Friday, October 24, 2008

Halloween Gifts

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. It is a fun holiday when children will dress in their favorite costumes and go out trick-or-treating for candies. This article examines the origin of Halloween, and provides some ideas for Halloween gifts.

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Halloween has its origin in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. The festival of Samhain was a celebration of the end of the harvest season, and could be regarded as the Celtic New Year. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundary between the alive and the dead disappeared, and the dead became dangerous for the living by causing illness, damaged crops, and other problems. Costumes and masks were worn at the festival to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.



The name "Halloween" is shortened from All Hallows' Eve as it is the eve of "All Hallows' Day", which is now known as All Saints' Day. Although All Saints's Day now occurs one day after Halloween, the Celts started every day at sunset of the night before. Hence Samhain became "the evening of All Hallows". Traditional activities for Halloween include costume parties, carving pumpkins to make Jack-o-lanterns (carved pumpkin lit by a candle inside), trick-or-treating, or reading scary stories. Irish immigrants carried versions of these tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Traditional characters of Halloween include ghosts, witches, vampires, bats, black cats, goblins, skeletons, pumpkin-man, scarecrow and fictional figures such as Dracula. Halloween gifts often include one of these characters for the festivities.



The Halloween gift basket is a great gift for your favorite trick-or-treater. Most Halloween gift baskets have a Jack-O-Lantern pail since Jack-O-Lantern is the symbol of Halloween. One popular gift basket includes popcorn, candy corn (popular Halloween candy), other Halloween candies, a plush black cat dressed as a witch, a pumpkin carving kit for recipients to make Jack-O-Lantern, and a pumpkin flash light for safety during trick-or-treating. This gift is truly a must have for Halloween!Another version of Halloween gift basket comes with a Halloween puzzle for the kids, in addition to plenty of treats. For more dramatic effects, you can send a Count Dracula gift basket. This basket consists of a plush black bear dressed as Dracula holding on to his favorite chocolate covered pumpkins. The basket also contains many other treats, including Bat Bits of yogurt pretzels, munchies, bubble gums, shortbread cookies, chocolate toffees and peanut butter pretzel nuggets. This gift basket is sure to bring everyone into the Halloween spirit.



For your college students and loved ones away from home, sending them a Halooween care package or gift box will remind them of the fun of Halloween while they were at home. A popular care package consists of a 14" black cat in a pumpkin outfit and lots of all-American favorite Halloween treats in a trick-or-treat bag. Inside the bag are candy corn, chocolate ghosts, microwave buttern popcorn, Halloween peanut butter filled pumpkin, and Halloween candies. Sending the care package is a good way to let your recipients know you care about them.



To share the Halloween spirit, You can leave a gift tote on your neighbors door step, put it on a coworker's desk at work, or send it to your favorite goblin far away. Inside the gift bag is a plush ghost, miniature marshmallow pumpkins, candies, peanut butter cup, miniature candy treats bags, cookies, and 2 creepy crawlers gummy worms.