Halloween Fun Facts

Here are some fun, and interesting, Halloween facts.

1. Angie loves this holiday.
2. It started with ancient Celtic tribes in Britain who believed that there was one day between the seasons of life (summer and harvest) and the season of death (winter) when spirits would rise and walk the earth. The day was called Sauwin.
3. Druid priests, their spiritual leaders, tried to foretell whether or not their villages would survive the winter.
4. People built bonfires and wore demonic masks hoping to repel the spirits and save their villages.
5. 2002 was the last year that Angie really put together a Halloween costume. She was a bottle of Diet Coke.
6. In the 8th century, when the Catholic church was converting the pagans to Christianity, Pope Gregory the III established a day to honor the saints - All Hallow's Day. It was held on November 1st.
7. People were fine with a new holiday, but didn't see any reason to give up Sauwin, so they had their bonfires and masks on October 31, All Hallow's Eve.
8. See, it's not so much the dressing up herself that Angie loves about Halloween, but seeing all the kids dressed up, and watching them run through the neighborhood trick-or-treating. It's so fun.
9. When the Puritans came to America, they left all of the outlandish traditions of the Old World behind them. They had no time for Halloween, or Christmas, but that's another story.
10. In the 1800s immigrants from Europe came swarming into America, including the Irish, who still liked Halloween and started the tradition up in the USA. Thank you Irish.
11. This year, Marla is telling Angie that she has to have a costume to go trick-or-treating with them. What?! Since when? Oh for heaven's sake.
12. The bonfires were shrunk down to lanterns made out of gourds - the first jack-o-lanterns.
13. The masks turned into full Halloween costumes.
14. Angie has decided that her roommates witch hat and some heavy make-up will have to do.
15. By the 20th century Halloween had become a major holiday in the States, and is very lucrative for the retailers.
16. Angie is very excited about taking Jonah and William out on Saturday night! And she and Marla are putting together a meal of finger foods. Not actual fingers...but that would be creepy, wouldn't it?
17. And finally - a few places here in Salt Lake that are totally haunted: This is the Place Park, The Capital Theater, and The Devereaux House, more information here.

Happy Halloween!!

You are loved.