It's almost Halloweenie time~

Challenge #106

Halloween is one of the oldest and the second most popular only to Christmas in America. Millions celebrate the holiday each year without knowing its origins, which make the holiday that much more exciting. Some view Halloween as a time for fun, friends and family. Others still see its superstitious nature or ties to deceased. Some religions even view it as an unholy holiday.

Halloween also has some close ties to superstitions dealing with love. Some believe if you catch a snail on Halloween night and lock it in a flat dish you will see the first letter of your sweetheart’s name in the morning. Another one says that if a girl puts fresh rosemary and a silver coin under her pillow on Halloween, she will see her future husband in a dream. Girls who carry a lamp to a spring of water on this night are said to be able to see their future husband in the reflection. Additionally, carrying a broken egg in a glass to a spring of water during the day can not only see their future husband by mixing some of the spring water into the glass, but she can also see a glimpse of her future children. Another old tradition said girls should go into a field and there scatter the seed of hemp while chanting “Hempseed I sow thee Come after me and show me”. Upon turning round, it was said each girl would see a vision of the man who would be her husband. 

Visiting haunted houses is a more modern tradition that most likely started as a commercial venture and often works as a way to raise money for non-profit organizations. While dressing in costumes for this day dates back thousands of years, today we see an insurgence of costumes inspired by popular culture, such as movie stars or politicians. Americans tend to see more humorous costumes than scary ones in the current times. Additionally, the tradition of trick-or-treating, which infers that if someone is not satisfied with the treat you are likely to get a trick, has evolved into an activity for younger children accompanied by parents. Today older children and adults are more likely to attend a costume party instead, where best costume prizes are awarded. Most parties are held in homes but bars and nightclubs also hold similar events.

I challenge you to start your halloween costume hunt if you have not already... and, regardless of your age, you're not too old to join in the festivities!!