home with Sarah and Sunil. I know you know that one. So you wonder very suspicious. I like that song.
I was actually dancing that song. You know this. Oh, we've had fun. Well, you know this is one of my favorite holidays coming up to you.
Oh, goodness, it is. I know you've got a costume laid out already. Sure. I'll have to reveal that in a later day.
Yeah, I know. I know. I know. I love Halloween.
Yes, you do. Not just because of the candy. I just love it. I have many great memories of Halloween of years passed with my parents and growing up.
And I just love it. I've got some good memories of it too. Yeah, it's so fun. So Friday, you know, if you live in a neighborhood for trick or treating, turn that line on and be ready.
So you don't want them leave a line off just a nice. Yes. Yes. So the song superstitions.
There are some superstitions that go along with this holiday. Probably quite a few. We're going to touch on a couple of those. And then we're going to dive into some talk about candy, because who doesn't love me?
I mean, Halloween and candy go in and in. Candy's expensive this year. Truly a special talker, which is my go through. Yes, it's expensive.
Yes. So there may be less people ditching it out. More lives are going to be off this year. I don't even know.
But I wanted to talk a little bit about some traditions they go along with the fall season and harvest festivals and Halloween. Yeah. So I've got a question. Have you ever bobbed for apples?
Oh, my goodness. The last time I did that was maybe sixth grade at our carnival at school. I will never do it again. I mean, it's kind of gross.
Well, at that time, I didn't think about it. But I would do it now. No, but yes, I have. I know, me too.
You know that. OK. But there's a reason that we even do this. I just did it because the game was there.
I think there were like prizes. Right. And it's harder than you think. It is.
It's really hard. So let me tell you a little bit about bobbin for apples. This is actually based on a Roman festival. OK.
You know, won't come ago. But Pomona, the goddess of fruit and orchards, it was celebrated around November 1st. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Well, thanks. I mean, I've already jumped to this argument. Oh, yeah. Romans believed that the first person to catch an apple while they were bobbing would be the first person to get married in the new year.
Now there's going to be a new activity of waiting for sale. Is that a catch of them? OK. It's like the first apple.
Yeah. Yeah, that's right. I like it. They also believe that apple deals held like the secret to true love.
Oh, that is a superstition. Yes. According to a farmer's almanac, the love lorn, those that are longing for love, would tail an apple in one long, unbroken piece and throw it over their shoulder while they were being spun around. And the shape of how the peel fell on the ground represented the first initial of their future loves.
Quite a minute. The person had to be spinning around while they did it. This is coordination. OK.
You've got to peel the apple in one long, unbroken piece. Then I'm spinning around and I throw it over my shoulder and how it lands is the initial of who I'm going to marry. Yeah. Oh, that's a lot.
Well, thankfully, neither of you are active. That's a lot. But hey, for our single listeners out there. Hey, it's worth a shot.
I don't know. But I did not know that's how bobbing for apples came from. No, I didn't either. All right.
You ever carved a pumpkin? I checked the pumpkin. I made you once. OK, this is a yearly ritual for us.
It's messy. No, it's so fun. You've got to clean up afterwards. You do.
But it's worth it. But do we know why we did that? No. OK, well, I'm going to tell you.
OK. So in ancient Ireland, people, that thing would hollow out turnips. They didn't have pumpkins. They would hollow out turnips.
Well, we carved a turnip. And they would do it to like a scary kind of face. A small. Smaller.
Yeah. And kind of scary. You do a lot of them. And they would like them.
Like we still do today, right? And place it in their window or the doorway of their home, believing that those carvings would scare off like evil spirits. And they might become the deceased loved ones that they could revisit them that one night only. Oh, because they had the car turnips outside?
Yeah. So this is why I said that. So they brought this tradition over. In the early 1800s when there was a big migration of people from Europe and Ireland to the United States.
But it's changed because there were obviously more pumpkins or easier to carve. And there was more plentiful pumpkins. And now it's just turned into a fun activity that families do. I like that pumpkins were easier to carve.
That's fine. Oh, yeah. They were. I mean, I guess you could still carve a turnip if you want.
If you want to. No. But I don't know. We're going to carve a pumpkin for sure this weekend.
Oh, OK. Now I'm going to ask you about Halloween, Katie. Do you have a favorite? Well, when I would trick or treat as a child, it would be chocolates.
I love the houses that gave out the little mini chocolate bars. So I try to have those at my house, too. Yeah. I agree.
And I don't know if your house did this when your kids were trick or treating. But when we get home, they have to sort it out. Like you put the chocolate together and then all the fruity stuff together, because if you don't, their flavor's milled. And it's just not that good.
Hey, it's for real. Try it. How long does it have to stay together? Not long.
No. OK. But Halloween, Katie was not always as popular as it is today. The Halloween, Katie, really, has only been around about 100 years.
So in the 20s and 30s is when this kind of transition started with trick or treating. And it became really popular in the 1950s, all because there was a sugar shortage. And they could make the smaller candies more readily with less sugar. What were they having before they had cut up turnips?
Well, there is another story here. But in the early 1800s, people baked what they called soul cakes, kind of like a shortbread kind of biscuit thing. And they gave those out to children and poor people on the night before all saints day. And that's how trick or treating that started.
So they gave out little cakes. That would be a lot of water. It would. So it's over the years has transitioned into what we know.
What do you wear? They're making up mini cake for everybody this time. There was also a time where people gave out. We talked about apples, hazelnuts, chestnuts, things like that.
But it hasn't always been candy as we know it today. How do you feel about candy corn? I can take it and leave it. I don't just want to have it, but it doesn't gross me out either.
I got you. I think people are in the game of don't like or like. Yeah, I'm weird. I'm neutral.
Well, I like it. My kids like it. Especially like it with peanuts. It tastes like a payday candy corn.
So candy corn was one of the first candies that was widely distributed at Halloween. And this came about in the late 1880s and early 1900s. And when it was invented, people called it candy corn because it looks like chicken feet. We can see it.
And at that point in time, over half of Americans still formed. So it makes sense to them. So they made candy that looked like chicken feet. Hence today, we have candy corn.
Yes. All right, so this one's going to speak to you any vote because we like chocolate. Hershey's milk chocolate bars and Hershey's kisses to a full of love. We're made in the early 1900s.
But those were not always given out as traditional Halloween trick or treats because they were expensive. Like today. Yeah, we're coming back around to that. When they were admitted, chocolate was considered a luxury item.
So it wasn't until it became mass produced. In factories that became affordable to those of us in the general public. And people started giving that out at Halloween, starting in the 50s. It's interesting, though, because chocolate's always been readily available to us and once upon a time.
Yeah, we can't imagine a life when there wasn't. You know, Hershey's chocolate bars or kisses. Right. Because those are two things that you often find in your kids' trick or treat.
So sugar became more affordable. And then that kind of helped transition it from the fruits and nuts and things like that. I thought this was really interesting, too. The sugar rationing during World War II is when they started giving out more of the small candies.
So that was what transitioned into what you actually said earlier about the fun size. Oh, so they used to get the big candy bars? I guess so. Oh, wow.
Or fruit and nuts. Yes. So they could actually not use less sugar and make the smaller size bars and make them more important. Sorry, kids.
I figured out how to save money on sugar. Oh, no. But I'll take whatever anybody wants to do. I want you to kind of guess how much money was spent on Halloween candy in 2022.
Come on. Millions. How much did you say? Millions.
Millions. Yes. All right. Grompix and knock your socks off.
OK. In 1922, according to the National Retail Federation. 1922? I'm sorry.
2022. Oh, I do. 2022. Yes, 2022.
The National Retail Federation said that $3 billion was going to be spent on candy. What the B? No, I wouldn't guess that. $3 billion on Halloween candy.
So there are a lot of people that like Halloween, not just you. Right. And I mean, my kids don't trick or treat anymore. But I'm going to have candy.
Right. Right. So Friday night Halloween. Yes.
Are you going to be lights on or lights off? Lights off. Just be honest here. No, I hate you.
We're Halloween scruges at my house. But not all the time. When we do have candy, nobody comes. Yeah.
We are in a neighborhood now where you may or may not get sugar treated. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I live in the country.
So no one's trick or treat. But I will have candy for my bigger kids. Yeah. And I feel like we'll probably be carving some pumpkins and doing probably watch the movie.
Yeah. And we buy the candy. We'll be eating the candy. So we'll be contributing.
This was from 2022. So the price of candy has gone to it anymore. Oh, yeah. It's going to be a whole lot more than that.
Yes. So listeners, however you choose to celebrate Halloween, it's fun to think back on how these traditions got started. And to have fun with your families, or if you're going to stay home and turn the light off, maybe find you a good Halloween movie a lot. Have a bag of candy for yourself.
Yeah. However you choose to celebrate. Maybe do the Monster Mash. I don't know.
Go the roller dance. I'm right. But have fun and enjoy. And hey, guys, next time we talk to you, it'll be November.
Good, great. We'll be talking turkey and holiday. I'm already talking turkey in this episode. So I'm jumping ahead.
But in the words of Bob Marley, I know he loved Trick or Treat. Do they trick or treat? Do they have? I don't have a zap.
I don't know about that. But he would have enjoyed it if they had candy going and all these miniatures. Candy bars. But he would want us to live the life we love.
And love the life we love. Happy Halloween, I get. Yes. Happy Halloween.
Bye, everybody.