By Amanda Keblar, Gator Galaxy Staff

BOO! Halloween is almost here. Zombies, ghosts, vampires, and goblins will be lurking around the corner waiting to jump out and scare you in order to steal all those sweets in your bag. You also have to look out for Jason, Freddy, and a crazy Texan with a chainsaw. But how did Halloween get its name and traditions?

What’s In A Name?

According to Ezinearticles.com, Halloween originated from the Celtic holiday called Samhain. It was celebrated in Ireland and Scotland during harvest time for thousands of years. The holiday included a large festival where fruits, vegetables, grain, and animals were burned as gifts to the gods in a big bonfire. They hoped by doing this, the gods would grant them a good and successful new year. It was also believed that the dead would come back and walk among the living, and the living could ask the dead questions about the future. Since they believed these spirits were evil, the living wore costumes with animal heads to scare the spirits and protect themselves.

Christianity spread to the Celtic lands, and in the seventh Century, Pope Boniface IV declared November 1st to be All Saints Day, otherwise known as “All Hollow’s Day.” All Saint’s Day was to celebrate the holy saints and martyrs of Christianity. This is how October 31st came to be known as All Hollow’s Eve, or Halloween.

What’s a Jack-O-Lantern?

Ezinearticles.com also talks about an Irish folktale about a man called “Stingy Jack.” Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him and then tricked the Devil into turning into a coin so the Jack could pay for the drinks. But instead of paying for the drinks with the coin, Jack put the coin in his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back. When he finally freed the Devil, it was under the condition that the Devil could not bother him for one year or claim his soul if he died.

A year later, Jack had another encounter with the Devil. This time he talked the Devil into climbing up a tree to pick fruit. When the Devil was up the tree, Jack carved a cross into the bark so that the Devil couldn’t get back down. He then made the Devil promise something else, to not bother him for another ten years and still not claim his soul if he died.

When Jack finally died his soul went to heaven and God would not allow him to enter. But since the Devil promised Jack he wouldn’t claim his soul if he should die, he couldn’t enter Hell either. The Devil took pity on Jack and sent him off into the darkness with a lump of burning coal to light his way. Jack carved a turnip to put the coal in and began wandering the Earth.

The Irish referred to ghostly figures as Jack of the Lantern, which then became Jack O’ Lantern. People began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into the windows of their homes or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits.

Then in the 19th century, many Irish migrated to the United States bringing their tradition of carving turnips or potatoes with them. They soon found that pumpkins, already associated with ritualistic festivals, were easier to carve, bigger, and more plentiful. That’s why today’s Jack-O-Lanterns are usually made from pumpkins.

Trick-or-treat?

On Halloween, little boys and girls come knocking on doors with bags or small pumpkin shaped containers for candy and treats. Then they go home to check out their haul of sugar-coated sweets. Tootsie rolls, Reese’s, Candy Corn, and many others are some of the most popular of the many Halloween candies. Savingadvice.com says Americans spend $21 million on candy each year and Halloween is the holiday when the most is sold. But people are really getting creative with their treat giving.

Want to give out healthy treats? Check out the grocery store’s snack section for possible treats that are a bit more nutritious. Many are individually wrapped in one-size servings and any that you don’t give away, you can put in lunches so you don’t waste your money. You can also get nut assortments, cheese and cracker packs, fruit cups, fruit rolls, and sugar free gums.

Soda is another possible alternative to candy. With the dwindling number of trick-or-treaters in many areas, this can actually work out to be less expensive that purchasing several bags of candy. Again, none will go to waste since it’s already something you buy for yourself. These treats are especially fun for smaller children since they add a lot of weight to their trick-or-treat sack.

For the young trick-or-treaters, coins may be an option. Kids under the age of five will think receiving a pack of 10 pennies wrapped in Halloween plastic is a neat treat. Or you can place pennies in a large bowl and sprinkle a handful into their trick-or-treat bags when they come by.

Another alternative to giving away candy is to give away small items like balloons, pencils, erasers, pencil toppers, plastic spiders, plastic rings, or stickers. Although this may not be an alternative for this year, it certainly will be starting the day after Halloween when you can get all kinds of Halloween-themed items at discounted prices.

The added bonus of using non-food items is that you don’t waste any of the items you buy. If you purchase candy, you have to eat it yourself or it will go bad. With stickers or small toys, they can be reused for next year.

Where did you get your costume?

Everyone wants a great costume on Halloween. You can easily go out and buy one at the store, or you can get creative.

Good with a sewing machine? You can search for Halloween costume patterns, make your own, and have a one of a kind costume. If you have any costumes collecting dust in your closet, consider trading with a friend. Or, try looking at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army for a dirt-cheap costume or buy a whole outfit and alter it into something totally different. You can also use that old prom dress and be a princess.

I’m too old to Trick-or-Treat!

Have a party! You can invite your friends and give awards for the best-carved pumpkin, best costume, or best Halloween treat. During the party have creepy music playing to set the mood. You can also split into teams and wrap one teammate up in toilet paper and see who has the best looking mummy. You can also bob for apples, or carve apples to look like shrunken heads.

Charades is always a great game to play where each person has to act out a different Halloween-themed topic. Instead of hot potato, you pass an apple or a small pumpkin. Have a scavenger hunt around your neighborhood. Instead of asking for candy at each door, ask for the items on your list.

Or you could simply have a group of friends over and watch scary movies together and help give out the candy.