The chilling air, time to bring out the hats, coats, scarves and the leaves turning means only one thing ~ fall is upon us! With fall comes the kookiest holiday of the year ~ HALLOWEEN!
It's time to whip out the scary cookie cutters, tear up your old sheets and make ghost costumes, and make your yearly trip to the pumpkin farm for some pumpkins and cornstalks.
Halloween is a day or night dedicated to the dead. It is commonly believed that Halloween as we know it, originated from the ancient Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Welsh) festival called "Samhain". Samhain was the Celt's New Year's Day, and on this day the souls of those who had died during the year were allowed access to the land of the living to look for bodies to inhabit for the year to come. The dead souls would wander through the night in search of warm hearths and warm bodies. In order to throw the dead off their scent, Celts would extinguish all the fires in their homes, costume themselves in animal skins, and run through the town destroying as many things as possible to scare the dead away.
The Mexican custom of offering food and treats to the dead on "El Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) might explain why many other cultures have the Halloween habit of throwing a party and passing out treats to costume clad kids. In Mexico the holiday is a joyful one with parades, singing, dancing and tables piled high with food. Treats are offered to the dead in celebration of their past life. It is customary to feed the dead a delectable bread called "Pan de Muertos" and cover their graves with fruits and wines to keep them happy throughout the year to come!
Begin gearing up for Halloween! After all, holiday spirit is just as important as the holiday!
Start by planning some activities for your friends and family. Get your house smelling and looking good with "Cookie Decorating Parties" ~ "Pumpkin Carving Parties" (Complete with roasted pumpkinseeds) ~ and "Haunted House Parties"!!
With a cup of Witches' Brew you'll be set for the creepiest Halloween ever!
