What $9.1 billion and Apple Peels Have in Common

When I walk in our neighborhood with our labradoodle Max, I see some neighbors decorating their lawns with skeletons for Halloween. We usually associate this holiday with dressing up, children trick and treating and carved pumpkins. But why skeletons? To find the answer, I checked “The History of Halloween – Dark Origins of the Holiday”. It was a rather long read, so I will share with you some fascinating tidy bids.

The origins of Halloween go back two thousand years, to the Celtic celebration of the Samhain holiday. One of the beliefs of that time was the veil between the living and the dead, especially thin, so people could communicate with their loved ones who had passed away. Perhaps this explains the skeletons. After the Romans conquered the Celtic territory by 43 A.D., the holiday spread and combined with other traditions, superstitions and holidays. The Christians adopted it as “All Souls’ Day” or “All Hallows” and later it became known as Halloween.

In the 1700s and 1800s, unmarried women performed rituals on Halloween in hopes of finding a husband. Single ladies used to throw apple peels over their shoulders, hoping to see their future husband’s initials in the shapes they made where they fell.

Trick-or-treating skyrocketed in popularity by the 1950s when Halloween became a true national event. Today, over 179 million Americans celebrate the holiday and spend about 9.1 billion dollars annually in the process.

If you would like to learn more, just read the stories available at the highlighted links provided above.

Meanwhile, enjoy some of Halloween decorations that  I photographed earlier!