Halloween...in pictures

I've decided to post a few Halloween pictures over the next few weeks (some old and some new). I'll be offering up free MP3s as well, but not at the same pace as I did during October. I was surprised as I wandered about on Halloween and the day after how many stores had pulled their Halloween stuff without putting it on sale. Usually I purchase a decent amount of stuff pre-Halloween, but then go a bit nuts after Halloween. This year there wasn't much around to buy. It was a bit spooky. Prior to Halloween the stores started putting out their Christmas stuff. This year seemed earlier than usual. On Saturday I was out shopping with my wife, sister-in-law and son and it felt like Christmas was in full swing. Christmas decorations adorned nearly every store and you'd think you were in the middle of December (except there were few shoppers).
What also surprised me this year was how few people decorated for Halloween. Neighborhoods were dark and those who did put something out really limited it to maybe a jack o'lantern and some spiderwebs. Our house had a total of seven trick-or-treaters - sad. I live on a court and the folks at the inlet didn't decorate. It took til you got nearly 1/2 way up the street until some folks put some stuff out. Our house is at the end of the court and up on a hill. You could see the ghosts from fairly far away, but for TOTs it is all about quantity and our street was far from that. Ah well...next year with Halloween on a Saturday I've already decided to have a Halloween party. My daughter asked me about a plastic tombstone I have in the garage. I told her I use it as a mold to create plaster of paris tombstones. (See pic on previous post - that was one of my earlier stones). I'm going to clear out the front of my home (a.k.a. Jurassic Park) and really get this place spooked out. Hopefully it will draw enough attention so we can see some kids in the neighborhood again.

Mark Harvey
(going through Halloween withdrawls)

The History Of Jack O'Lantern

Pumpkin carving is a favorite part of my Halloween celebration. I've grown 'em (about 40 one year) and I've carved a ton of 'em. Few folks really know why or when the jack o'lantern tradition began. So I decided to put a version of the story here for your reading pleasure.

People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o'lanterns.

For years my family and I have headed out to Half Moon Bay to procure pumpkins so as to bring them home to create Jack O'Lanterns. This year will be no exception as I love the tradition my parents gave to me so many years ago.

So there you have it.

Mark Harvey