Here come the scary decorations, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and spooky costumes because Halloween is just around the corner! These traditions are what make Halloween fun and exciting year after year. However, did you know that jack-o’-lanterns come from an Irish legend or that trick-or-treating comes from a historical ritual called “souling”? The Origins and Legends Behind Your Favorite Traditions As we prepare for Oct. 31 activities, here are some fun facts you might not know about Halloween! Halloween is based on a Celtic festival. Samhain, a pagan festival held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, celebrated both the harvest and the “dark” second half of the year. During this celebration, it was believed the barrier separating the spirits from the physical world would come down, allowing demons to enter and the spirits of all who passed away that year to move on to the next life. ‘Stingy Jack’ helped evolve jack-o’-lanterns. The Irish myth of a man named “Stingy Jack” goes like this: Stingy Jack invited the devil for a drink, and because he LET’S UNMASK HALLOWEEN:
Skin care is a popular topic — we can always find new trends or tips going viral on social media. However, with rampant misinformation and advertising mixed in, it can be hard to determine which routines are good for your skin and which can be damaging. Let’s look at four toxic skin care trends sure to do more harm than good. Slugging Many social media influencers and even celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian have sworn by coating their faces with Vaseline or another moisturizer to lock in moisture and improve the brightness and complexion of their skin. However, layering a substance on your skin can cause toxins, dirt, debris, and dead skin particles to become trapped, leading to potential irritation, breakouts, and infection — especially for those with oily or acne-prone skin. Physical Exfoliators While natural exfoliation of your facial skin is essential to remove dead skin particles, excess oils, and debris that can clog pores, Navigate Skin Care Trends Safely
didn’t want to pay, he convinced the devil to turn into a coin so he could buy their drinks. However, instead of paying, he placed the “coin” next to a cross in his pocket that prevented
the devil from returning to his original form. Once he freed the devil, Stingy Jack continued to trick him. When he died, God turned away
physical exfoliators such as scrubs containing crushed-up walnuts or apricot pits can be too harsh for your skin, causing micro-tears and leaving your face red and irritated. Instead, try products with milder chemical exfoliants like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs).
Stingy Jack with only coal to light his way, so he placed the coal in a carved-out turnip
Pore Strips and Vacuums Clean pores are the name of the game, but using pore strips or vacuums can be extremely damaging. When using a pore strip to remove blackheads, you stretch your pores, making them more susceptible to collecting debris and dirt. The strips can also contain chemicals that can irritate sensitive skin. The pore vacuum can have even worse effects: broken or dilated blood vessels and bruising. Charcoal Peel-Off Masks Charcoal peel-off masks are advertised as a giant pore strip for your whole face to help open up and clean out your pores. While charcoal is a natural compound, it’s still a chemical and can cause some severe and unwanted skin conditions such as excessive peeling, irritation, burning, and, in serious cases, scarring and infection. With so much conflicting information, it’s paramount to safeguard your skin. Always check with a licensed medical professional before jumping on the bandwagon. Take care of your skin — it’s yours for a lifetime!
to create a lantern. From there, people slowly transformed his “lantern” into the modern- day jack-o’-lantern!
Candy corn was once called chicken feed. Candy corn, which the Wunderlee Candy Company began producing in the late 1880s, is an extremely popular Halloween candy. In fact, today, about 35 million pounds of the candy are sold each year! When the Goelitz Candy Company brought it to the masses at the turn of the century, they called the sweet tricolored candy “Chicken Feed” because so many people worked on farms at the time. Their early ads exclaimed, “Something worth crowing for!”
Now you know! Happy Halloween!
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