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