Caching Thru the Holidays: Happy Halloween! Traditional Cache
Chickahominy: Thanks for all the finds!
Caching Thru the Holidays: Happy Halloween!
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Magnetic P&G
The first hide in my Caching Through the Holidays Series. Be on the
lookout for the rest of the holidays to be hidden in the Grand
Strand area!
Caching Through the Holidays Series:
Happy Thanksgiving! - Loris - GC2H83Z
Happy Birthday- Loris GC2H837
Happy Easter - Longs - GC2HMDT
Saint Patrick’s Day - Myrtle Beach - GC2HMFC
The Origin of Halloween
Halloween's roots can be traced back to Celtic culture in Ireland.
According to their "Druid" religion, November 1st was New Years' on
their calendar. The celebration would begin on October 31st ,and
last into the following day. The spirits of all who died in the
prior year, would rise up and roam the earth on this night. This is
an evil night when spirits roamed the streets and villages.
Halloween as it is currently celebrated with costumes, trick or
treat, and superstitions, takes from this Druid Holiday.
All Hallows Eve
Halloween was commonly referred to as "All Hollows" Eve. It
originated from the pagan holiday honoring the dead. The Roman
Catholic Church created All Saints Day (also called Hallomas) on
November 1st to honor Saints and All Souls Day on November 2and to
honor and pray for the souls of the dead. These holidays were
created by the church, in part to downplay the pagan holidays.
Needless to say, it did not succeed. Halloween as we know it today,
has grown from the ancient Druid Holiday. Along the way both fun,
frights, and Satanic twists have been added to the mix.
A Really Big Show
Halloween is second only to Christmas in spending. Consumers will
spend over $2.5 Billion during Halloween. That's a whole lot of
candy, costumes, decorations, and party goods.
Pumpkin's Roots
Pumpkins have inhabited the planet for thousands of years. They
originated in Central America. They were used then (and now) as a
food crop. Over the course of centuries, pumpkins spread their
vines across all of North and South America. When Europeans arrived
in the New World, they found pumpkins plentiful and used in cooking
by Native Americans. They took seeds back to Europe where they
quickly became popular.
Did you Know? There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with
orange. Hard to believe for such an important color.
Growing big pumpkins is a big time hobby. And, serious at that. Top
prize money for the biggest giant pumpkin is as much as $25,000
dollars at fall festivals. The current world record for giant
pumpkins is 1446 pounds.
Carving pumpkins is a traditional and fun part of Halloween. The
First Jack O'Lantern The Irish carved Turnips and put coals or
small candles inside. They were placed outside their homes on All
Hallow's Eve to ward off evil spirits. They were also known to use
potatoes and Rutabagas. When Irish Immigrants came to America, they
quickly discovered that Jack O'Lanterns were much easier to carve
out and began using them. This truly neat tradition quickly spread
to the general population in America and elsewhere. Others believe
that the first Jack O'Lanterns came from the Story of Stingy Jack.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)