Halloween

While not an official holiday, the traditional October 31 Halloween celebration is much beloved by children in the

United States, for whom the day is a chance to don costumes— often depicting ghosts, goblins and other "supernatural" creatures—and to collect candy and other treats from adults.

Today, the two most prevalent Halloween customs are costumes and "trick-or-treat."

While an estimated 36 million American youngsters dress up as “spooky” or supernatural characters—ghosts, witches, skeletons and the like—the purpose is not to promote the occult, but to collect candy.

The costumed children, usually accompanied by their parents (who often wait discreetly in the background) appear at their neighbors’ doors shouting "Trick or treat!" The neighbors, feigning fear of such

scary ghosts, vampires and zombies, quickly distribute the treats, so as

to avoid any possible "trick."

A third custom is the decoration of a pumpkin by scooping out the

inside, carving out a face and illuminating the result with a candle. Today, these “jacko’- lanterns” are purely decorative but they originated long ago in Britain, where turnips were used, and the “jacks” were believed to ward off evil spirits.

Test your Halloween knowledge with this QUIZ!!!