Orange and black on Halloween: orange symbols warmth and autumn and black represents cold and winter. Is that it? Yes, it seems to be. Things were simple in ancient times.
"Roughly 2,000 years ago, the Celts' calendar year began on November 1, coinciding with the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter. They believed their new year's eve was a time when spirits of the departed returned and priests could make more accurate predictions about the future, according to History.com. Thus, they built bonfires and wore costumes to deter malicious ghosts. " This explanation comes from www.womansday.com
The transition of note is moving from jack o' lanterns made of potatoes and turnips in Ireland, to being made of pumpkins after Irish immigration to North America. Wikipedia has a picture of a creepy traditional Irish Halloween turnip lantern on display in the Museum of Country Life, Ireland. It looks like a mummy.
The Association for Consumer Research has an article titled: "Halloween As a Consumption Experience". It was published in 1992. The article is HERE. It has specific stories about parents forcing their children into costumes of the parents' choice.
Here's my favourite - a very creepy story:
"Walking through the Caravelle Square Mall, I noticed a large TV stand on wheels that apparently had a fish tank attached to it, judging from the seaweed on and inside the tank. Curiously, as I approached the tank, I saw something move inside. As I stepped closer, the owners of the tank turned it toward me. A sign read "Our Pet Goldfish." Inside the tank to my surprise was a small child whose movement was restricted by a large goldfish costume. The costume covered the child from head to toe with only his face visible.
These parents had dressed their child up like an animal and were now treating him like one. The child thrashed around in the tank trying to break free from the costume much like a dog does when covered by a blanket. The child screamed and cried. He tried to get out of the tank only to learn that the tank walls were too high for him. After a while, the child was released from his cage, and his parents entertained questions on the design from other interested parents. Asked for a picture by a bystander, the parents quickly dumped the child back into the tank. The child wailed out and sobbed uncontrollably until the mother said, "Be a good boy and let the nice woman take the picture."
On the calming side, we have a beautiful view of the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area.
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