Halloween Trivia

--The origins of Halloween are with the Celtic people of Ireland and ancient Britain and is was a celebration of the end of summer and the close of the harvest season.  Only cold, dark winter lay ahead.
--The first Jack-o-lanterns in Ireland were potatoes and turnips carved into faces with a hot, glowing coal inside.  Irish immigrants to the U.S. found pumpkins to be a better medium, and today, 99% of pumpkins are used for Halloween carving. Sooooooo, what is really in all those cans of pumpkin pie filling???


--The first costumes in Ireland were of animal heads and skins.  "Mum!!!  Could you please, please kill Fluffy so I can go to the Halloween dance tonight???  
I wouldn't be caught dead wearing the leftover Holstein from last year!!"  


--Trick-or-treating began as a Scottish and Irish practice called, "Guising' where children went door to door in costumes collecting food and coins for the town's Halloween feast.  They would have to do a little song or dance for the treat.  If the homeowner refused to dole out, a practical joke could be played.  (I wonder if, when our government does their practice of "Gouging," we could make politicians do songs and dances as we dole out the tax dollars --  But, of course, if we refuse to pay, Big Brother plays practical jokes on us like prison or, worse yet, an audit.)
Happy Samhain! (pronounced: Sow-en) (Original name of Oct 31-Nov 1 Celtic Festival)
©10/2011  Jana B Patrick