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Halloween Long ago, before it was a night out for children, Halloween was a day out for the dead. It began during the time of the Celts, who lived hundreds of years before the birth of Christ in what is now France, England and Ireland. October 31, the end of the Celtic calendar year, was the day when the crack between the worlds opened and ghosts, witches, goblins, black cats, devils, imps, and demons stalked the earth. Druid priests built giant bonfires to keep them at bay; people hoping to hide from unfriendly spirits dressed in costumes, and they put out sweets to placate demons. By the ninth century, the Christian church had set aside November 1 as a feast day to honor the saints and called it All Saints' Day of All Hallows. The preceding evening - called All Hallows' Eve, or All Hallows' Even (which was eventually shortened to Hallowe'en) - continued according to pagan beliefs. This was the time when the dead returned to roam the earth, and people danced around fires that lit up the sky and protected them from evil. A celebration followed, with bobbing for apples, nut roasting, and a variety of fortune-telling activities all part of the festivities. In the mid-180s, when Irish and Scottish immigration was at its height, Hallowe'en arrived in America. Celebrating this festival offered a connection to the old country. Then, with the turn of the century, Hallowe'en and the Golden Age of Postcards collided. The holiday provided a rich subject for artists and a prime marketplace opportunity for publishers. Hundreds of thousands of cards were printed, bought, mailed, and saved. Each cost but a penny or two to buy and a mere penny to send. Nowadays, there is hardly a place in a America that does not honor Hallowe'en. Both adults and children look forward to October 31, when they don costumes, carve pumpkins, and go trick or treating. Because the treats are so forthcoming, the tricks are becoming an endangered species. The ancient pagan festival has turned into a quintessential American night of extravagant fun and frolic. -Author Unknown
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