Halloween

October 31, 2009

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Profile America — Saturday, October 31st. Beware — it’s Halloween, or more properly, all Hallow’s Eve, the day before the Feast of All Saints. According to Celtic tradition, it’s a time when witches, ghosts and other unsavory characters walk the earth for a day. For years, Halloween was eagerly awaited by youngsters, who would dress up in whatever was handy and make the rounds of the neighborhood, begging for candy with the empty threat “trick or treat!” Now, more formal parties are being held, and grownups are just as apt to wear a costume as children. Fads come and go, but the jack-o’-lantern, made from a real pumpkin, remains popular. U.S. farmers grow just over a billion pounds of pumpkins a year. Illinois is by far the leading producer, followed by California, Pennsylvania and New York. Profile America is in its 13th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p. 529
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, CB09-FF.19
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/014211.html