Time to Buy Some Reese’s

You can't escape it. Halloween is coming. Candy piled high in the stores. Why do we love this holiday? There is an inner child in us, and Halloween gives us a chance to play. It is not just children who don costumes. Grown-ups like to dress up as much as the little ones, and Halloween is a great excuse. You never know when a bank teller or a grocery store clerk might try and trick you with a clever mask or witch’s hat.

Halloween yard decor has reached new heights, literally. They are hard to miss — the skeletons that tower 12 feet tall. Skelly is the nickname given to the famous oversized skeleton that has haunted neighborhoods since its 2020 debut at Home Depot. Some creative people give Skelly new life by adding a Santa hat at Christmastime.

Sadly, our neighborhood aged out of Halloween — no children to ring our doorbell and delight us with their clever costumes. We, of course, have candy (Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups), just in case. No problem with leftover candy at our house. It somehow disappears.

If you want to look for ghosts, the Amelia Island Museum of History offers a history-based ghost tour starting in front of the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church cemetery at 6 p.m. Friday evenings. There is an additional ghost tour offered on Saturday, October 26. Reservations can be made online. Turns out Amelia Island’s ghosts are friendly ghosts; they just hang around because they have unfinished business. 

Where did it all begin? The origins of the annual trick-or-treating can be traced to Ireland, where it originated. It was an end-of-summer celebration when the dead revisited the mortal world, and huge bonfires were built to ward off evil spirits. In present-day Ireland, adults and children dress up as creatures from the underworld (ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches, and goblins), light bonfires, and enjoy firework displays. The children knock on doors to gather fruit, nuts, and sweets. Houses are decorated with turnips.

The word Halloween has a Christian origin, dating back to 1745. Hallow means saints, and "een" means evening, so they eventually combined into our current Halloween.

Halloween did not become a holiday in our country until the 19th century. The migration of two million Irish following the potato famine in 1845 brought the holiday to the United States. Halloween became big business in the 1950s. Stores began to sell decorations, costumes, and greeting cards. Halloween has become one of retailers' most profitable holidays next to Christmas.

Doing some research, I discovered the most popular treats are Reese’s and Snickers. Works at our house. What are the most popular costumes this year? Influenced by the movie, Beetlejuice-inspired costumes are number one. Other winners this year? Minions and no surprise, Taylor Swift. I don't think I will try Swift, and stick to my witch hat.

So enjoy the Halloween celebration — maybe grab a mask or witch’s hat and pile that candy bowl high.