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Beware. Witches are coming to a neighbourhood near you. Witches and ghosts, goblins, black cats and pumpkins. Why? Because the spookiest day of year is drawing near -- Halloween. And the spookier the botter! In fact, the ghiouish superstitions and customs associated with Halloween have made it inta one of the most widly.celebrated holidays of the year. Today's Halloween offers something for everyone. No longer just for ldcls, familles are getting involved during this spooky season and planning creative and fun activities for ail ages, anytime during the harvest month of October. Whether it is hosting Halloween celebrations for family and friends, or decorating in and around the bouse, Halloween is becoming more of a bome-based day filled with as much scary excitement as ever. Season decorating in particular bas become a very common way ta begin Halloween festivities well before Oct. 31. For niany, Halloween-time provides an ideal opportunity ta indulge in the spookier side of life and Halloween decorating belps create the perfect mood for all of the seawss aunted fun. Regal Greetings & Gifts bas compiled the following facts and background about Halloween and its best-known traditions. What does the Word "Halloween" niean? 'Halloween' means'lioly' or 'hallowed' evening and falîs on Oct. 31, the evening before 'AUl Hallows' or ',AIl Saints Day' (the day that Christians honour their saints). Where* did the holiday originate? Today's Halloween traditions actually stem from an early pagan harvest festival tbat felI on the last day of the year on the old pagan calendar, Oct. 31. Historians tell us Halloween day served a triple purpose: biddling good-bye ta summer; welcomning wnter; and rernembering the dead. What 18 the history bebind 'trick-or-treating?' Trick-or-treat- ing bear hundreds of years ago as an ish custom. It is believed that on Ail Souls Eve (al Hallows-Eve) groups of Irish farmers, cbildren and the poor would go from bouse to bouse begging for hand-outs or 'soul cakes' (the terni used for food g-in out on this night). Today, trick-or-treating is perbaps the best.known and most-practised Halloween activity. Each Octaber, cbildren right across Canada dress up in fun and colourful costumes and go door-ta.door in searcb of Halloween candy and other treats. Why do children dress up in costumes at Halloween?, Custom states that when cbildren used ta go begging for ' soul cakes' or food on Halloween, tbey would often dress up in each otber's clothes (boys wearing girls' clotbing and vice-versa). Addtionally, some cbildren and adults wore masks ta participate in the activities. How do gbosts'and goblins fit in wlth Halloweee? On this special nigbt, it was believed that spirits -and gbosts of those wbo bad died were allowed ta walk about. Based on this belief, one of the important customs in the ancient observance of Halloween was the lighting of great bonfires on hilltaps, done ta offer a warm welcome ta good spirits and ta provide protection against evil spirits released on this night. What is the significance of the pumpkin? To protect their homnes from evil spirits on Halloween, people begain hallowlng out turnips and pumpkzfls (symbols of the barvest), and placlng -lighted candles inside ta scare spirits from the bouse. These pumpkins became known as jack-o-lanterns after the tale of an Irish mnan named Jack who bad played practical jokes on the devil and was condemned ta wander around the world carrying a lantern ta light his way. What does Halloween inean today? Like inany traditions, Rogers Cablesystems will again bave, a ' Pumpkin Patrol' in the area this Halloween. Rogers will be using its trucks and vans, identified with signs featuring the "Punipkin Patrol" logo, as a safety patrol between 5:30 and 9 p.m., on Monday, Oct. 31. Employees bave volunteered their time ta patrol the streets Halloween is a celebration that bas cbanged with the times. Gone, for exazaple, la the idea that it 18 a one-night event for kids .only. Today's Halloween bas developed beyond the customary trick-or-treating into a whole season of spooky fun in wblch young and old alike can take part in a variety of old and new traditions. Today, Halloween means dressing up in fun and colourful costumes, transformning Our homes into spooky retreats and talng part in seasonal activities with family and friends. Stay sale Oct. 31 For Halloween, here are some important safety tips from Stay Alert ...Stay Safe, the national streetproofing organization founded ia 1987 and funded through the Canadian Tire Child Protection Foundation. 1. Wear makeup instead of a mask se you can see properly. 2. Go trick or treating with family or friends. Let people know your route. 3. An adult sbould check the treats you collect bofore you eat them. A. Walk -- don't run; and look ail ways before crossing the street -- trick or treat on one side.of the street, then the other side. 5. Only go te homes with their lights on. 6. Don't go anywbere wi th a stranger. 7. If someone invites you alone inta a bouse, say "No, thanks." 8. A flasbligbt will help light your way. 9. You'll walk more easily in a short costume. 10. Know wbere the Block Parent homes are in your area. The Pumpkin Patrol returns They will keeping an eye out for children and watcb for anything suspicieus. Vehicles will be in radio contact wlth the local -police department in case of aicident, lost children, vandalism, or any other problems that may arise. Rogers Cablesystems' Pumpkin Patrol bas overated in several cities across Canada since 1987. a On Saturday, Oct. 29, thousands Of volunteers, concerned citizens, local dignitaries, IGA owners, managers and staff will join together in communities across Ontario for IGA's second annual Hornetown Trees Day where 20,000 trees will be planted in one single day. It's ail part of IGA's worldwide Hometown Trees program ta plant, 100 million trees by the year 2000. The prograin was launched asat year and resulted in more than 12,000 trees being planted across alone. "Our tree.planting activities were a buge success Iast'year, exceeding our most optimistic expecttions, "says Tlm Carter, viceprsldent of public affairs, the Oshawa Group, wholesaler ta IGA. More than 160 IGA stores across Ontario will participate in local tree-planting activities in their communities. Eacb stare will be responsible for planting 100 tbree-foot white ash trees witb some stores planning ta plant even more. Pick your o*wn apples North East corner of* Wcstncy & Taunton A Family Outing Mclntosh Cortland Snow Red Deliejous Talmon Sweet Spy IGA tree*planting Saturday y Spartan Empire 'p O bê~'I ~ f<1C)t.~C? ~ ~ ~ ~<'1lis1V! Page 16, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, October 26, 1994 The ghoulish tradition. continues Art c"xG KDS 0 KéEP*ING HaLLOWeEN SaFe FOR MON$TeRsr P*,Rales, ZOMBIeS aND, W*ITCHeS. Don ' t be surprised if on Halioween night you see a Rogers Cablesystems van in your neghbourhood. Ite s Rogers Pumpkin Patrol, staffed by employee volunteers patrolling between 6:00 and 8:30 pm. In cooperation with schools and local police, the Rogers Pumpkin Patrol is working to keep Halloween safe and fun for all those witches, ghosts, and little monsters out trick or treating. Pick up your free reflective Rogers Pumpkin Patrol trick or treat bag at a Rogers Cable Centre near you. Rogers Pumpkin Patrol - watching out for kids' safety on Halloween night. R QG ERS Cablesystems You'Il see more from us. unicd '19