Kid’s Craic: Happy Halloween
By Megan Lardie
Did you know that Halloween first started in Ireland? It was not celebrated the way it is today though. Halloween began almost 2,000 years ago as part of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). Samhain was celebrated on the last day of October to mark the end of summer and the harvest, and the beginning of the dark, cold winter.
The cold winter often came with death and the Celtic people believed that on this night, ghosts of the dead returned to earth. People started dressing up as spirits and devils to avoid being taken away by the ghosts at the end of the night.
Trick or Treat
Did you know “Trick or Treating” started in Ireland too? It was called “Souling” and children who were poor went door to door to sing songs and offer prayers for the dead. They then would be given a fruit filled flatbread that was called ‘soul cake”.
I don’t know about you, but I prefer the candy that is passed out today! The trick part was added in the early 20th century when a child would perform a trick if they did not get any treat.
Halloween in Ireland Today
Ireland celebrates Halloween with festivities and costume parties like we have in the United States, and even some pranks. People decorate their houses with vampires, witches and ghosts. They even have a Halloween tree, which is a black Christmas tree decked with creepy and gory creatures.
How do you celebrate Halloween? Did those traditions begin in Ireland too?
Colby Jack-o-Lanterns
Try these for a fun and quick dinner before you run out the door to Trick or Treat!
Ingredients:
Whole wheat sandwich thins
Colby Jack Cheese (or any cheese you prefer)
Butter or margarine
Directions: Preheat oven to 350*. Split the sandwich thins in half. Butter one side and place butter side down on a baking sheet and then layer cheese on top of them. Cut out jack-o-lantern faces on the other slices. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and place jack-o-lantern faces on top of the other half of the sandwiches. Enjoy!
Literature Corner
The Most Frightening Story Ever Told by Philip Kerr
Billy Shivers is a shy boy without a lot of friends. He spends most of his days at the Hitchcock Public Library. When he hears about a competition to spend the
night in the Haunted House of Books, he sets his mind to prove that he is the strongest boy in town! The Haunted House of Books is a cross between a bookstore and a booby trap and its crabby owner only adds to the mystery.
The frights of the store are nothing compared to the ghastly stories it holds. Can Billy stay the entire night and win the competition? Note: Probably NOT a bedtime book!
No Such Thing by Ella Bailey
Do you think there is no such thing as ghosts? You might change your mind after reading No Such Thing. Georgia starts noticing things moving or going missing around the house as Halloween gets closer. Georgia refuses to believe that ghosts are real and is determined to find the source of her missing items.
Lardie’s Laughs
Q. Why do witches fly on broomsticks?
A. Because vacuums are too heavy.
Q. Why did the witch flunk out of school?
A. She couldn’t spell.
Gab in Gaelic
Trick or treat! = Tabhair féirín dom nó buailfidh mé bob ort!
(pron. tour ferr-een dum no booligg bob urt)
