Building Your Future in the United States The Immigration Insider
October 2018
From the Desk of
Clare Corado
Every day is a holiday when you celebrate these days in October!
1. International Day for the Elderly
16. Bosses Day
apples bats & chicken feed S ecret O rigins of H alloween T raditions
17. National Pasta Day
2. NameYour Car Day
18. No Beard Day
3. National Boyfriends Day
19. EvaluateYour Life Day
4. National Golf Day
20. Brandied Fruit Day
5. WorldTeachers’Day
21. Count Your Buttons Day
What’s scarier than being at a Halloween party without a good costume? Being at a Halloween party without anything interesting to add, of course! Avoid this nightmare scenario by learning the fascinating history behind everyone’s favorite Halloween traditions.
6. World Card Making Day
22. National Nut Day
7. Bald and Free Day
Where did all these bats come from?
23. TVTalk ShowHost Day
8. AmericanTouch Tag Day
Halloween decorations tend to rely on scary or supernatural themes. Cobwebs, skeletons, and ghosts crowd the scene, but there are usually a few bats in there as well. Compared to jangling skeletons, these little mammals aren’t that scary. While bats do risk carrying rabies, for the most part, bats are more likely to help people by eating mosquitoes than harm anyone. So why are they part of our creepy Halloween decor? Bats were associated with Halloween long before the first trick-or-treaters. When celebrating the ancient festival Samhain — a precursor to Halloween — the Celts lit huge bonfires. These fires attracted insects, which in turn attracted bats looking for a midnight snack. Bats came to be linked to Samhain and that tradition was carried into modern Halloween. Giving out apples instead of candy is a surefire way to get your house egged by angry trick- or-treaters. On a night that’s all about candy and sweets, how did we come to play a game involving fruit? Surprisingly, the old game of bobbing for apples has roots in some more romantic traditions. Bobbing for apples was part fortune-telling game and part courting ritual in 18th-century England. A young woman would write the name of her suitor on an apple and put it in a basin of water. If she could grab the apple in one bite, it meant that she and her suitor were What’s up with bobbing for apples?
24. National Bologna Day
9. Leif Erikson Day
10. TakeYour Teddy Bear toWork Day
25. Punk for a Day Day
26. Frankenstein Friday
11. It’s My Party Day
27. National Tell a Story Day
12. Moment of
Frustration Day
28. Plush Animal Lovers’Day
13. International Skeptics Day
29. Hermit Day
14. National Dessert Day
30. Mischief Night
15. White Cane Safety Day
31. Halloween
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Cover story, continued ...
rural communities. Though not initially linked to fall, chicken feed candy was difficult to make and therefore only available between March and November. The scarcity added to its early popularity. In the 1900s, candy makers had to turn down orders because demand was so high! Chicken feed would eventually become candy corn and be cast as the ultimate Halloween candy after WorldWar II. In 1951, Goelitz Confectionery Company — today known as the Jelly Belly Candy Company — had 12 factories making candy corn across the country! Since then, candy corn has made its way into trick-or-treat bags every Halloween.
century, trick-or-treating quickly became a favorite Halloween activity. However, when sugar was rationed during WorldWar II, trick- or-treating started to die out. You can thank Charles Schulz andWalt Disney for keeping the tradition alive. In 1951, Schulz created a series of Halloween- themed comic strips featuring the Peanuts gang dressed as ghosts and trick-or-treating. The following year, Disney produced an animated short featuring Donald Duck and his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, engaged in Halloween hijinks. Both the Peanuts strips and the Donald Duck shorts were incredibly popular, and these Halloween specials showed kids across the country the fun of trick-or-treating. When you think about it, Halloween is a pretty weird holiday. But isn’t the weirdness part of the fun?
destined for true love. Two tries meant their love would fade with time. And three or more bites was a sign that the relationship was doomed. Another version of the game was more of a competition. The first person to bite into an apple would be the first to get married. It wasn’t unlike catching the bride’s bouquet at a wedding. Some people adore this sweet mellowcreme treat, while others insist the divisive candy is little more than colored wax. Whatever camp you find yourself in, you may be interested to know that candy corn was not originally created for Halloween. Developed by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia, these little tricolored candies were introduced to the world as “chicken feed” in the 1880s. This candy was meant to appeal to America’s Why do we care about candy corn?
Who saved trick-or-treating?
While trick-or-treating has its roots in ancient traditions that involve scaring away ghosts and praying for lost souls, modern trick-or- treating owes its existence to a more familiar source. After being brought to the United States by Irish immigrants in the early 20th
Stay weird, and have a happy Halloween!
Have a Fun and SAFE Halloween! Even the Most Frightening Ghouls Need to Be Careful
Happy Halloween, you goblins, ghouls, witches, and spooks! It’s that time of year again when kids and adults alike can dress up and roam the streets as their favorite heroes, frights, or princesses. While kids are eager to show off their outfits and fill their pillowcases with sugary treasures, it’s crucial to be aware of the potential dangers on Halloween night. Practice Street Safety Make sure your kids understand basic road safety. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, “Children are more likely to be struck by a vehicle and killed during Halloween than any other day of the year.”
can restrict movement. If your child wears a mask, make sure they can see out of it properly. Make a Plan Before heading out to trick or treat, create a plan and discuss it with every member of your family. This ensures that if someone in your group wanders off, they’ll know where to look for you or where to go. In case you’re separated, label your child’s costume with your name, address, and phone number. If your children are old enough to trick or treat without adults, make sure that their cellphones are charged and on them at all times, and schedule regular check-ins.
go over basic safety tips. Teach kids to look both ways before crossing, use crosswalks and traffic signals, cross streets on the corners, and never run across the street. Making eye contact with drivers before walking in front of their cars is also a good way to make sure the driver knows the child is there. Choose Smart Costumes Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without costumes! They should be fun, but you can also make them safer by following a few simple guidelines. Add reflective tape to candy bags and costumes and wear light colors to stand out in the dark. Buying or making the right-sized costumes is also important. If they’re too large, they create a tripping hazard, and if they’re too tight, they
Before heading out for some good old- fashioned trick-or-treating, take the time to
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The Monsters Some Believe Are Real 3 of the Weirdest Cryptids in Pseudoscientific History
The Bunyip When European settlers began edging into the territory of Aboriginal Australians, they heard whispered, frightened tales of a man-eating “water spirit” that lived in the lakes and rivers of the area. Descriptions of the creature varied wildly. The monster was alternately described as an enormous starfish, an alligator-like creature with the head of an emu, or a massive bulldog-faced beast. But accounts held one thing in common: The monster claimed the lives of any who dared camp near its watery domain. The Loveland Frog One night, near Loveland, Ohio, a man reportedly beheld a trio of bipedal frog- people slapping their webbed feet along the side of the road. If that wasn’t enough, one even had a magic wand, which shot sparks as the man ran off. Apparently, not all mythical beasts are bloodthirsty monsters; some are a little more Kermit than Cthulhu.
There are people who would have you believe that monsters live among us all year long. These individuals, referred to as cryptozoologists (or just “wishful thinkers” by their skeptics), believe a hidden animal kingdom exists just beyond the edge of mainstream biological science. Here are three of the weirdest, almost-certainly imaginary “cryptids” to ever capture the human imagination. The Jersey Devil According to legend, the 1.1 million-acre Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey are home to more than just birds and deer. The story goes that when one Jane Leeds gave birth to her 13th child, she was dismayed to add yet another kid to her responsibilities. She cried out, “Oh, let this one be the devil!” Shortly after the child was born, the boy was transmogrified into a twisted creature with the malformed head of a goat, leathery wings, and a thrashing, forked tail. After slicing the midwife with its ragged claws, the beast flew up the chimney and fled into the trees. Hundreds of years later, the beast is still said to creep the backwoods on its cloven hooves, glowering from the blackness with shining, red eyes.
Take a Break!
Spiced
PUMPKIN SEED CRUNCH
Ingredients
•
1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
• • •
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon light agave syrup 1/2 teaspoon garammasala or curry powder
•
1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped
• •
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• •
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
Directions
1. Heat oven to 300 F. 2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. In a mixing bowl, whisk
4. Using a slotted spoon, strain spoonfuls of mixture over bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Discard excess egg white mixture. 5. Bake 20–25 minutes, tossing once. 6. Let cool and serve.
together egg white, agave, salt, and spices. Add nuts and seeds and toss until evenly coated.
Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Clare PAGE 1 Halloween’s Odd Origins PAGE 1 Trick-or-Treating Safety PAGE 2 Three of the Weirdest Cryptids in Pseudoscientific History PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Spiced Pumpkin Seed Crunch PAGE 3 Running at Witching Hour PAGE 4
A Lovely Night for a Run Should You Go for a Run After Dark?
You can push yourself harder.
Have you ever been driving home after dark and seen someone jogging on the side of the road? You might have thought they were crazy for waiting until so late in the day to go for a run, but there is actually research that suggests running in the evening is better than going for a run at any other time of day. Here are a few reasons why you should save your run until you can join all the things that go bump in the night. Many people who run first thing in the morning find themselves pressed for time. Hitting the snooze button is not an option, and with so little time, breakfast is usually a banana on the way out the door. Moving your run to the evening means you can enjoy a more leisurely morning. Not feeling stressed out first thing in the morning can also lead to a more relaxed day. You can hit the snooze button.
It can be hard to get a good workout in the morning after your muscles have been still for eight hours during sleep. A study at the University of North Texas found that your body is better prepared to exercise in the evenings, since your muscles have been warming up all day. With improved muscular function and strength, you can push yourself harder and see greater improvement. You will obviously feel tired after a good run, so why not time it right and use this to your advantage? Research from the University of South Carolina found that people who ran before bedtime enjoyed a better night of sleep and increased energy levels when they woke up, meaning they felt more awake and better rested throughout the following day. You sleep better.
The best time to run is honestly whenever you have time to run, but if it works with your schedule, nighttime running might provide your best workout ever. Just remember that if you do decide to save your run for after sunset, you should stay safe by wearing bright, reflective clothing, sticking to the left side of the road, and running only in well-lit, populated areas.
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