The Times

Issue date: 10/26/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Juan Quintana

It is the day where witches, ghosts and goblins come out from hiding places as millions of dressed up characters creep up door to door to ask one simple question: "trick or treat?"

Oct. 31 -- known as Halloween -- has more attached to it then a simple piece of candy. This day has more superstitions and wicked phenomena than any other day.

Its financial impact is as daunting on the wallet as walking alone on this day in a cemetery. The prices of costumes and decorations go as high as anyone is willing to spend. The cost of candy to feed those characters can break the wallet as well, but it's what adds to the holiday.

Weeks before this day, Halloween shops begin to open all over the cities to help people everywhere find their split personality, whether it is Spiderman, a playboy bunny or a bloody pirate with or without the parrot.

Halloween is the only time during the year anyone can wear anything and it will be admired instead of judged.

Psychology Professor, John Suler said in the Seattle Post:

"If they give a quiet person a costume that is exhibitionistic and flamboyant; One theory states that our personality operates in polarities. There is our conscious self that we present to everyone during our everyday life -- but then there is a hidden side to our personality which may be the exact opposite."

As people of all ages attend their events for the evening one thing is clear on this particular day: don't let a black cat cross one's path; don't walk under a ladder or bad things could happen including coming home to find someone TP'ed your house; or even worse, someone or something could have jacked your candy.

Remember to let the screams begin with haunted houses, forests and mazes located all over Houston. If that doesn't scare the pants off of you, then all of the old and new scary movies are shown all week long. "Here's Johnny" -- The Shining is always a good choice. This is how the holiday is celebrated today, but the history of this holiday makes it even more interesting.

Some traditions are the ever-popular Halloween parties, where bobbing for apples are commonplace, telling ghost stories and making houses as scary as possible for guests. The outside of the houses are usually decorated the same for those who wish to walk door to door.

The tale of Halloween began about 2,000 years ago in a land that is now Ireland that was then inhabited by Celtics; they began celebrating "Samhain" on this day as a goodbye to summer and a welcome to the new harvest.

They would wear heads and skins of animals and would attempt to tell each other's fortunes.

This holiday, now called Halloween, hit the United States when European immigrants began to venture over here.



What we now know to be some of our Halloween traditions came to be custom in 1846 with the potato famine in Ireland. Many Irish immigrants came to the States with their customs of the holiday.

Halloween continues to sweep the world every year with its mythical and magically wonders. So whether one celebrates it at home, at a party, walking door to door or the way the Celtics once did, just remember in the words of William Shakespeare "Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world," Have a safe and Happy Halloween.

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