | | | their "Jack's lanterns". But in America, |
| Europe. And abracadabra, sow-en and | | | | pumpkins were far easier to come by than |
| Hallows Eve merged creating Halloween. | | | | turnips. Pumpkins also pulled a double |
| In Ireland it is sometimes referred to | | | | duty, symbolizing the giant full moon of |
| as Hallow E'en and others still spell | | | | harvest. So, the man-in-the-moon and |
| it, Hallowe'en, further emphasizing the | | | | trickster Jack combined to form the |
| marriage of terms and holidays.6. | | | | carved face pumpkins of our Jack O' |
| BOBBING FOR APPLES | | | | Lanterns.10. THE GREAT PUMPKIN |
| Eventually the traditional Roman | | | | There you have it ghouls and goblins, |
| celebration on November 1st honoring | | | | the who's and boos of why Halloween is |
| Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and | | | | one of our favorite times of year! Jokes |
| trees, was absorbed into the Halloween | | | | and candy to all ye this Hallow's Eve! |
| punch bowl. Bringing its own traits with | | | | After Halloween what is a vampire's |
| it, Pomona's symbol was an apple, which | | | | favorite holiday? |
| most likely inspired the party activity | | | | Fangsgiving! |
| of bobbing for apples.7. TRICK | | | | To read more articles by Chad, visit |
| Celebration of Halloween came to | | | | the American Pop Culture Encyclopedia |
| America with early Irish and Scottish | | | | at: American Pop Culture Encyclopedia. |
| immigrants. The belief in spirit | | | | |
| possession had subsided compared to the | | | | If you would like to read this article, |
| early days and the act of dressing as | | | | or others like it, on American Pop |
| ghouls, goblins, ghosts and witches was | | | | Culture Encyclopedia, please visit: |
| more like today's ceremonious fun. | | | | Halloween Came From Where? |