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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-DEARBORN
39076006965847
A HOLIDAY BOOK
Halloween






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A HOLIDAY BOOK

T
BY LILLIE PATTERSON
ILLUSTRATED BY GIL MIRET
.
72
!
Cit/V.PASV, ILLINOIS
2


This book is for
Bonnie Lee
and
Lillian Dantley
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIDAN
DEARBORN CAMPUS LIBRARY
Holiday Books are edited under
the educational supervision of
5
Charles E. Johnson, Ed.D.
Associate Professor of Education
University of Illinois
THE UNIVERSITY OF AAINGAN
DEARBORN CANT.
jGS
.Pa5-5.66
NOV 18 71 JK
Copyright 1963 by Lillie Patterson
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions
Published in Champaign, Illinois by Garrard Publishing Company
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 63-13626
i


Contents
1. It's Halloween
5
.
.
2. How It All Began .
9
3. The Apples of Pomona and the
Eve of All Hallows
.
16
4. Ghosts, Ghosts, Ghosts
21
5. Witches and Black Cats
26
6. Wee Folk.
32
7. Halloween Customs
from Many Lands .
39
8. Magic Tests, Chants, Charms
47
9. Halloween Comes to America
51
10. Halloween with a Heart
. 61
.






1
It's Halloween
“Let the ghosts and witches out,
Bring the apples in;
Don't you know it's Halloween?
Let the fun begin!”
a
It's Halloween! It's a Witches' Party!
The room is gaily decorated in orange
and black. Grinning jack-o'-lanterns sit in
the windows. Cornstalks stand in the dark
Halloween treats are waiting on
the table. Pictures of witches and black
corners.
cats are all about the room.
5



Some of the guests are playing fortune-
telling games, using apples and nuts. Some
are bobbing for apples. Others are trying
to guess who the people are behind their
masks.
Someone starts telling a ghost story. All
the party-goers, dressed as witches and
ghosts and skeletons, gather in a circle.
The lights are turned low.
“I'll tell you
a story on this chill
Halloween!” the speaker begins. The
Yll


listeners shiver and draw closer together.
“A woman sat spinning one Halloween
night. 'How I wish I had some
company,' she said.
Suddenly,
In came a pair of broad soles, and sat
down at the fireside.
A pair of small legs sat down on the
broad soles.
A pair of thick knees sat down on the
small legs.

W
2



A pair of thin thighs sat down on the
thick knees.
A pair of huge hips sat down on the
thin thighs.
A wee waist sat down on the huge
hips.
A pair of broad shoulders sat down on
the wee waist.
A pair of small arms sat down on the
broad shoulders.
A pair of huge hands sat down on the
small arms.
A small neck sat down on the broad
shoulders.
A huge head sat down on the small
neck.
'What do you
come for?' asked the
woman.
FOR YOU!' cried the strange visitor."
From “The Strange Visitor,” English Fairy Tales
by Joseph Jacobs, G. P. Putnam's Sons.
8



S
2
How It All Began
Ghosts and witches and jack-o'-lanterns
are all part of a holiday thousands of
years old. Halloween is one of our oldest
and most colorful holidays. It goes back
to early times before Christ was born.
Part of the Halloween story comes from
a people called Celts. They lived where
Great Britain and northern France are
9



now.
The Celts worshipped nature and
had many gods. Among their gods were
the sun, and spirits of woods and streams.
The sun god was their favorite. He
marked their work time and their rest
time. He made the earth beautiful. He
made the crops grow.
Every year the Celts held a big festival
on November 1. They celebrated the end
of the season of sun, and the beginning
10


of the season of cold and darkness. This
was the beginning of their new year.
The Celts had no science books. The
cold, short days of winter were a great
mystery. They did not know that the
earth moves about the sun. The coldness
and “disappearance of the sun” filled the
Celts with fear and superstition.
A
superstition is an unlikely belief based on
faith in magic and fear of the unknown.
The Celts made up a story to explain
the shorter days and the sun god's loss
Each year the sun god was
attacked by the evil powers of cold and
darkness. He was held prisoner for six
months. He had to fight to get his power
back. When he won, brightness returned
to the earth.
The Celts called winter the season of
death. Crops, leaves and flowers died.
of power.
11


Winter was ruled by Samhain, Lord of the
Dead and Prince of Darkness. The Celts
believed that Samhain called together all
the dead people on October 31. He told
these spirits what form they should take.
Those who were bad took the form of
animals. The very wicked took the form
of cats.
It was
The festival on November 1 honored
both the sun god and Samhain.
named after Samhain. Let's go back in
time and visit one.
It is October 31, the eve before the
festival of Samhain. The crops have been
harvested and stored for the winter. The
cooking fires in all homes have been put
out. The season of the sun is dead.
Men called Druids will lead the
ceremonies. They are
They are the Celtic priests
and teachers.
12


hanna

The Druids meet high on a hilltop, in
a dark oak forest. The oak is their sacred
tree. The Druids are dressed in long white
robes. They move around a stone altar,
praying. They thank the sun god for a
good harvest. They promise to help him
get ready for his fight.
Fire will help him. Fire is strong and
hot like the sun. Evil spirits fear fire. The
Druids begin a new fire, for the new
season. The fire is sacred, they say. They
throw crops and animals into it. The
Druids dance in circle around the
bonfire. From hilltop to hilltop new fires
light the sky.
Midnight is the magic hour. The season
of darkness begins. Now the Druids honor
Samhain. He will rule for the next six
months. They ask Samhain to let brightness
and growth return to the earth.
a
13





The air is filled with fear and mystery.
The Druids ask the spirits to tell them
what will happen in the new year. Spirits
know the future.
Morning comes. The Druids give a
spark from the sacred fire to the head of
each family. New cooking fires are lighted
in the homes. These new fires will keep
the homes safe from evil spirits.
This festival often lasted three days.
There was much feasting and parading.
Many people paraded in costumes made
from the skins and heads of animals. They
thought this pleased Samhain and kept
away evil spirits.
The Samhain festival was a time of
thanksgiving for the harvest.
It was
time of fear, magic, mystery, and wondering
about the future.
a
It was also the first Halloween.
15



3
The Apples of Pomona
and the Eve of All Hallows
The city of Rome gives us another part
of the Halloween story.
The early Romans also had many gods
and goddesses. One was Pomona, goddess
of their fruits and gardens. The Romans
pictured Pomona as a beautiful girl with
fruits in her arms and a crown of apples
on her head. Some called her the Apple
Queen.
16


was
came
5
The Romans loved holidays. One of
their greatest
for Pomona. Like
Samhain, it
about November 1.
People laid
out apples and nuts for
Pomona. These were to thank her for a
good harvest. The Romans played games.
They held races. Pomona Day was a time
of thanksgiving and joy.
Many years passed. The Romans had a
war with Britain. They ruled Britain for
nearly 400 years, from the first to the
fifth centuries A.D.
The Romans took their holidays to
Britain with them. Customs of the Druid
Samhain became mixed with those of the
Roman Pomona Day. There was one big
fall holiday.
The name Halloween comes from still
another celebration.
The new Christian religion spread over
17


Europe and Britain. In 835 A.D., the
Roman Catholic Church made November 1
a church holiday to honor all the saints.
This holy day was called All Saints' Day,
or Hallowmas or All Hallows.
Later, the Church made November 2 a
holy day also. It was called All Souls'
Day and honored all dead people. Favorite
food was set out for the dead. Bonfires
glowed to light their way to heaven. And
there were big parades. People dressed to
look like saints, angels or devils.
People celebrated as Christians on All
Hallows' Day and All Souls' Day. But
they did not give up their customs from
Samhain and Pomona Day. They celebrated
these the evening before All Hallows.
October 31 became known as All Hallow
Even. It
was still
time of magic,
superstition and the gathering of spirits.
a
18



-
니
​+
구
​



In time, some of the customs from All
Saints' Day and All Souls' Day mixed with
those of Samhain and Pomona Day. The
name of the holiday was shortened from
All Hallow Even to Hallowe'en and then
KAMI
to Halloween.
Each celebration gave colorful customs
to the holiday. Pomona Day gave the
apples and the nuts, the harvest idea.
Samhain honored the harvest too, and
death. It gave the fortune-telling and
magic, the black cats and evil spirits. All
Saints' Day and All Souls' Day also
honored the dead. They gave the ghosts
and skeletons and skulls.
People learned more about science and
nature. They were no longer afraid of
the unknown. Still the old customs did not
die out. Halloween was too much fun to
give up. It just became merrier.



4
Ghosts, Ghosts, Ghosts
On Halloween, many boys and girls
dress in white sheets and pretend to be
ghosts. Long ago people really believed in
ghosts. They thought the dead came back
to their homes once a year, between sunset
October 31 and sunrise November 1.
21



Ghosts who had no homes had to walk
around all night. They would play scary
tricks on people.
“A flash of white in the darkness,
'Who-00-000?
Hoots the owl on the post;
A creak and a groan,
A squeak and a moan,
'O00-00-000!
Comes the howl-
IT'S A GHOST!”
22


Many superstitions about ghosts have
been passed down through the years.
Ghosts can be seen, but not heard. They
never leave shadows or footprints. They
can walk through closed doors, even walls.
They love to live in empty houses. They
travel at night for they are afraid of the
light. To keep ghosts away, one should
wear red or carry a light. Spirits fear
these two things.
The custom of telling ghost stories on
Halloween is very old. People used to
gather around bonfires. They told about
the strange sights they saw on October 31.
One ghost story is
famous that
paintings have been made of it.
It has also been told in music by a
French composer. Camille Saint-Saëns
called his ghostly music the Danse Macabre,
or Dance of Death.
SO
23



파견
​따
​



Every Halloween, says the story, there
is a strange dance in the graveyards. At
midnight, Death raps on the gravestones
to wake the sleepers. All the ghosts leave
their graves and begin to dance. Skeletons
rattle their bones to strange music. On
and on they dance, faster and wilder.
Suddenly at dawn, the cock crows. There
is silence in the graveyard. The ghosts
return to their graves until next Halloween.



5
Witches and Black Cats
“Look out! Look out, boys! Clear the
track!
The witches are here! They've all come
back.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes
People once were very busy keeping
witches away. Most people believed in
witches at one time or another. Witches
26


was
worked magic and were given their power
by evil spirits. Some female witches were
young but most of them were old and
ugly. Male witches were called warlocks.
Superstitions about witches were indeed
strange. It was believed that witches held
big meetings as seasons changed. Two
meetings were very important. One came
on April 30, the eve before May Day. It
called Roodmas in England and
Walpurgis Night in Germany. The other
fell on October 31. Halloween became the
Witches' Night.
What a gay time the witches had! They
flew to the meeting on broomsticks. The
party was led by the Devil.
Witches had special powers
this
night. Heh! Heh! Heh! They laughed as
they thought up all sorts of mischief.
Sickness! Bad luck! Storms! Ruined crops!

on
27


The dancing was a sight to see. Witches
danced in a ring, two together, back to
back. They linked arms, kicking their
heels and laughing. In the early morning,
they rode their broomsticks home.
There were other superstitions. Witches
used their magic to see into the future.
They could change themselves into other
forms. They could even cast spells over
people and change them. They might
change a handsome boy into a frog. Or
they might change a beautiful girl into a
snake. Witches were often in company
with such things as owls, bats, lizards and
frogs.
The witches cooked their magic brews
in big black pots.
These
called
cauldrons. One of William Shakespeare's
famous plays tells of three witches mixing
a magic brew:
1
1
were
28






“Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."


If you want to meet a witch this old
superstition tells you what you must do.
Put your clothes on wrong side out. Walk
backwards to a crossroads on Halloween
night. At midnight you will see a witch.
Black cats were the partners of witches.
Many people were afraid of cats. Some
thought cats were the spirits of the dead.
Others believed that witches changed them-
selves into cats. If people met a cat, they
asked: “Is this really a cat? Or is this a
witch changed into a cat?”
The Irish had many superstitions about
witches and cats. If they began a trip and
met a black cat, they turned back. A
witch was in their path. The trip would
turn out badly. Even today, many people
do not want a black cat to cross their
path.
31



Systy
re
6
Wee Folk
“Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren't go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl's feather!”
William Allingham
Watch out! The fairy folk are about.
32


names.
wear
They go by many
Fairies!
Goblins! Elves! Leprechauns! Brownies!
Trolls! Some
green.
Some wear
bright red caps.
When the Celts became Christians they
hated to give up their old ways. They had
always thought there were spirits in forests
and hills, caves and rocks. The country
folk still believed in these spirits. But they
began to think of them as “Little People.”
They were not as powerful as the old gods
and goddesses, but they were magical.
Halloween was their special holiday time.
Anyone who them would have
strange adventure.
Some were Good Folk. They tried to
help humans. Some were full of mischief.
They liked to play tricks. Others were
evil and did much harm.
The Wee Folk loved music and dancing.

saw
a
ů
33
7


on
Their music had special magic
Halloween. Some people who heard it
went to sleep for a long, long time. Some
followed the music. And some began
dancing, unable to stop. There is a story
told in Wales about fairy music.
A farmer liked music and he liked
adventure. One day he took his fiddle and
set out. It was All Hallows' Eve. The
farmer came to a cave. He heard music
a
and followed the music inside. He was not
seen for a long time. Many years passed.
A shepherd passed the cave on another
Halloween night. He looked in and saw
the home of the Little People. In the
middle of the fairy circle sat the farmer,
still playing his fiddle. Anyone who finds
this cave on Halloween will see him.
The Irish, especially, believed in Little
People. They thought leprechauns lived in
34





Ireland. The leprechauns were
full of
mischief. If you met one, he had to grant
you a wish. You were never to take your
eyes off him, though. If you did he would
trick you.
9
An old folk tale tells about Tom, an
Irish boy, who met a leprechaun one day.
“Follow me,” the little man said. “I'll lead
you to a pot of gold.” The leprechaun led,
Tom followed. Over hills and valleys they

WALAN
301


went. Then the leprechaun pointed to a
bush. “Dig there!"
“I'll run home for a spade," Tom said.
“I'll tie a red garter on the bush to mark
it.” Tom ran home and back as fast as
he could. He could hardly believe his eyes.
Every bush in the field was tied with a
red garter. “The leprechaun has tricked
me," Tom said. "I should not have taken
my eyes off him."
Goblins could be helpful around the
house, but they were full of pranks. They
rapped on walls, and banged pots and
pans. They moved furniture in the night.
Goblins punished children when they
disobeyed. “The goblins will get you,”
parents would say. Goblins sometimes stole
babies and left little goblins in their places.
The mothers had to trick the goblins into
bringing their babies back.
37


man
no
Brownies and elves were helpful. There
were many stories about them.
An old
and his wife had
children to help
to help with their housework.
The brownies decided to help. Every night
they came and worked and danced and
sang. They skipped back home before day-
light. Brownies never like to be seen. One
night the old man and his wife peeped.
They saw that the brownies needed new
clothes. “We'll make some,” they decided.
They sewed little brown suits and caps. On
Halloween night they put the new clothes
out. How happy the brownies were! They
put on the new clothes, but never came
back. Someone had seen them.
you
义​、



7
Halloween Customs
from Many Lands
Most Halloween customs came from the
land of the Celts. This includes England,
Ireland, Scotland, Wales and part of
France. The Druid religion lasted longest
in Ireland and Scotland. Halloween was
most important in these two countries.
39


were
At first, Halloween celebrations
filled with fear of evil spirits. People were
afraid to be alone. So they gathered in
groups.
Sometimes they wore costumes.
They hoped the evil spirits would think
they were other spirits and leave them
alone.
Later, people began to have good times
so they would forget about the spirits. The
gatherings became merrier and merrier.
Only grownups had this fun. Children
joined in later. Finally they took over the
holiday for themselves.
The Celts carried a light if they went
out on October 31. Lights kept away evil
spirits. The lights were lanterns carved out
of big turnips. In later years, children
carved grinning faces on the turnips. Some
called them “bogies.” Some called them
jack-o'-lanterns."
40


The name jack-o'-lantern is from an old
Irish story. Once there was a man whose
name was Jack. He was mean, stingy and
tricky. When he died, he was too mean
to go to heaven. He went to the Devil.
The Devil threw Jack a piece of burning
coal. “Put this inside the turnip you are
eating,” he told Jack. “This will be your
lantern.” Jack is still walking with his
lantern, looking for a place to stay.


The Irish country folk liked Halloween
parades. They went begging in the name
of “Muck Olla.” This was the name of
one of the old Druid gods. The parade
leader wore a white robe and a horse-head
mask. The people stopped to beg at each
farmhouse. “Muck Olla will be good to
you if you help us,” they said. The farmer
and his wife would give them food.
Scotland had many of the Irish customs,
and some of their own. Families paraded
about the fields and villages with burning
torches. These kept the fields and animals
safe from witches and other spirits. They
lighted big hillside fires as the Druids had
done. Each family tried to have the
biggest bonfire.
Sometimes they put on
weird masks. They danced and
sang
around the fire. “Burn the witches!” they
chanted. When the last spark died out,
42


they ran down the hill shouting, “The
Devil gets the last one down!”
Cabbage and kale played a big part in
the Scottish Halloween. Children piled
cabbage and kale stalks around doors and
windows of their homes. They believed
this made the fairies bring a new baby.
The people in Wales also built Halloween
fires. Their celebration was not quite as
gay. They thought much about death.
Each person in the family marked a white
stone and threw it into the fire. Then
they marched around the fire praying. In
the morning, each went to get his stone.
If a stone was missing, there was great
sadness. The spirits were showing that this
person would die soon.
In England, Halloween was nicknamed
Nutcrack Night or Snap
Night or Snap Apple Night.
Families sat before the fires to roast nuts
43


went
1
and eat apples. They told stories and
played games. Most of their games used
apples and nuts which were plentiful then.
On All Souls'
Souls' Day the poor
begging. They called this "going a-souling."
Housewives gave special sweets called “soul-
cakes.” The “soulers” promised to say
prayers for the dead.
After many years, this custom changed.
Children were the only ones who begged.
> >
2


Housewives gave them apples, buns, and
money. The children chanted:
“Soul, soul, an apple or two,
If you haven't an apple, a pear will do,
An apple or a pear, or a plum or a
cherry,
Any good thing to make us merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for the Man Who made us all.
Up with the kettle and down with the
рап.
Give us good alms and we'll be gone."
Some countries celebrated just All Saints'
Day and All Souls' Day and not Halloween.
Their customs were much like Halloween,
though. In France, the bell-man went
about the streets just before midnight. “Go
inside!” he warned the people. “The spirits
are about to arrive.” Everyone went to
45


i
to
see
bed with his eyes shut tight. No one
wanted
these midnight visitors.
French children now beg for flowers on
October 31. They use them to decorate
churches and graves.
In Mexico, cakes and toys are set out
on the evening before All Saints' Day.
These are for the dead children of the
families. Some parents shoot firecrackers
before their homes. These are to light the
way for the souls of the dead children.
All Souls' Day is an important national
holiday in Mexico. It is called the Day
of the Dead. Bakers sell “Dead Men's
Bread” in the shape of skulls. Children
buy toy skeletons and coffins. They eat
candy skulls, candy coffins, and candy
funeral wreaths. It is a strange but happy
time. Picnic parties visit the graves. All
is done in a holiday spirit.
B
46



Joanna
8
Magic Tests,
Chants, Charms
The Druids were great fortune-tellers.
The beginning of their new year was the
best time for fortune-telling. Spirits were
about then and had great power to
into the future.
Halloween became a great fortune-telling
night. People used charms, or magic tests,
to make the spirits tell their future. They
said magic chants to make their wishes
come true.
see
47


People tried to find out many things.
Who is my true love? Whom shall I
marry? What is his name? When shall I
die?
Nut tests were popular. This is an old,
old one.
Put two nuts in the burning
fireplace. Name each for a special friend.
If the nutcracks and jumps away, that
is a bad sign. The spirits are showing
that the friend is not true. The nut that
burns with a steady glow stands for the
true friend.
Apples were as popular as nuts. The
apple paring test is hundreds of years old.
Peel an apple round and round in one
piece. Swing the paring over your head
three times. Throw it
shoulder, chanting:
“By this paring let me discover,
The initial letter of my true lover."
Over
your left
48


row.
The paring should fall to form the first
letter of your true love's name.
The “Three Luggies' is another old
test. Luggies were bowls with handles like
Druid lamps. Put three bowls in a
Fill one with clean water, one with dirty
water, and leave one empty. Each player
must be blindfolded. He turns around
three times then dips his hand into one of
the bowls. This test was used to tell whom
you would marry.
marry. But the bowls might
stand for any fortune. For example, the
bowl of clean water could stand for much
money. The dirty water could stand for
little money, and the empty bowl for no
money at all. Or, the bowls might stand
for jobs, travel, luck, fame, and so
The clean water will always stand for the
best fortune and the empty bowl for the
on.
worst.
49


that year.
“Throwing the Shoe” is another test.
Throw one shoe over the rooftop or some-
thing high. If the shoe lands pointing
toward the house, you will stay at home
If it points away, you will
travel in that direction. If it lands with
the sole up, you will have bad luck.
Many charms were tried to make dreams
tell the future. Boys cut ten ivy leaves.
They threw one away and put the others
under their pillows. Girls put a small
piece of wood in a glass of water. They
slept with this beside their pillows. Many
other things were done to bring on dreams.
Today, even though we don't believe in
chants and charms, they add to the fun
of Halloween.
بالليليلا
int
Huile



9
Halloween Comes
to America
American settlers brought their holiday
customs from the old countries. Some of
these customs stayed as they were. Some
were changed to fit new ways of living.
Americans also made up new Halloween
customs of their own.
Many early settlers came from England.
They were religious and very strict. They
did not have gay parties and celebrations.
51


to
Halloween was the work of the Devil,
they thought.
These settlers brought their belief in
witches. Many real people were thought
be witches. American Indians also
believed in witches. So did the Negroes
who brought their belief in black magic
from Africa.
Fear of witches grew much worse in
the seventeenth century. Special “Witch
Finders” carried on "Witch Hunts.” There
were famous witch trials, especially in the
colony of Massachusetts. Large crowds
came to watch. Persons found guilty were
punished or killed.
It is said that one woman was called
witch because she baked an apple
dumpling. How could she get the apple
inside the dumpling unless she knew black
magic? The woman was brought to trial.
a
52


In court, she made an apple dumpling for
all to see. Only then was she set free.
In time, Halloween became a time for
fun. Colonists gathered at farmhouses on
October 31. Some called it Nutcrack
Night and Snap Apple Night as they
had in England. They sang songs and
told ghost stories. They tried the old nut
and apple fortune-telling tests. They played
such old games as “Bobbing for Apples.”
But Halloween was still not celebrated all
>
over America.
to
Then something happened to change this.
Thousands of Irish people began coming
America. They brought their gay
Halloween customs with them. Americans
liked their games and pranks, their charms
and chants. They made them their own.
The big round orange pumpkin became
a part of this celebration. Pumpkins made
53





exciting jack-o'-lanterns. They were larger
and more colorful than turnips. A light
fitted more easily inside.
The grinning
pumpkin jack-o'-lantern became the king
of Halloween symbols.
An old legend says that at midnight on
Halloween all the pumpkins leave their
vines. They dance merrily across the fields.
A famous American "pumpkin" ghost story
is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by
Washington Irving.
A schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane
lived in a valley called Sleepy Hollow.
People believed that the ghost of a headless
horseman haunted the valley, looking for
his head. One dark autumn night, Ichabod
was returning from a party. At midnight,
he saw the shape of a headless horseman.
Ichabod dashed away on his horse. The
ghost raced behind. Over hills and stones
55


1
ever
1
they galloped. Then the ghost rose up and
threw his head. Crash! It knocked poor
Ichabod from his horse.
No one
saw the teacher again.
Some said he ran away. Others said the
goblins took him. All they knew was this:
they found a broken pumpkin beside his
horse. Someone must have tricked Ichabod.
The head must have been only a pumpkin.
The people from Ireland and Scotland
brought their love of Halloween bonfires.
American children danced and sang around
their own fires.
America grew. Pioneers opened up the
West. Pioneering people were hearty and
full of fun. Their Halloween pranks were
full of fun too. Gay Halloween gatherings
were often held in barns. There were taffy
candy pulls and corn-popping parties.
There were tricks too. A farmer would
56



blin
wake and blink his eyes. His wagon would
be on top of the barn roof. Another
would find his front gate hanging from a
tree. Soap was rubbed over windows!
“The goblins must have done it,” people
would laugh and say.
Housewives started giving treats to keep
from being tricked. Children began ringing
doorbells and shouting, “Trick or TREAT!"
This was much like the begging of the
English “soulers" and the Irish “Muck
Olla” parade.
57


As years passed, tricks became really
harmful. Children all over the country
were harming people's property. Halloween
was in danger of being spoiled.
Then Halloween changed. It was still a
night of fun, but the fun became less
harmful. Children ringing doorbells would
shout, “Trick' for a treat." Halloween
treats would be offered them after they
had done a trick for fun.
Some towns began to plan for Halloween.
Many today plan dress-up parades at
schools, playgrounds or parks. Prizes are
given for the most scary, the funniest or
most fanciful costume. Parties and parades
keep up the custom of Halloween as a
time for getting together.
Boys and girls have learned much about
Halloween safety. They
They wear costumes
made from fireproof material. If costumes
58


are
are dark, they wear a bright spot of color
so cars can see them. They use flashlights
in jack-o'-lanterns to replace candles. Then
they won't cause a fire. This all makes
Halloween safe as well as happy.
Orange or gold, and black the
Halloween colors. Orange and gold stand
for ripe fruits and grain. This harvest idea
comes from Pomona. Black is for black
magic and black cats, for the mystery of
Halloween. This comes from Samhain.
Halloween in America has become a big
holiday for boys and girls. Surprisingly
enough, Halloween is not much of
holiday now in England, Scotland and
Ireland. Americans have been the ones to
keep the holiday alive. Recently they have
found a way of sharing it with the whole
world.
а
59



د



FOR THE WORLD'S
CHILDREN
CEN
es
WILL GIVE A CHILD
FIVE 6 AASSES
OF MILK
UNICEF
10
Halloween with a Heart
In 1950, American boys and girls began
a new Halloween custom. They still dress
up. They still have parties and parades.
Spooks still ring doorbells.
carry milk cartons instead of their Trick
or Treat bags.
“Trick or Treat for UNICEF!” they cry.
But many
61


UNICEF
name
UNICEF was
set up by the United
Nations. UNICEF stands for United
Nations International Children's Emergency
Fund. Recently the
has been
shortened to United Nations Children's
Fund.
The Fund helps children all over the
world. Many of these children are sick,
hungry or in need. The Fund provides
badly needed milk and medicines. It helps
poorer countries to take care of their own
children. Many of these children would
die if no one helped them.
62


American children raise money for the
Fund on Halloween. A small Sunday school
class started it. “Let's share instead of
“
scare," these children decided. They rang
doorbellson Halloween night and asked
for pennies. They collected $36, and sent
the money to UNICEF.
The next year more children did the
same thing. The parade to help UNICEF
grew longer.
“The trick is to treat,”
children found out. Then more and more
children took part. They learned the fun
of treating children all over the world.
Now, millions of children carry the
official orange and black UNICEF cartons
on Halloween. "Trick or Treat for the
World's Children," say the labels.
Pennies, nickels, dimes, sometimes dollars
are dropped into the cartons. The ring of
doorbells turns into the ring of children's
63



*
laughter. The world's children are happy
to get this help.
Children in all 50 states take part.
They sometimes collect over $2,000,000.
.
Halloween has also become United Nations
Children's Fund Day.*
American children got their Halloween
customs from many countries. They are
now giving to
the children of many
countries in return for the customs.
Halloween is forming a ring of friendship
around the world.
Children still have fun on Halloween.
Ghosts still walk. Witches still have their
black cats and broomsticks. Fairies and
elves still dance. Goblins still play tricks.
It is all now done for fun. All of this
can happen on only one magical night,
Halloween.
* Official UNICEF collection and identification materials
are available from the United States Committee for UNICEF,
United Nations, New York.


!



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