Halloween Recap!

By Christine

A Brief Halloween History:

(Info taken from http://www.rexanne.com/hwn-facts.html)

- Halloween, referred to as All Hallows Eve, was originally a pagan holiday in which they honored the dead. It was celebrated on October 31 since this was the last day of the Celtic calendar. The celebration dates back some 2,000 years.

- The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts wondered the streets on all Hallows Eve so they began wearing masks and costumes in order to not be recognized as human.

- The jack-o-lantern tradition comes from an old Irish folk tale about a man named Stingy Jack. It was said that he was unable to get into heaven and was turned away from the devil because of his tricky ways. So he set off to wander the world looking for a resting place. For light, Stingy Jack used a burning coal ember in a hollowed out turnip. When the Irish immigrated to the U.S. during the Great Potato Famine of 1845-1850, they found that turnips were not as readily available like they were in the homeland. So they started carving pumpkins as a replacement for their tradition.

- On Halloween, Irish peasants would beg the rich for food. For those that refused, they would play a practical joke. So, in an effort to avoid being tricked, the rich would hand out cookies, candy, and fruit – a practice that morphed into trick-or-treating today.

Fun Facts about Halloween Edibles

- Of all the candy sold annually, one quarter of it is sold during Halloween time (September – November 10) making it the sweetest holiday of the year.
- Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America
- The number one candy of choice for Halloween is Snickers
- There are an estimated 106 million potential treat-or-treat stops

Introduction: Hey, Hey, Hey it’s fat pumpkin! Did you go trick or treating? Did you see me on your doorstep? Who did you go trick or treating with? Did you have fun? Well, I got to see a lot of kids! How about you?

Interviewer: Christine

Interviewee: Desiree

Q: What did you do for Halloween?

A: “Well, I was Mrs. Krueger (Freddy Krueger’s wife) and I went trick or treating with my family and friends. While trick or treating, I was hoping I could get a lot of candy so I could have it for at least three or four weeks. (I’ll be so hyper!)” says MCA student Desiree.

Q: Were you excited and WHY?

A: “Yes I was excited because it’s like the first actual holiday celebration.” says MCA student Desiree.