Despite the 90º weather, I find myself wrapped up in my pumpkin blanket, watching my favorite fall movie, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Over the years, I have always celebrated October 31, usually with candy, but I have never stopped to wonder, what exactly is Halloween?

Here’s a quick history lesson: Halloween is celebrated on October 31, which is a Wednesday this year. This holiday originated from an ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts would light bonfires and dress up in costumes to ward off any ghosts that may come in contact with them. This was a Celtic tradition, for they celebrated their new year on November 1. November 1 signified both the transition from summer and the harvest season to the beginning of a dark and cold winter, which was associated with human death. One of the Celts’ beliefs was that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the living world and dead world became blurred. They believed the ghosts of the dead could return to their world, so they celebrated Samhain, or what we know as Halloween. Fast forward to the eight century, when Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Saints Day. This established October 31 as All Hallows Eve, what we now know as Halloween. Some of the origins of Halloween can still be seen, such as the costumes many people dress up in to beg for candy. Pictured left is an image of what the festival of Samhain may have been like (http://thewildgeese.irish/profiles/blogs/samhain-the-celtic-new-year).

After this intriguing lesson, I find it only fit to dive into some Halloween fun facts. Wouldn’t you agree? Halloween is a tale as old as time, and these sorts of stories don’t come without superstitions and legends. As a child, I was told black cats were bad luck. Many of you probably know this tale, but do you know where it came from? Well, the Pilgrims started this vicious rumor. This bad luck stems from the Protestant beliefs of witchcraft. Many of these Pilgrims and other Protestants believed witches could transform into black cats, hence the many movies, one being the classic “Hocus Pocus”, showing witched transforming into, or even turning others into, black cats.

When someone says Halloween, the first thing that comes to my mind is candy. Did you know that one fourth of all candy sold in the US is for Halloween? I didn’t either! Also, I am personally a fan of the candy Tootsie Rolls, but in 2017, this candy was in a list of candies to avoid. On the other hand, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups found a different fate. These, along with Snickers, Twix, Kit Kat, Nerds, Sour Patch Kids, and Skittles, were the top candies to 2017. What a difference!

Finally, Halloween is classified as the second largest consumer holiday in the U.S. Parents spend a lot of money on Halloween. These cost come from a combined $2.8 billion on costumes in 2014 (according to the National Retail Federation), and the $7 billion spent overall in 2015!

Knowing these valuable Halloween facts, I’m positive you’ll be able to come up with an exciting costume for this Wednesday! Curious about the best part of this Halloween? Well, you are allowed to wear your costume to school! It’s important that you make sure to follow the guidelines, which were sent out in Mr. Bickes’s weekly update. Knights, be sure to have a fun and safe Halloween night!

https://www.womansday.com/life/g485/15-fascinating-halloween-facts-124464/?slide=30

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/10-17-17-the-most-popular-halloween-candy-in-us-and-no-1-in-texas/

https://icatcare.org/black-cat-week-unlucky-or-lucky