HALLOWEENHALLOWEEN

HALLOWEENHALLOWEEN

HalloweenHalloween (also spelled (also spelled Hallowe'enHallowe'en) is an annual ) is an annual holidayholiday celebrated on celebrated on October 31October 31

The day is often associated with The day is often associated with orange and black, and is strongly orange and black, and is strongly associated with symbols like the associated with symbols like the jack-o'-lanternjack-o'-lantern. Halloween activities . Halloween activities include include trick-or-treatingtrick-or-treating, wearing , wearing costumescostumes and attending and attending costume partiescostume parties, , ghost toursghost tours, , bonfiresbonfires, pranks, reading scary , pranks, reading scary stories, and watching stories, and watching horror filmshorror films..

Halloween costumes are traditionally Halloween costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as ghosts, those of monsters such as ghosts, skeletons, skeletons, witcheswitches and devils. They and devils. They are said to be used to scare off are said to be used to scare off demons. Costumes are also based on demons. Costumes are also based on characters from characters from television showstelevision shows, , moviesmovies, and other , and other pop culturepop culture icons. icons.

FOODSFOODS Because the holiday comes in the Because the holiday comes in the

wake of the annual apple harvest, wake of the annual apple harvest, candy applescandy apples (known as toffee apples (known as toffee apples outside North America), outside North America), caramel or taffy applescaramel or taffy apples are a are a common Halloween treat made by common Halloween treat made by rolling whole apples in a sticky sugar rolling whole apples in a sticky sugar syrup, sometimes followed by rolling syrup, sometimes followed by rolling them in them in nutsnuts..

Pumpkin piePumpkin pie is a traditional is a traditional North AmericanNorth American sweet sweet dessertdessert, a , a tradition during the tradition during the fallfall and early and early winter especially for winter especially for ThanksgivingThanksgiving and and ChristmasChristmas. The pumpkin is a . The pumpkin is a symbol of harvest time and featured symbol of harvest time and featured also at also at HalloweenHalloween

The The piepie consists of a consists of a pumpkinpumpkin-based -based custardcustard, ranging in colo, ranging in colouur from r from orange to brown, baked in a single orange to brown, baked in a single pie shell, rarely with a top crust. The pie shell, rarely with a top crust. The pie is generally flavored with pie is generally flavored with nutmegnutmeg, , cinnamoncinnamon, , clovescloves and and gingerginger..

CUSTOMSCUSTOMS Unmarried women were told that if Unmarried women were told that if

they sat in a darkened room and gazed they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a were destined to die before marriage, a skull would appear. The custom was skull would appear. The custom was widespread enough to be widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from commemorated on greeting cards from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In this Halloween greeting card from In this Halloween greeting card from 1904, divination is depicted: the 1904, divination is depicted: the young woman looking into a mirror in young woman looking into a mirror in a darkened room hopes to catch a a darkened room hopes to catch a glimpse of the face of her future glimpse of the face of her future husbandhusband

Trick-or-treating and guisingTrick-or-treating and guising

Trick-or-treating is a customary Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or money, with the question, "Trick or treat?"treat?"

The word "trick" refers to a threat to The word "trick" refers to a threat to perform mischief on the homeowners perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. or their property if no treat is given. In some parts of Ireland and Scotland In some parts of Ireland and Scotland children still go guising. In this children still go guising. In this custom the child performs some sort custom the child performs some sort of show, i.e. sings a song or tells a of show, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, in order to earn their ghost story, in order to earn their treats.treats.