Zombies Stalk Santa Claus
Monday, October 31st, 2011October 31, 2011
Nearly 70 percent of people in the United States and Canada will be celebrating Halloween by wearing costumes, handing out candy, or putting up decorations in 2011, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. Spending on Halloween this year in the United States was expected to reach an estimated $6.86 billion, the highest recorded in the 10 years the organization has been conducting the survey. Included in that amount was $310 million for pet costumes. Among all holidays, Halloween now ranks second only to Christmas in the amount spent on decorations. But Halloween comes in last in total spending for all major holidays. What were expected to be the most popular costumes? Angry birds, Captain America, rapper Nicki Minaj, Harry Potter, the Green Lantern, princesses, and, of course, zombies, according to several sources.
The tradition of wearing costumes and running from house to house to demand treats dates back more than 2,000 years to a pagan festival celebrated by the ancient Celts of what are now Great Britain, Ireland, and northwestern France. The festival, called Samhain (pronounced SOW ehn), marked the beginning of the dark winter season and was celebrated around November 1. The Celts believed that during Samhain, the ghosts of the dead could mingle with the living. So dressing up as a ghoul would protect you from real ghosts who might try to take your soul. Trick-or-treating became widespread in the United States during the 1940′s and 1950′s.
Many people display jack-o’-lanterns on Halloween. Art Explosion
Jack-o’-lanterns made with pumpkins are an American version of another Celtic tradition. According to Celtic folklore, the first jack-o’-lantern was made by an Irish farmer named Jack, who could not enter heaven because he was a miserly, bad-tempered man. He could not enter hell either, because he had tricked the devil several times. As a result, Jack had to walk the earth forever with only a coal from hell to light his lantern. People in Scotland and Ireland once carved out large beets or turnips to use as lanterns on Halloween. After this custom reached America, people began to use pumpkins instead.
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