Boo! It’s Halloween

If youre seeing more Halloween costumes, candy, and jack olanterns than in years past, its not just your mind playing tricks on you. The holiday of ghouls and goblins is bigger than ever, with Americans spending an estimated $7 billion on the holidaysecond only to Christmas in sales. With the observance of "days of the dead" in other countries and an abundance of scary things to see and do right here in Queens, Halloween shows no signs of heading into the grave.
The Origins of the Ghost
Halloween was brought to America in the 1840s by Irish fleeing the potato famine. Since about 700 B.C., the Druids, a Celtic religious sect whose members lived in ancient Britain, Ireland and France, practiced the custom of dressing in disguise to conceal themselves from spirits returning from the dead on October 31, or "hallowed eve." Over time, the term was abbreviated to "Halloween."
The Halloween Monster
Halloween is the nations third biggest party day, after New Years Eve and Superbowl Sunday. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spend $2 billion on Halloween candy alone. The next largest Halloween expense is costumes, with $1.5 billion worth of witches, devils and Disney characters expected to be sold this year.
How did Halloween get to be such big business? One theory is increased parental involvement in the holiday since the candy-poisoning scares of the 1980s. Trick-or-treating was abandoned by many people in favor of private Halloween parties around that time, according to Marc Beige, president and chief executive officer of Rubies Costume Company in Woodhaven, the countrys largest manufacturer of Halloween costumes.
"People had to come up with a substitute, a party where you could control the environment," Beige told The Queens Courier earlier this month. "Adult parties started around then, too, and thats the origin of todays Halloween."
And once adults got into the act, their dollars boosted Halloween sales beyond anyones nightmare.
Witches Around The World
Halloween is mostly celebrated in the United States, Canada and Ireland. But many other countries have their own holidays in which the dead are said to mingle with the living.
In Mexico and Latin America, November 2 is the Day of the Dead. A three-day celebration starting October 31 leads up to the festival, which honors deceased relatives who return to their homes at this time of year. Relatives graves are tidied and decorated for their journey home, where family members build a shrine to their loved ones that includes photographs, flowers and candles. On November 2, the celebration ends with a family picnic at the deceased persons grave.
Things To Do In Queens
Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Boulevard in Douglaston, is holding a special carnival for the tiniest trick-or-treaters, ages 2-4. Halloween crafts, games and snacks will abound. The first session is from 1-2 p.m., and the second session is from 2:15-3:15 p.m. Admission is $6 for members, $8 for non-members. Pre-register by calling (718) 229-4000.
Jackson Heights Beautification Group will hold its 13th annual childrens Halloween parade, which is billed as the second largest Halloween parade in the city. Line-up starts at 4:30 p.m. at 88th Street and 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights and the parade begins at 5 p.m. At the end of the parade route, volunteers will hand out goodie bags to the children.
The Annual Health Plus Halloween Walk for children 10 and under will take place from 3-6 p.m. at the Roy Wilkins Family Center, 177th Street and Baisley Boulevard in Jamaica. Kids can have their photos taken, get candy and prizes, and a gift all for free. For more information, call (718) 491-7028.
The 22nd Halloween-Fest-On-Mall will be held by the 207th Street Block Association from 4-7 p.m. at 208th Street and 42nd Avenue in Bayside. The event is free and geared to adults and children alike.
Happy Halloween!
Although Halloween is meant to be fun, there are some basic tips parents and children should keep in mind when getting ready for the big night out:
Check your childs candy before letting them eat it; anything with an opened wrapper should be thrown out. Some hospitals will even x-ray candy for free.
Black costumes should be adorned with some reflective markings so that drivers can see you. Carry a flashlight.
Jack olanterns with candles in them should be far enough away from trick-or-treaters so that costumes wont accidentally be set on fire.
Costume props such as pitchforks should have smooth edges so that nobody will get hurt.
If using dry ice in a punch bowl, make sure that any dry ice chips are kept out of drinks, as dry ice can be harmful if ingested.
Keep your pets indoors; Halloween is an excuse for some people to hurt or steal animals, especially black cats.
Keep candy wrappers away from dogs and cats, as they can get stuck in your pets digestive tract.