My Favorite Things About Halloween

[Pumpkin_Man]

JonH, welcome to Halloween.com. I hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us.

Murf, I think that's about the name of it. 'Trick or Treat' as we know it here in the United States probably did start in California, but it took a long time for it to catch on because of war, depression and other issues. 'Trick or Treat,' does, however date back to the druids, and was taken much more seriously. "Treats" of fruit and other food items were left out for the various spirits to appeas them.

NeverMore, my childhood memories are the very reason why I love Halloween so much. The pumpkins on 111th and Central Park in my old neighborhood, the shortenign days, the delicious treats, etc. That's what I try to recreate by handing out the treats, going on 'haunted road trips' and carving jack o'lanterns. No, it isn't the same as when I was little, but I still love it. I still get excited about it when the pumpkins are out on display at my local grocer, and I still love to screen classic horror movies during the entire month of October.

Mike

[ramaries69]

I love absolutely everything about Halloween!!!!!!!!! October, is my favorite month!!!!!!

[Pumpkin_Man]

October is my favorite month, too. By and large, Summer is my fav season because of the motorcycling, but hands down, I love October best of all.

Mike

[VanHelsingStandIn]

Deer hunting season, football and halloween. What more could you want?

[Murfreesboro]

Mike, I think "souling" in pre-Reformation England was also a precursor of our TOTing. Poor children would go door to door on November 2, All Souls' Day, and promise to pray for any recently deceased members of the family in exchange for a "soul cake," a kind of cookie or pastry. Of course, the Protestant Reformers rejected all belief in Purgatory, so there was no longer any reason to pray for the souls of the dead after the Reformation. Consequently "souling" died out. But it must have been a lot like TOT, and at the same time of year, too.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I remember reading about 'souling,' and you are right. It was very much a pre curser to ToT, only they did it on Nov 2nd instead of Oct 31st. The belief in Purgatory was one of the reasons why Martin Luthor founded the Lutherin Religion. The Catholic Church was selling indulgences and making money hand over fist. Martin Luthor, who was an ordained Catholic priest at the time, saw that as evil, because it went against what Christ said about the poor entering heaven before the rich. In simple language, Martin Luthor didn't believe that one could buy his or her way into heaven, so after some bitter conflict with his superiors, he founded the very first Protestant Christian religion and started the reformation.

Mike