3 Fun (or Weird) Facts about Halloween Traditions

It's that time of year when we get ready for Halloween, buy the candy, carve the pumpkins, and figure out our costume. (You did get your costume already didn't you ?  Yeah, me neither lol)

  I did a little research and found these fun and weird facts about Halloween.

1. Carved Pumpkins, aka Jack-o’-lanterns,  were once made out of turnips, beets and potatoes — not pumpkins.  This is based on an old Irish legend about Stingy Jack who tricked the devil into letting him live without promising to give his (Jack's) soul to the Devil. He lived a long life but when he died he didn't get sent to Hell but he couldn't get into Heaven either.  Stingy Jack was doomed to wander the earth with a lighted lantern which grew into carving vegetables with lights inside to keep Stingy Jack away.

2. In some towns Halloween was originally called "Cabbage Night".  This was based on an old Scottish fortune telling game where cabbages were used to see into your future.  People started to throw cabbages, and rotten vegetables at their neighbors. (Guess they didn't like their fortune) 

3. Most experts trace trick-or-treating to the European practice of “mumming,” or “guysing,” People would dress up  and go door-to-door performing dances, songs and plays in exchange for treats. 

In some early versions of trick-or-treating, adult men would go door-to-door as performers, and boys often followed, begging for coins. Most of these early trick-or-treaters were poor and actually needed the money, but wealthy children also joined in the fun.   

Have fun this Halloween - hope you find your true love ( it's an old Irish tradition - people celebrated Halloween by playing romantic fortune-telling games)