Month: December 2016

By Ashliana Rodriguez

Halloween, also known as All-Hallows Eve, originated 2,000 years ago by the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain in Ireland, the UK and Northern France.  Celebrating the New Year and the day of the dead, Celtics believed the ghost of the dead returned to the land of the living.  The Celtics built bonfires to burn sacrifices such as crops and animals to the Celtic deities.  They wore costumes such as animal heads and skins and tried to tell one another’s fortune.  When night came they relit the bonfire to protect them from the winter that was coming.

When Christianity spread through the Celtic lands, it was believed that the Christians tried to replace the festival with a church stationed holiday.  The Christians had a similar holiday to the Celtics festival, but it was held on Nov. 2 called All Souls Day.  They dressed up as saints, devils and angels while having parades and bonfires.  Additionally, there was All Saints Day, which was held on Nov. 1, the night before the Celtic festival of Samhain.  Eventually, All Saints Day turned into All-Hallows Eve, and finally, Halloween.  By this point, Halloween was known throughout all of Europe, and Europeans immigrating to America brought the idea of Halloween with them.

Protestants were skeptical of Halloween, so the holiday was limited throughout the colonies.  It became more common in Maryland and Southern colonies.  The American Indians were there when the Europeans immigrated, so the two cultures combined their versions of Halloween.  By the nineteenth century, immigrants spread throughout America.   Americans took the idea of dress up and going door to door asking for food and money from the English and Irish, which is  now known as “trick-or-treat.”

Halloween eventually turned into more of celebration of parties and handing out candies, losing its religious and superstitious aspects.  It has evolved throughout the years from celebrating the change of seasons to dressing up and collecting candy.

Today, Halloween is the country’s second largest commercial holiday.

By Sophia Xiao

Here, the smell of pumpkins and irresistable chocolate fill the night.  There, it’s the aroma of candy skulls and tortillas.  Elsewhere, the smoke of burning incense swirls through the air.  Every culture seems to have their own unique “Halloween,” yet each and every celebration commemorates the same people: the dead.

Observed primarily in Mexico and Latin American countries, Days of the Dead refers to the three-day celebration from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.

“Nov. 1 is All Saints Day, which is usually for all the babies and children who have passed away,”  explains Spanish teacher Edith Sousa.

Nov. 2, Day of the Dead, is for the rest of the deceased.  People build altars, clean graves and decorate the cemetery with candles, papel piacdo and marigolds.

“Everyone gets together in the cemetery, but it’s not a day of sorrow and it’s not a day of being scared or scaring people,” clarifies Ms. Sousa.  “For them it’s a day that their spirits come back to earth to spend time with them.”

In the Philippines, people also celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day because of the area’s strong Catholic roots. However, in much of the rest of Asia, cultures have their own holidays for honoring their ancestors.

“For example, in Qingming Festival, a lot of our family comes together to the place where our ancestors are buried.  We clean their graves and give offerings to them such as fruit, candy, and burn paper offerings for them… so that they can have these things in the afterlife,” recounts sophomore Emily Liu about different Chinese holidays.

American Halloween still vaguely represents the original idea of appreciation for the afterlife, but its core essence, unlike most other countries, is no longer about the dead.

“But it’s commercial and people like it.  It’s fun, and so for adults it’s a time to party; for kids it’s a time to get candy,” laughs social science teacher Joshua Berry.

“I think it’s cool that Halloween is spreading out to all these different cultures, and that’s something that can bring all of us together in a way,” agrees sophomore Karely Ruvalcaba.

By Jen Luu

Remember when you were a child, exhausted after an endless Halloween adventure of scouting your neighborhood in search of candy?  You and your friends settle down, pouring a stream of vibrant treasures that range from lollipops to chocolates to gummies.  As you exchange a KitKat for a Milky Way, a familiar movie appears on the TV that signals the resolution of a hectic night.

Classic Halloween movies that people know and love from the late 1990s to the early 2000s have declined in popularity.  Despite the end of an era, these movies still evoke a fond sense of nostalgia to those who grew up watching them.  Spongebob’s Halloween special conveys the tale of how Spongebob fears everything, ultimately earning him the nickname “Scaredy Pants.” Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular portrays how a group of teenagers temporarily abandoned a little girl, Hannah, in a haunted house.  Hannah meets her Scary Godmother and becomes acquainted with several monster friends, proving her bravery to everyone else.  In Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends’ “Nightmare on Wilson Way,” Bloo attempts to inflict fear upon everyone through tacky tricks.  Little does he realize that his traps backfire as zombified versions of his friends haunt him throughout his schemes.

These beloved movies that once characterized our childhoods serve as a warm contrast to the transition to adulthood.  They remind us of the simple pleasures of being a kid.  In the midst of meeting the demands of high school, don’t forget to embrace the nostalgic Halloween spirit!

By Syed Rahim

Like millions of Americans nationwide, you’re probably trick-or-treating this Halloween.  And, like those millions of Americans, you’re probably salivating over the thought of free chocolate.  But for some with concerns over their health, the holiday poses a tricky question: is it possible to stay healthy while still enjoying Halloween?

“Nutritionally and dentally speaking, the modern-day Halloween is kind of a disaster,” says Harvard Health contributor Andrew Wehrwein.  “Certain kinds of candy may be hard on teeth, apart from promoting cavities.”

Mr. Wehrwein isn’t alone.  Among concerned parents and pediatricians across the globe, the same words are echoed.  And if that isn’t enough, increasing amounts of research show that candy can cause cavities and erode tooth enamel, stacking on yet another layer of stress to parents and guardians.

If you’re reading this and worrying about a few extra pounds, don’t throw out your costume just yet.  Halloween, much like the chocolate it celebrates, is multi-layered:  a hard, discouraging exterior is soon met with a rewarding nougat center.  To put it in less confusing terms, a healthy Halloween is possible with simply hard work and calorie counting.  For example, a fun-size Snickers bar contains 80 calories.  A nice 20 minute walk around the neighborhood will burn 50.  A brisk seven minute run will burn 80.  Balancing your intake with a healthy regimen will ensure your fitness.  If your health is a concern, strap your running shoes onto your Hans and Franz costume and jog an extra lap around the neighborhood.  In time, you’ll find a reward sweeter than any candy.