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Halloween Newsletter from ShowYourPizzazz.com ******************************************************************* In this issue: * Brief Halloween History * Why do we dunk for apples? * Where did Jack-O-Lanterns come from? * Halloween Traditions * Nothing to Fear * Halloween Party Time * Children’s Thought of the Month * Featured Party Place * Show Your Pizzazz News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BRIEF HALLOWEEN HISTORY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The word Halloween actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes for the words All Hallows Eve. November 1, All Hallows Day, or All Saints Day, is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. However, in the fifth century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. This was the day of the ancient Celtic fire festival called Samhain, which means All Hallow tide, the feast of the dead, signalizing the close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season. Samhain was the New Year to the Celts. The end of summer, or Halloween, was significant to the Celts because it meant the time of year when their lives changed radically. The cattle were brought down from the summer pastures in the hills and the people were gathered into the houses for the long winter nights of story – telling. The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land of eternal youth and happiness. They did not have the concept of heaven and hell that Christian church has today. They believed Samhain (or Halloween) was the time when the living could communication with their deceased loved ones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHY DO WE DUNK FOR APPLES? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celts thought that the presence of the spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. We learned about many of the fortune telling practices associated with Samhain through folk tradition. Among the most common were interpretations of omens dealing with marriage, weather and the coming fortunes for the year. These were performed through such methods as dunking for apples, and apple peeling. Dunking for apples was a marriage fortune telling method. The first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year. Apple peeling was a prediction to see how long your life would be. The longer the unbroken apple peel, the longer your life was destined to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHERE DID JACK-O-LANTERNS COME FROM? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This custom probably comes for Irish folklore. As the tale is told, a man named Jack, who was notorious for being a drunk and a trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved an image of a cross in the tree’s trunk, trapping the devil up the tree. Jack made a deal with the devil that if he would never tempt him again, he would promise to let him down the tree. According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed – out turnip to keep it glowing longer. The Irish used turnips as their “Jack’s lanterns” originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack –O-Lantern in America was a hollowed out pumpkin, lit with an ember. However, this myth was obviously started some time after the original Celtic fire celebration since Christianity, along with Heaven and Satan, had not yet been introduced to them. Another possible origin for the turnip Jack-O-Lantern is that it was simply a way to keep the ember burning longer as the Celts returned form the bonfires.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have more questions about Halloween? Visit www.ShowYourPizzazz.com to find the answers to these (and more) fascinating Halloween questions:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOTHING TO FEAR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sung to: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" Ghosts and goblins, cats and bats, We're not afraid of this or that. They are only make-believe, Funny costumes on Halloween. Ghosts and goblins, cats and bats, We're not afraid of this or that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HALLOWEEN PARTY TIME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We have really stepped up Halloween this year. You will find every costume you could possibly think of including adult costumes, infant costumes, pet costumes, plus size costumes and more at www.ShowYourPizzazz.com. You can also choose from a super scary selection of paper goods and set a spooky Halloween table including creepy plates, colorful Halloween napkins and a spooktacular selection of cups and light up ice cubes. Be creative and decorate your party room, school, restaurant, cafeteria or office with our oversized decorations. Don’t forget the Scary sound effects, foot tapping music and creepy mood setters. You can even find a Halloween Karaoke video at www.ShowYourPizzazz.com! Be SAFE this Halloween! Flashing, Blinking, Sparkling, and spooky sounds...Light up your party with Halloween LED Party Items. Glow in the dark necklaces, bracelets, rings, straws, cups, fingers and anything else you can think of are all available at www.ShowYourPizzazz.com. Have a birthday or special occasion near Halloween? Don’t worry we are still offering the most exciting party favors available. Just visit www.ShowYourPizzazz.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHILDREN’S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear God, I didn’t think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday night. That was really cool. Ben ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FEATURED PARTY PLACE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Amazing Science, in San Diego CA, aims to amaze you and your child's party guests hands-on at our wonderful and unique birthday parties. They incorporate a theme of your choice along with their company mascots: Mollie and Michael Molecule that make Science learning so much fun and enjoyable. They show 8-10 demonstrations that are chemical reaction and optical illusion in nature. Some demonstrations include: erupting a volcano, changing a color, and Dry Ice. The birthday child and his/her guests also get to make and take a fun project like Slime home (other choices offered). Goody Bags with science toys are included. Your child will feel like a real scientist by being able to wear a lab coat and assist with some of the demonstrations while also teaching some Science concepts to his/her friends! Visit Amazing Science at http://www.amazingscience.org/ or view our other party places at http://www.showyourpizzazz.com/partyplaces.html If you have a favorite party place, fill out the form at http://www.showyourpizzazz.com/partyplaces.html to share that info with all of our friends. We are compiling our favorite party places and will be featuring a party place in each newsletter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHOW YOUR PIZZAZZ NEWS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our last newsletter included a contest for $50.00 worth of Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Gift Certificates. Congratulations to Kimelaine of Imperial Beach, CA for being the lucky winner. Keep an eye out for new and exciting contests! We want to hear from you! What do you like about the site and newsletter? What do you want to hear more about? What could you do without? Have a favorite recipe you would like to share? Or how about a unique party idea or party picture? Send us an e-mail at TonyaRenay@ShowYourPizzazz.com Tonya Sease (858) 382-5825 TonyaRenay@ShowYourPizzazz.com Disclaimer: This holiday e-newsletter is sent out to our customers & friends. Thank you for supporting Show Your Pizzazz! There is no obligation to receive this newsletter. You will remain on the list unless you request removal. If you wish to be removed, simply click on reply and say, "Please remove me from this list." Feel free to forward this newsletter! To subscribe, please e-mail me with "Subscribe" in the subject or visit www.ShowYourPizzazz.com , click on the newsletter tab and enter your e-mail address. |
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