Q. Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?
A. He didn't have the guts.
Did you hear about the cannibal who was expelled from school?
He was buttering up his teacher.
Did you hear about the guy that lost his left arm and leg in a car crash?
He's all right now.
Have you seen Quasimodo?
I have a hunch he's back!
How can you tell that a vampire likes baseball?
He turns into a bat every night.
How can you tell when a vampire has been in a bakery?
All the jelly has been sucked out of the jelly doughnuts.
How do you fix a jack-o-lantern?
With a pumpkin patch.
How does a girl vampire flirt?
She bats her eyes.
What did mama cannibal said to baby cannibal when he told her that he really liked his grandfather?
"Would you like another piece?"
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Popular games
There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween parties. One common game is dunking or apple bobbing, in which apples float in a tub or a large basin of water and the participants must use their teeth to remove an apple from the basin. A variant of dunking involves kneeling on a chair, holding a fork between the teeth and trying to drop the fork into an apple. Another common game involves hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings; these must be eaten without using hands while they remain attached to the string, an activity that inevitably leads to a very sticky face.
Some games traditionally played at Halloween are forms of divination. A traditional Scottish form of divining one's future spouse is to carve an apple in one long strip, then toss the peel over one's shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name. Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a skull would appear. The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
Some games traditionally played at Halloween are forms of divination. A traditional Scottish form of divining one's future spouse is to carve an apple in one long strip, then toss the peel over one's shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name. Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a skull would appear. The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
Who is Stingy Jack?
Stingy Jack, perhaps also known as Jack the Smith and Jack of the Lantern, is a mythical character apparently associated with All Hallows Eve. It is common lore that the "jack-o'-lantern" is derived from the character.
As the story goes, several centuries ago amongst the myriad of towns and villages in Ireland, there lived a drunkard known as "Jack the Smith". Jack was known throughout the land as a deceiver, manipulator and otherwise dreg of society. On a fateful night, the devil overheard the tale of Jack's evil deeds and silver tongue. Unconvinced (and envious) of the rumors, the devil went to find out for himself whether or not Jack lived up to his vile reputation.
Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingy_Jack
Two colours of Halloween
It is thought that the colours orange and black became Halloween colours because orange is associated with harvests (Halloween marks the end of harvest) and black is associated with death.Information: http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Halloween/facts.htm
What are "soul cakes"?
The soul cake is an old British Halloween tradition, probably an early English version of the modern custom of giving out treats to youngsters.
Soul cakes are small, sweet buns containing a mixture of fruit and spices - the exact recipe varied between regions. These would be baked for Halloween and given out to those who came to the door. Depending on the locality these visitors ('soulers') could either be children or beggars - or both.
The giving of soul cakes wasn't just an act of charity, it was connected with Halloween as a night of the dead as well as with The Day of the Dead/All Souls Day. Each cake was thought to represent the soul of someone recently departed. In the Christian tradition this would be someone waiting in purgatory, in pagan terms it's more likely to have been a soul trying to find it's way after death. Each cake handed out would assist one such lost soul in finding its way and continuing its journey in the afterlife.
Information: http://www.wyrdology.com/festivals/halloween/soul-cakes.html
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Two traditions of Halloween
Costumes
Halloween costumes originated from the Celts when they lit huge bonfires and celebrated Samhain by dressing up in elaborate animal skins and heads to disguise themselves as spirits and demons so that the real ones couldn't distinguish them as being human. Their ceremonies consisted of dancing, telling stories, and reading fortunes.
Information http://www.halloween-website.com/customs.htm
Halloween costumes originated from the Celts when they lit huge bonfires and celebrated Samhain by dressing up in elaborate animal skins and heads to disguise themselves as spirits and demons so that the real ones couldn't distinguish them as being human. Their ceremonies consisted of dancing, telling stories, and reading fortunes.
Jack 'O Lanterns
The traditions of carving jack 'o lanterns originates with the Celts. A miserable man named Jack, tricked the devil. Unable to enter heaven or hell after his death, he was destined to roam the earth listlessly. Jack placed a piece of coal into a carved-out turnip and used it as a lantern to keep the evil spirits away. Today, pumpkins (which are easier to cut) are carved into jack-o-lanterns, lit and placed outside of doorways for the same purpose.
Information http://www.halloween-website.com/customs.htm
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