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By Rose Hooper
Join in the fun and safe alternative to trick-or-treating at
the annual "Walk Through the Pumpkin Patch"on Friday,
Oct. 31.
The event, for children 12 and under, will begin at 6 p.m. in
the neighborhood behind the old Chamber of Commerce.
Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe reminds trick-or-treaters to
wear some sort of reflective clothing, carry a bright orange bag
and a flashlight or glowstick.
Candy donations of individually, wrapped pieces
are still needed for this Jackson County Recreation/Parks Department
sponsored event and can be taken today (Thursday) to the Rec Center
in Cullowhee. For details, call 293-3053.
In other Halloween activities, Western Carolina University students
from Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church will host a children's
Halloween Party tonight (Thursday) from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the church.
All children of "trick-or-treating age"are welcome to
join. Activities will include storytelling, a costume contest, a
variation of trick-or-treating, and a variety of games.
Shepherd of the Hills is located on the east side of N.C. 107,
just south of Sylva.
Kappa Gamma chapter of Sigma Chi fraternity will sponsor a Halloween
Haunted Trail tonight (Thursday) and Friday, Oct. 31, from 8 p.m.
until midnight.
The trail is located off Edgewater Road in Cullowhee. Visitors
should enter the main campus entrance on N.C. 107 and veer left
to follow Centennial Drive to the red light, turn right onto Central
Drive and continue to the stop sign at the intersection with Old
Cullowhee Road. Continue on Old Cullowhee Road past the bridge
to Edgewater Road on the left.
Admission is $2 for WCU students and $3 for all others. A portion
of the proceeds will be donated to the Children's Miracle Network.
Entries for the Pumpkin Carving Contest should be taken to Blackrock
Outdoor Co. on Main Street.
This first-time contest is sponsored by Blackrock, Jackson's General
Store, Bessie May & Co. and Nick & Nate's. Pumpkins will
be displayed on Main Street through Saturday, Nov. 1.
Race for Schwarzenegger MASKS
"Well, blow me down, matey"if pirates
aren't the rage for costumes this year, thanks probably to Johnny
Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Zorro swashbuckles in as the second most popular Halloween costumes
for boys.
The revival of Charlie's Angels make those characters popular
costumes for girls this year. As always, witches and princesses
remain favorites for girls.
SpongeBob Squarepants are hot this year, according to ABCnews.com.
Arnold Schwarzenegger masks receive top votes, too, but the demand,
especially in California, outnumbers the supply.
Pumpkins Rule
"It's all so confusing,"we've heard parents
say of Friday's celebration.
First, it comes right after the weekend when folks are still getting
adjusted to Eastern Standard Time.
In the past, Jackson County schools have observed Halloween celebrations
but now the trend is to consolidate into fall festivals.
For centuries Oct. 31 has been celebrated as the Last Harvest,
the end of the Celtic year and the Witches' New Year. Since the
1900s, the date has been celebrated as Halloween in the United
States.
But no matter what is celebrated on that date, the pumpkin remains
a fixture here in America where they have been grown for more
than 5,000 years.
Like other members of the Cucurbitacae family, which includes
cucumbers, squash and melons, pumpkins are a fruit, not a vegetable.
References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin
originated from the Greek word "pepon"for large melon.
"Pepon"was changed by the French into "pompon"and
by the English to "pumpion,"which the American colonists
called "pumpkin."
Native Americans called them "isquotersquash"and used
them as a staple in their diets centuries before the Pilgrims
landed.
On All Hallow's Eve it was believed that the souls of the dead
were closest to this world, and it was the best time to contact
them. Pumpkins were carved into jack-o-lanterns and placed on
porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones and to protect
against bad spirits. Burning lumps of coal were first used inside
as a source of light.
In the late 1990s a handful of companies began making and selling
pumpkins made of plastic. Here's the scary part – those products
may haunt for years in local landfills.
But if you are digging into the pumpkin with your own bare hands
to create a personal jack-o-lantern, here's a tip for preserving
the pumpkin's longevity – coat the surface with petroleum
jelly as soon as you carve it. That seals in the moisture. One
reason pumpkins shrivel up is lack of moisture. So if your pumpkin
starts to shrivel up, soak it in water overnight.
If you lose your top, well, actually, the stem, simply carve out
the bottom and place the pumpkin over a candle.
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