Month: October 2022

Candles—Candles are one of the few constants in all versions of Halloween, at all times and all places; even in twenty-first century America, no house…

Calcannon Night— Writing in his Diary from 1828, Humphrey O’Sullivan mentions that Halloween was sometimes called “Calcannon Night,” after the eating of COLCANNON on the…

Calan-Gaeaf— Welsh term for Halloween night; it literally refers to the Calends of Winter, which begins on November 1. SOURCE: The Halloween Encyclopedia Second Edition…

Cake—Cakes and bread were probably first associated with Halloween because of the holiday’s proximity to HARVEST. The 1580 edition of Five Hundred Points of Good…

Cailleach—Means “old woman,” and also refers to the last sheaf of CORN at the end of HARVEST; like the CORN DOLLY, this sheaf was sometimes…

Cabbages (see also KALE)—Cabbage is one of the most important FOOD items associated with Halloween, especially in Scotland. This folk rhyme even seems to make…

Cabbage Night—Name sometimes applied (mainly in eastern parts of the United States) to the night before Halloween, when PRANKING (such as pulling up and throwing…

Bwyd Cennad Y Meirw (Welsh)—FOOD left outside on Halloween to feed the souls of the dead. SOURCE: The Halloween Encyclopedia Second Edition written by Lisa…

Burton, Tim (1958– ) American filmmaker whose films as a director included Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Batman (1989), and Edward Scissorhands (1990), before 1993’s The…

Burns, Robert (1759–1796)—Scottish poet most famed for his contribution to a song celebrating another holiday (the lyrics to “AULD LANG SYNE,” the NEW YEAR’S Eve…