Show HISTORY HALLOWEEN October HALLOWEEN October 31 It Itis Itis is said that many of the mystic mystic- rites and practices from which the practices of present day Halloween en originated or sprung had their origin among the Druids centuries before the Christian era The name Halloween however is of Christian origin and refers to the eve of All Hallows or all Saints' Saints Day which falls on November 1 l. Among the Druids Halloween was the eve of the festival of o Saman the lord of death who assembled at that time the souls of the wick wick- wicked wicked ed that during the year had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals and decide what form they should take during the next year and into the bodies of what animals they would enter The Jack Jack is supposed to have originated in Ireland According to the story a stingy man named Jack was barred from heaven be he- because because cause of his stinginess and forbid forbid- forbidden forbidden den to enter hell because of his practical jokes upon the devil His His- punishment was that he was con con- condemned condemned condemned to walk the earth with his his- lantern judgment day The practice of putting rings and other objects in cakes originated in Ire Ire- land It has many variations One version consists of a ring a thim thim- thimble thimble ble and a small doll in a cake The Theone Theone Theone one who received the ring would marry within a year the one who received the thimble would never marry There were scores of such beliefs and customs most of oC which had to do with th the successful or orthe orthe the unsuccessful outcome of af affairs af- af affairs fairs of lovers When the early set tiers came to America they brought with them the Halloween customs of their homeland Out of the many observances and practices practices practices tices dating back many years have come the practices and the legends of oC the day The chief difference being that in the modernized ob ob- observance observance observance servance of the day the young peo pea people pIe who observe Halloween do so in a mood mOld of frolic and sport and attach none of the former meaning to the various practices |