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!