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Halloween, October 31st
Halloween is celebrated in the United States on October 31st, but it is said
to have originated in Ireland. In the United States, as in Ireland,
celebrants carve pumpkins and dress up as scary costumes to visit their
neighbors. There is little recorded history of Halloween in the United
States until the mid-nineteenth century. The Irish Potato Famine (1835-1849)
brought millions of Irish to the United States along with their Halloween
traditions. It wasn't until the 1950's that significant commercialization of
the holiday transformed it into a pop-culture event with mass produced
costumes and the ritual of trick-or-treating became widely practiced.
Children visit neighborhood homes with a greeting "Trick or Treat!". While
there is little expectation that the "trick" will happen if a treat isn't
offered, homeowners are happy to comply. It is customary for homeowners to
leave their porch light off if they are not participating in the holiday.
Popular food items include carmel apples, candy corn, and hot apple cider.
Some families save the pumpkin seeds and roast them with spices for a crunch
treat.
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