Today is Halloween — 2021. In Mexico, it’s the Day of the Dead, or at least the start of it. The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, takes place October 31 through November 2 in Mexico and a few other Hispanic countries. November 1, Dia de los Inocentes, honors children that have died, and family members decorate graves with baby’s breath and white orchids. On November 2, Dia de los Muertos, families honor adults who have died and place orange marigolds on grave sites.
The original Aztec celebration lasted a month, but when Spanish conquistadors came to Mexico in the 16th century, they merged the festival with the Catholic All Saints’ Day. Today’s celebrations are a mix of both Aztec rituals of skulls, altars to the dead and food, with Catholic masses and prayers.
If you live in Des Moines, Iowa, last night was Beggars’ Night. The event began in Des Moines about 1938 as a way to prevent vandalism and give younger children a safer way to enjoy Halloween. Beggars’ Night is very similar to regular trick or treating, except the kids are required to tell a joke, poem, or perform a “trick” for a treat.
Every year around Halloween, you hear about the spirits at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There are continuing reports from the White House of ghostly appearances and eerie sounds — and not only on election years…. The most famous ghost sighting in the White House is of Abraham Lincoln, who’s supposedly been spotted by Eleanor Roosevelt, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and Winston Churchill.
Jack-O’-lanterns were not originally made from pumpkins… the name jack-O’-lantern is rooted in an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack who fooled the devil and in turn was forced to walk the Earth with only a burning coal in a hollowed turnip to light his way. The Irish began to call him “Jack of the Lantern,” and then just “Jack O’Lantern. Immigrants in the United States began to use pumpkins, that were native to North America instead of turnips.
A lot of people like Halloween — some don’t. My sister maybe doesn’t “hate” Halloween, but she’s certainly not a big fan. Some people actually fear Halloween. They suffer from Samhainophobia.
One of the “treats” that was popular when I was a kid was candy corn — I still see it in the stores, especially this time of year. Candy corn was created by George Renninger in the 1880s and because corn is what was used to feed chickens, it’s original name was “Chicken Feed”… the box was decorated with a rooster.
So today is Halloween around here, but no matter what you’re celebrating today, hope you have a spooky good time…..
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