MORE HALLOWEEN STUFF!

I am going to be an authority on Halloween by the end of the month. Hope you have enjoyed learning a little more about this time of the year and the customs, poems, and recipes of October.

JACK-O-LANTERNS AND PUMPKINS

This story of the Jack o'Lantern comes from Irish folklore. Jack was a crafty farmer who tricked the Devil into climbing a tall tree. When the Devil reached the highest branch, Jack carved a large cross in the trunk, making it impossible for the Devil to climb down. In exchange for help getting out of the tree, the Devil promised never to tempt Jack with evil again. When Jack died, he was turned away from Heaven for his sins and turned away from Hell because of his trickery. Condemned to wander the Earth without rest, Jack carved out one of his turnips, took an ember from the devil, and used it for a lantern to light his way. He became known as "Jack of the Lantern."

PUMPKIN FACTS

There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange the color of pumpkins.
Turnips and beets served as the original jack-o-lanterns.
Jack-o-lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep spirits away and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.
Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green.
Pumpkins originaed in Central America.
Growing big pumpkins is a big time hobby.

SOME FACTS ABOUT HALLOWEEN

Halloween was originally a Celtic holiday celebrated on October 31.
Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.
Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.
Mexico celebrates 'The Day of the Dead' instead of Halloween.
Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first. People spend as much as over $2.5 billion during Halloween on candies, costumes, decorations and parties.
Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.
Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters.
It is believed that the Irish began the tradition of Trick or Treating.
The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night.
Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers.
Samhainophobia is an intense fear of Halloween.

BEETHOVEN HALLOWEEN JOKE

A daring vacationer in Vienna is walking through a graveyard on Halloween when all of a sudden she hears music. No one is around, so she starts looking to see where it’s coming from.She finally locates the source and finds it is coming from a grave with a headstone that reads, “Ludwig van Beethoven.” Then she realizes that the music is the Ninth Symphony and it is being played backward. Puzzled, she leaves the graveyard and persuades a friend to return with her.By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music has changed. This time it is the Seventh Symphony, but it is also being played backward.Curious, the ladies agree to consult a music scholar. When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony is playing and the expert concludes that the symphonies are in fact being played in reverse order.By the next day the word spread and a huge group gathered around the grave to hear the Second Symphony being played backward. Just then the graveyard's caretaker approaches the group. Someone in the crowd asks him if he has an explanation for the music."Oh, it's nothing to worry about" says the caretaker. "He's just decomposing!!"

HOW TO ROAST PUMPKIN SEEDS

Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. (This is easiest just after you've removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.)
Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat. If you prefer, omit the oil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.
Let cool and store in an air-tight container.