Halloween
Now, some interesting information about Halloween. The observance of Halloween, which dates back to Celtic rituals thousands of years ago, has long been associated with images of witches, ghosts, devils and hobgoblins.
Over the centuries, the holiday changed from a deeply religious day of respect for people canonized as saints to a day of remembrance for all the dead and the end of the harvest and the onset of winter. Fairies and witches were said to herald the changing of seasons twice a year. People who chased the fairies used to carry turnips carved to hold candlelight, which changed to pumpkins because they are easier to carve. Witches would gather for parties, arriving on broomsticks with black cats at their sides who carried the spirits of the dead. Trick-or-treats began as far back as 370 A.D., according to The Holiday Spot, with gangs of boys good-naturedly calling upon farms for treats, and causing mischief if no treats were given.
In the U.S. the first official citywide Halloween celebration occurred in Anoka, Minn., in 1921. Today, Halloween is the most celebrated holiday next to Christmas, and Americans are spending more and more money for Halloween costumes, tricks and treats than ever before. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend $5.07 billion on Halloween this year, up slightly from $4.96 billion in 2006 and $3.29 billion in 2005. That's about $64.82 per person.
Halloween customs and rituals have changed, but parties, games, pranks and going door-to-door are as big as they were several hundred years ago when Washington Irving wrote, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Though largely marketed as a evening of fun for children, adults are increasingly making the holiday their own. About one-third of adults will dress in costume, throw a party and/or take their children trick-or-treating. They will spend $1.57 billion on candy (about 94.7 percent of consumers), $1.39 billion on decorations, and about $1.82 billion on costumes, including those for pets. The adult age group most likely to celebrate are those aged 18 to 22.
The U.S. Census estimates that approximately 36.1 million children (the estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2006) aged 5 to 13 were available for trick-or-treating in 2006. They have about 109.6 million doorbells to ring, the number of occupied housing units in 2006. Luckily, about 93 percent of those households consider their neighborhood safe, says a 2003 study. To get ready for the holiday, about one billion pounds of pumpkins were produced in 2006 and their value was about $101 million. About 1,198 U.S. manufacturers produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2005, employing 38,718 people and shipping $13.6 billion worth of goods. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments, with 128, followed by Pennsylvania, with 121. Out o 477 nonchocolate candy makers, 73 were in California. Americans ate about 26 pounds of candy in 2006, most of it around Halloween.
Over the centuries, the holiday changed from a deeply religious day of respect for people canonized as saints to a day of remembrance for all the dead and the end of the harvest and the onset of winter. Fairies and witches were said to herald the changing of seasons twice a year. People who chased the fairies used to carry turnips carved to hold candlelight, which changed to pumpkins because they are easier to carve. Witches would gather for parties, arriving on broomsticks with black cats at their sides who carried the spirits of the dead. Trick-or-treats began as far back as 370 A.D., according to The Holiday Spot, with gangs of boys good-naturedly calling upon farms for treats, and causing mischief if no treats were given.
In the U.S. the first official citywide Halloween celebration occurred in Anoka, Minn., in 1921. Today, Halloween is the most celebrated holiday next to Christmas, and Americans are spending more and more money for Halloween costumes, tricks and treats than ever before. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend $5.07 billion on Halloween this year, up slightly from $4.96 billion in 2006 and $3.29 billion in 2005. That's about $64.82 per person.
Halloween customs and rituals have changed, but parties, games, pranks and going door-to-door are as big as they were several hundred years ago when Washington Irving wrote, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Though largely marketed as a evening of fun for children, adults are increasingly making the holiday their own. About one-third of adults will dress in costume, throw a party and/or take their children trick-or-treating. They will spend $1.57 billion on candy (about 94.7 percent of consumers), $1.39 billion on decorations, and about $1.82 billion on costumes, including those for pets. The adult age group most likely to celebrate are those aged 18 to 22.
The U.S. Census estimates that approximately 36.1 million children (the estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2006) aged 5 to 13 were available for trick-or-treating in 2006. They have about 109.6 million doorbells to ring, the number of occupied housing units in 2006. Luckily, about 93 percent of those households consider their neighborhood safe, says a 2003 study. To get ready for the holiday, about one billion pounds of pumpkins were produced in 2006 and their value was about $101 million. About 1,198 U.S. manufacturers produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2005, employing 38,718 people and shipping $13.6 billion worth of goods. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments, with 128, followed by Pennsylvania, with 121. Out o 477 nonchocolate candy makers, 73 were in California. Americans ate about 26 pounds of candy in 2006, most of it around Halloween.
posted by Ken Calhoon at 7:15 AM
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