On October 31st, dozens of children dressed in costumes knock on
their neighbors' doors and yell, "Trick or Treat" when the door opens.
Pirates and princesses, ghosts and popular heroes of the day all hold
bags open to catch the candy or other goodies that the neighbors drop
in. As they give each child a treat the neighbors exclaim over the
costumes and try to guess who is under the masks.
Since the 800's November 1st is a religious holiday known as All
Saints' Day. The Mass that was said on this day was called
Allhallowmas. The evening before became known as All Hakkiw e'en, or
Halloween. Like some other American celebrations, its origins lie in
both pre-Christian and Christian customs.
October 31 st was the eve of the Celtic new year. The Celts were
the ancestors of the present-day Irish, Welsh and Scottish people. On
this day ghosts walked and mingled with the living, or so the Celts
thought. The townspeople baked food all that day and when night fell
they dressed up and tried to resemble the souls of the dead. Hoping
that the ghosts would leave peacefully before midnight of the new year
the people carried the food to the edge of town and left it for
them.
Much later, when Christianity spread throughout Ireland and October
31 was no longer the last day of the year, Halloween became a
celebration mostly for children. "Ghosts" went from door to door
asking for treats, or else a trick would be played on the owners of
the house. When millions of Irish people immigrated to the United
States in the 1840s the tradition came with them.
Today' school dances and neighborhood parties called "block
parties" are popular among young and old alike. More and more adults
celebrate Halloween. They dress up like historical or political
figures and go to masquerade parties. In larger cities, costumed
children and their parents gather at shopping malls early in the
evening. Stores and businesses give parties with games and treats for
the children. Teenagers enjoy costume dances at their schools and the
more outrageous the costume the better!
Certain pranks such as soaping car windows and tipping over garbage
cans are expected.. But partying and pranks are not the only things
that Halloweeners enjoy doing. Some collect money to buy food and
medicine for needy children around the world.
At Halloween parties children play traditional games. One of the
most popular is called pin- the-tail-on-the-donkey: One child is
blindfolded and spun slowly so that he or she will become dizzy. Then
the child must find a paper donkey hanging on the wall and try to pin
a tail onto the back. Another game is bobbing for apples. One child at
a time has to get apples from a tub of water without using hands! How?
By sinking his or her face into the water and biting the apple!
Symbols of Halloween
Halloween originated as a celebration connected with evil spirits.
Witches flying on broomsticks with black cats, ghosts, goblins and
skeletons have all evolved as symbols of Halloween. They are popular
trick-or-treat costumes and decorations for greeting cards and
windows. Black is one of the traditional Halloween colors, probably
because Halloween festivals and traditions took place at night. In the
weeks before October 31, Americans decorate windows of houses and
schools with silhouettes of witches and black cats.
Pumpkins are also a symbol of Halloween. The pumpkin is an
orange-colored squash, and orange has become the other traditional
Halloween color. Carving pumpkins into jack- o'lanterns is a Halloween
custom also dating back to Ireland. A legend grew up about a man named
Jack who was so stingy that he was not allowed into heaven when he
died, because he was a miser. He couldn't enter hell either because he
had played jokes on the devil. As a result, Jack had to walk the earth
with his lantern until Judgement Day. The Irish people carved scary
faces out of turnips, beets or potatoes representing "Jack of the
Lantern," or Jack-o'lantern. When the Irish brought their customs to
the United States, they carved faces on pumpkins because in the autumn
they were more plentiful than turnips. Today jack-o'-lanterns in the
windows of a house on Halloween night let costumed children know that
there are goodies waiting if they knock and say "Trick or Treat!"
Halloween Treats
Dried Pumpkin Seeds
After carving your pumpkin, separate the pulp from the seeds. Rinse
the seeds and spread them out to dry. The next day, add enough melted
butter or margarine to coat each seed. Spread the seeds onto a cookie
sheet and bake for 20 minutes in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes or
until they are slightly brown.
Caramel Apples
Take the paper wrapping off about 100 caramels and put them in a
saucepan. Put the saucepan over a pan of boiling water. Boil the water
until the caramels melt. Put a wooden stick into the top of each
apple, dip the apple into the caramel. Let them cool on wax paper and
enjoy!
Popcorn Balls
Combine 1/2 cup of corn syrup, a teaspoon of vinegar and 1/2
teaspoon of salt in a saucepan. Heat to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, or
until a small spoonful of the mixture forms a hard ball when dropped
into water. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Put warm
popped corn in a large greased bowl. Slowly pour the syrup over the
popcorn, tossing with a greased fork until mixed thoroughly. Be
careful, it's hot! When it's cool enough to handle, butter your hands
and shape popped corn into 3-inch balls. Place on waxed paper until
cool and no longer sticky, then wrap in waxed paper.
Scary Stories
No Halloween party is complete without at least one scary story.
Usually one person talks in a low voice while everyone else crowds
together on the floor or around a fire. The following is a retelling
of a tale told in Britain and in North Carolina and Virginia.
"What Do You Come For?"
There was an old woman who lived all by herself, and she was very
lonely. Sitting in the kitchen one night, she said, "Oh, I wish I had
some company."
No sooner had she spoken than down the chimney tumbled two feet
from which the flesh had rotted. The old woman's eyes bulged with
terror.
Then two legs dropped to the hearth and attached themselves to the
feet.
Then a body tumbled down, then two arms, and a man's head.
As the old woman watched, the parts came together into a great,
tall man. The man danced around and around the room. Faster and faster
he went. Then he stopped, and he looked into her eyes.
"What do you come for? she asked in a small voice that shivered and
shook.
"What do I come for?" he said. "I come for YOU!"
The narrator shouts and jumps at the person near
him!