Lift your with this great Activity Book. Halloween History Halloween is one of the oldest traditions in the world and it has changed so much through history. Over 2000 years ago, the tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as a time to honour all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into what it is today, a day of activities, such as trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, donning costumes and eating treats. Find Your Way Through This Pumpkin Maze Trick or Treat? Trick or Treating can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It was believed that loved ones who had passed away would walk the earth on the night of Samhain. People dressed up in costumes in an effort to repel the spirits and left out their favourite foods. This is Sweet Popularity where the tradition of trick or treating originated. Statistics show that chocolate is the most popular Halloween treat by a landslide, then followed 90 Million by lollipops and gummy Pounds sweets! of chocolate are sold during Halloween week alone Trick or Treat Myths Sweets make children hyper. Studies have found no link between sweets and Hyperactivity! Instead, researchers encourage parents to look at the environment and events surrounding the sweets. Eating lots of sweets in one sitting will cause cavities. Cavities are caused by bacteria in the mouth. Eating a large amount of sweets in one sitting will not cause cavities. However, frequent indulging is what causes the cavities. Halloween Tricks Trick time with these fantastic Halloween riddles & jokes! 2. How do you 1. The person spell candy in who built it sold 2 letters? it. The person 3. Why don’t who bought it skeletons like never used it. The parties? person who used it never saw it. What is it? 5. I am wrapped but I am not a gift. I remain in a chamber and I am 6. What do great treasure to you call a 4. I have no those who find me. skeleton that feet to dance, What am I? makes you I have no laugh and eyes to see, I giggle when have no life you’re sad? to live or die but yet I do all three. What am I? Both come out at night! at out come Both 7. A funny bone funny A 6. A mummy A 7. How are 5. Fire 4. They have no body to go with! go to body no have They vampires like false 3. C and Y and C teeth? 2. Coffin 1. Answers A Spot Of Colouring Pumpkins with ghoulish faces and that are illuminated by candles are a sign that it is Halloween! Did you know that the practice of decorating ‘Jack-o'-lanterns’ originated in Ireland? The Irish carved faces into large turnips because of the folktale about a man named ‘Stingy Jack.’ This is where the name Jack- o'-lanterns comes from! The Tale of Stingy Jack Stingy Jack invited the Devil in to have a drink with him and didn’t want to pay for his drink. He convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin in order to buy the drinks. Once the Devil turned himself into a coin, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket. He placed the coin next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Later on, Jack agreed to free the Devil but under a couple of conditions. The devil would not be able to bother Jack for one year and, should Jack die, he would not be able to claim his soul. The next year, Jack tricked the Devil again. He convinced the Devil to climb a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While the Devil was climbing the tree, Jack carved the sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down. The Devil wasn’t able to come down until he promised Jack that he would not bother him for another ten years. When Jack died, God would not allow him into heaven. The Devil, who was upset by Jack’s tricks and unable to claim his soul, would not let him into hell. The Devil sent Jack off into the night with burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming Earth with it ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack Lantern.” In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips and placing them into windows to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. True or False? 1. During World 2. Samhainophobia War 2, giving out is the fear of apples on Halloween. Halloween was banned because they were in such short supply. 3. The word “witch” comes from the Old English wicce, 5. Black cats are meaning “wise adopted less than woman.” other cats due to 4. In the Czech the superstition Republic, the surrounding the country's president felines. addresses the nation every Halloween wearing a costume. 8. The name 'Halloween' is not pagan but actually comes from the 7. The owl is a Catholic church. popular Halloween image. In Medieval 6. In Italy, Europe, owls were priests are not thought to be allowed to witches, and to hear True 8. perform an owl's call meant True 7. weddings on someone was about False 6. Halloween. True 5. to die. 4. False 4. 3. True 3. 2. True 2. 1. False 1. Answers Halloween Wordsearch Halloween Quiz 1. The first Jack O’ Lanterns were made out of what? A) Turnips B) Watermelons C) Pumpkins 2. How many witches were burned at the stake in the Salem witch trials? A) 13 B) 20 C) 33 3. What does the word Hallow mean? A) Spirit B) Spook C) Saint 4. What is a group of witches called? A) Coven B) Witchlet C) Blackhole 5. Count Dracula is based on a real person from history—what was his name? A) Vlad the Impaler B) Vlad the Spiner C) Vlad the Pincher 6. Who wrote the novel “Frankenstein”? A) Bram Stoker B) Robert Louis Stevenson C) Mary Shelley 7. What is the other, traditional name for a broomstick? A) Besom B) Broom C) A Fork 8. Which country celebrates The Day of the Dead instead of Halloween, which includes the tradition of passing a live person in a coffin through streets? A 10. A A) Russia B) Mexico C) Germany 9. B 8. A 9. What is the traditional Scottish name for Halloween, which 7. C derives from the name of Celtic god Samana? 6. A 5. A A) Samhain B) Samletin C) Samlupen 4. C 3. B 2. A 10. What is the day after Halloween called? 1. A) All Saints B) Christmas Day C) Day of the Dead Answers: Ghost Stories Treasurer’s House, York The most renowned ghost story associated with York is that of the Roman Legion marching through the Cellar of Treasurer's House. In 1953, a plumber working in the house saw a band of Roman soldiers, visible only from the knees up, marching through the cellar dressed in rough green tunics and plumed helmets, carrying short swords and spears. After scrambling up the cellar steps to safety he was met by the house's curator who on seeing his face exclaimed, "You've seen the Roman soldiers, haven't you?“ Talbot Hotel, Northamptonshire The stonework of the hotel is said to come from the ruins of nearby Fotheringhay castle, Oundle, where Mary, Queen of Scots was executed in 1587. The staircase at the hotel is thought to have come from the castle and it's said that Mary walked to her execution down those stairs, leaving her mark by gripping onto the staircase to keep her balance. Mary's ghost has apparently been seen on several occasions walking down the staircase and a picture of her execution has allegedly been known to suddenly jump off the wall where it hangs. Ghost Stories The Vampire Rabbit of Newcastle Newcastle's 'vampire rabbit' sits menacingly above the ornate arched doorway of a 20th century commercial building. Found beside St Nicholas's Churchyard in Newcastle, the presence of this fanged, wild- eyed, blood-sucking beast is something of a mystery. Local legend has it that the fanged beastie once attacked grave-robbers and sucked their blood. Others say it was meant to be a hare (possibly symbolising Spring and the coming of Easter) whose ears were put on backwards. Black Shuck Tales of the monstrous black dog known as the Black Shuck have long been part of local folklore in the towns of Bungay and Blythburgh. He is said to roam the coast and countryside of East Anglia. The legendary beast first made his mark on 4th August 1577, during Sunday service. He was said to have burst through the doors of Holy Trinity Church to a clap of thunder, taking the lives of a man and a boy. As he left, he scratched the surfaces of the north door, and strange burn- marks can still be seen there today.