Halloween Fun Fact: The word “witch” comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman.” In fact, wiccan were highly respected people at one time. According to popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings on Halloween night.

Halloween Fun Fact: Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.

Halloween Fun Fact: The owl is a popular Halloween image. In Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be witches, and to hear an owl’s call meant someone was about to die.

Halloween Fun Fact: According to Irish legend, Jack O’Lanterns are named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell. He was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern.

Halloween Fun Fact: The largest pumpkin ever measured was grown in 1993. It weighed 836 pounds!

Halloween Fun Fact: Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year.

Halloween Fun Fact: Scarecrows, a popular Halloween fixture, symbolize the ancient agricultural roots of the holiday.

We’re celebrating Halloween at the Midtown Mercantile Mall at 4443 E Speedway in Tucson AZ.  We’ll let you in and you won’t even need a costume like these little outlaws!

Carol Fenn 10-2017

Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Saints Day, incorporating some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. 

By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a community-centered holiday, with parades and big Halloween parties as the featured entertainment. 

Over time, Halloween incorporated activities like trick-or-treating and carving pumpkins. As the October nights get colder, people usher in the season with parties, costumes and don’t forget the candy!

 From the 1950s on it has been the golden era of Halloween. There are so many TV and movie character costumes to choose from. Sometimes scary, but usually cute, these costumes bring joy to the kids wearing them and to the adults who open the door, after hearing the words, “Trick or Treat!”

Come on in to the Midtown Mercantile Antique Mall at 4443 E Speedway in Tucson AZ. You just might find a vintage costume or two!

Carol Fenn 10-2017

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Also known as Vaseline glass, uranium glass, which can date as far back as 1830, glows bright green under ultraviolet light. This is because uranium oxide is added to the glass in its molten state. In natural or indoor light, Vaseline glass has a yellow or yellow-green tinge with an oily sheen.  But turn on that black light and you get a glowing green surprise!

If you want to have a unique display on Halloween which will wow your friends and neighbors, all you need is some uranium glass, a place to display it, and a black light.

A lot of pieces together in a glass case could make your home look like Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory! How awesome would that be! But really, just a single piece, glowing eerily, surrounded by pumpkins, spiders, witches or black cats? Well, that would be awesome too!

Come on into the Midtown Mercantile Antique mall at 4443 E. Speedway in Tucson, AZ. We have at least one piece of uranium glass right now in booth #830.

 … And if you look around through our three levels of booths you might find more. Just watch out for ghosts and goblins! And if you come in on a Holiday Happenings weekend between now and Dec. 31, we’ll serve you some punch and sweet treats.  

Carol Fenn 10-2017

The late 1800s marked the beginning of the “golden era” of postcards, which were the text messaging or social media of the day—people sent these greetings for any reason, particularly holidays. This trend lasted until around 1918. 

 Turn-of-the-century Halloween postcards were sometimes frightening, sometimes weird, sometimes cute. Some had fat jack o’ lanterns topped with equally adorable chubby-cheeked children. Others had evil witches. Black cats show up often and were sometimes cuddly, sometimes scary.

The Edwardian romanticism is obvious on these cards. Many almost seem like a combo of Valentine’s Day and Halloween with the professions of love, etc.

One particularly popular superstition for romantic Halloween cards shows a young woman looking into a mirror at the stroke of midnight to see the face of her true love, using the light of a jack o’ lantern.

Some cards might be instructional, saying things like, “On Halloween, take the seeds from a Pumpkin, place them in front of the sofa in the form of a cross – then the Witches won’t bother you.” Or, “On Halloween, Goblins have been known to fly away with Fair Maidens. Therefore ’tis best to have some one hold you and tightly, too, — because Goblins are strong.”

 

These cards are so much fun to collect but they are relatively rare. We do sometimes get them in the Midtown Mercantile Mall at 4443 E. Speedway in Tucson, AZ. Come on in to the mall. It’ll be fun to hunt down some of these charming postcards!

Carol Fenn 10-2017