Here are some tidbits and lore on the interesting origins of Halloween which are not widely known. This can help you start a conversation with a Halloween party guest you’ve been dying to meet.  If you’re hosting a party, you can make a booklet on your PC to hand out as party favors. Illustrated with Halloween icons, Gothic fonts or scary photos, adds to its value as an unusual memento and trivia collectible.

The Celts were the first Halloween celebrants, around 2900 B.C., although the name of the original celebration was Samhain. The occasion of Samhain was to mark the end of their year, October 31, probably relating to the end of harvest. However, the Celts also believed that the dead had their day each year on Samhain, allowed to roam the earth, sometimes disguised as animals. This put a little spookiness into the harvest season.

The Celts were pagans at this time. One of the customs on Samhain was to collect and exchange food to appease the gods and keep evil spirits at bay. To this end, they dressed in costumes, wearing and brandishing scary masks, designed to frighten off these evil spirits, in much the same way gargoyles were later used on churches. Bonfires were also customary, as an added measure to ensure the evil spirits did not gain a foothold in their community. So costumes, masks, pumpkins and treats were an integral part of the history behind Halloween from the beginning.

Christians converted the pagan Samhain celebration into a Christian celebration of Halloween, followed on November 1 by All Saint’s Day. This cleverly served to divert the offerings to pagan gods and point celebrants in a Christian direction. This strategy did, eventually succeed.

Over a period of hundreds of years, Halloween gradually picked up superstitious myths and stories, still hanging on to some of the pagan rituals and ideas. Thus, today’s ghost stories passed from generation to generation, became part of the history of cities like Atlanta, Savannah, New Orleans and San Diego, which are rich in supernatural folklore. 

Around the 1980s, adults celebrating Halloween came back in vogue. Although most adults still don’t go trick or treating, due to the typically chilly reception they receive, they do attend adult Halloween parties where the host provides the treats and everyone gets into costumes, just as the ancient Celts did.

Say, how about a Celtic Halloween costume?  That would turn up some interesting conversations!

Roseate Spoonbills

There are several reasons why the state of Florida is so popular with bird watchers. Birding in Florida contributes to the tourism economy of the area and brings in 2 million bird watchers each year. The diversity of habitat, its mix of temperate zones and its fortunate position as a point on migration routes have resulted in the documented sightings of over 500 species of birds, many of which are rare.

The most famous trail was introduced by The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to encourage conservation and to attract visitors. Named The Great Florida Birding Trail, it runs for 2,000 miles across 489 sites. There are guide books with maps and highway signs to guide visitors along the trail. Various eco-tours like Everglades Day Safari play an important part in birding in Florida, by educating the public and touring the natural habitats of various species.

The range of birds seen in the state encompasses the tiny Hummingbird, up to the majestic Bald Eagle and other hawks. Most North American birds on the east choose Florida as their winter home, just like people! On Lloyd’s Tropical Bike Tour in Key West, there is the opportunity to see Whooping and Sandhill Cranes, Osprey, Pelicans, and Roseate Spoonbills up close and personal. Birding in Florida is enjoyable throughout the year with resident birds and migratory species. The residents are spotted all of the year and migrating birds are usually seen from mid-April to mid-May or in October.

Everyone can get involved with this fascinating hobby. Both state residents and non-residents can participate in Wings Over Florida, a program that awards people according to the number of different species they observe. The idea is to identify as many native birds as possible and win a certificate at five different levels. The first level is for 50 birds and the last level is for 350. This brings the competitive spirit to birding in Florida. The state bird, the Northern Mockingbird may appear on the list.

Florida is to be commended in its work towards conserving bird species and encouraging residents and visitors to celebrate the wide range of bird life. There are several refuges and sanctuaries to this end, and which you can tour, including the J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island,