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| #HalloweenIsHappening: The Story of Halloween in the Year 2020 |
"There's no question that Halloween will look different this year, and innovative approaches endorsed by the CDC like outdoor, one-way trick-or-treating can bring a little fun to the fall," John Downs, president & CEO of the National Confectioners Association, said. "Hyperlocal decision-making will determine whether this Halloween season means trick-or-treating with the appropriate safety precautions, more candy bowl moments at home with family and close friends, or just more time for celebrating the season in October."
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| #HalloweenIsHappening: The Story of Halloween in the Year 2020 |
Americans are ready for Halloween:
- 80% of people believe that they will find creative and safe ways to celebrate the Halloween season this year. This is up from just 63% two months earlier in July. (NCA, Morning Consult)
- 66% of people say they will trick-or-treat this year, whether handing out the candy or going out with their children. (NCA)
- 74% of millennial moms and young parents say that Halloween 2020 is more important than ever. (The Harris Poll)
- 80% of the general public and 90% of millennial moms and young parents say they can't imagine Halloween without chocolate and candy, and that trick-or-treating is irreplaceable. (The Harris Poll)
Public health experts and top opinion leaders – Halloween is happening!
Governors from several states have joined a growing wave of approval and support for a safe and creative Halloween 2020 – including public health experts like the CDC, community leaders, newspaper editorial boards and columnists who say that we can prioritize safety and still enjoy this fall with Halloween celebrations that last all October long. Recent guidance from the CDC reinforces that Halloween is happening and provides inspiration for creative and safe approaches to celebrating the holiday throughout the month of October.Halloween candy sales are up:
NCA recently released data that shows Halloween chocolate and candy sales are up this year. For the latest four weeks ending September 6 versus the same period in 2019, total Halloween chocolate & candy sales are up 13% - growth that is driven by Halloween chocolate, which is up 25.3%.The Video:
A Halloween History Story:
(via Halloween Central)The origins of Halloween date back to pre-Christian times to Celtic groups in areas now known as Ireland, Scotland and Wales. According to most scholars, a great fire festival called Samhein signaled the close of the harvest and the initiation of the cold and dark season of winter. A variety of folklore and customs became associated with the celebration.
Folk custom claimed that on this night, the doors between the world of the dead and the world of the living opened. All the spirits of the people who died during the previous year were thought to be traveling from their resting place on earth to their final resting place in the next world. The Celts placed food and drink out to sustain the spirits, and people concealed their identity with disguises to escape harm while they walked from house to house to enjoy food and drink (much like trick-or-treating today). Many people also carved turnips to represent faces, marking the origination of today’s jack-o-lanterns. When Christianity took root in northern Europe, these folk customs were incorporated into a Christian framework. The celebrations in Ireland, Scotland and Wales eventually became All Saints’ Day, a day to commemorate all dead saints and martyrs. All Saints’ Day was sometimes known as All Hallows’ Day, and the night before was called All Hallows’ Eve, or Hallowe’en, which we today call Halloween. Although the celebrations did acquire a distinctly religious tone, many folk customs were still observed.
Settlers and immigrants from these regions brought their folk customs to America, where they took root and evolved over the years. Halloween was originally celebrated in America as a harvest festival. Carved turnips became carved pumpkins, which grew in abundance in America. Colorful costumes replaced disguises, and trick-or-treating evolved from presenting food and drink to the wandering spirits. [...]
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| #HalloweenIsHappening: The Story of Halloween in the Year 2020 |
About Halloween Central:
AlwaysATreat.com/HalloweenCentral hosts inspiration for celebrating a socially distanced but not socially awkward Halloween season.About the National Confectioners Association:
The National Confectioners Association is the trade organization that advances, protects and promotes the unique role of chocolate, candy, gum and mints in a happy, balanced lifestyle and the companies that make these special treats.- Learn more at AlwaysATreat.com or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
