Tricks and Treats! (course #666)

[twinflower]

ahh Halloween...that time of year when pumpkins appear with glowing faces, and usually normal children and some adults transform into Wicked Witches and Princess's, superheros and villans, animals and objects..then run the streets banging on doors yelling TRICK OR TREAT and expect to be given candy!!!  And usually not even for doing a trick..just because!

 

Now why in the world do residents agree to this?  Just giving away candy.  Why do responsible parents let thier precious darlings run in the streets this one night of the year?

 

Why do we violate an innocent vegetable like the pumpkin and carve it up?

 

*grins*  Why because it is Halloween!  *looks confused*  but how did this all come about?

 

That's what we will be finding out here in the Trick and Treat course!!!  Many of the practices and traditions of Halloween grew out of superstitions and stories!  Later today I will share with you a story about why we have a glowing Jak o'Lantern!!

 

But what other things about Halloween do we just do without knowing why?  Today we will be making a list of those things!!!

 

What have you ever wondered about?  LOL one of mine is...

 

WHy in the world is the color of Halloween ORANGE?!?

 

*grins*  so ask away and if you know the answer to someones question..jump on in with the answer...but don't be surprised to find out thier may be more than one reason...

 

or that in this time of TRicks...someone tries to fool you with a less than accurate explanation!  *giggles*

 

Miss Danya and SoB will be along toot sweet to lead your class!!!

 

What is it about black cats and ladders?

[twinflower]

*looks around the empty class room*

 

Well it seems our Professor's have been a bit delayed!  No matter!! 

 

Come gather round for a little tale I will tell of how the pumpkin became the Jak o' Lantern!

 

[glow=red,2,300]THE TALE OF JACK"S LANTERN[/glow]

 

It is reported that an Irish blacksmith named Jack had run into the devil in a pub on Halloween night.  Jack had too much to drink and was about to fall into the devil's hands, but managed to trick the devil by offering his soul in exchange for one last drink.  The devil turned himself into a coin to pay the bartender, but Jack quickly put the money in his pocket.  Because Jack had a silver cross in his pocket the defil could not change himself back.  Jack would not let the devil go until he promised not to claim his sould for the years.

 

The devil agreed, and 10 years later, Jack came across the devil while walking on a country road.  The devil wanted to collect, but Jack , thinking quickly, said he'd like the devil to get an apple down from the tree for him.  The devil, thinking he had nothing to lose, jumped on Jack's shoulders to get an apple.  Jack then pulled out his knife and carved a cross in the trunk of the tree.  The devil was trapped and Jack made him promise to never again ask for his soul.  With no way out, the devil agreed.

 

When Jack finally died, he was not admitted to Heaven because of his life of drinking and deciet.  When he went to the entrance of Hell, he waas turned away by the devil because the devil agreed to never take Jack's soul.  Jack had nowhere to go and was instructed by the devil to go back to where he came from.  Jack pleaded with the devil to at least provided him with a light to find his way.  The devil threw a hot coal to Jack straight from the fires of hell.  Jack put the ember in a turnip he was eating to keep it from blowing out in the wind.

 

Ever since, Jack has been doomed to wander in the darkness with his lantern until Judgement Day comes.  Irish children remembered Jack's folly.  When the Irish immigrated to America they brought the tradition with them, but, found that pumpkins were so plentiful they started carving them instead of the turnips.  This is the history of today's Jack o' Lantern.

 

 

A fanciful story!  Although the part about the change to pumpkins is quite accurate.  Pumpkins did become the Jack o'Lantern in America!!

 

Many traditions have been given birth through superstitions.  And while Jack may have met the devil and tricked him, the actual practice of the glowing lantern on Halloween, arose from the belief that spirits walked the earth on All Hallow's Eve.  People carried a glowing lantern to frighten the spirits away...and the scarier the face the better success of keeping the spirits away!!!!

[U4ea]

lol, delayed... you know the rule is 30 minutes for a college dr-ate level professor. After that you can leave... *smirks*

 

How 'bout a treat?

Halloween Black Cat Cookies

 

Enjoy! :D

 

[twinflower]

lol  darn these virtual treats!!!  I want to taste one!!

 

Now i have to go get a cake mix to try that...they sound yummy!