Spooky Times in New England
Halloween Hauntings and Happenings

The dark, gusty nights of late fall in New England naturally lend themselves to thoughts of ghosts, witches, and other creatures of the dark. After all, this is where the Salem Witch Trails happened and where every village has at least one haunted house. Walking down a shadowed lane with leaves scuttling around your feet, catching glimpses of a black cat slinking around a corner and something fluttering by overhead, it's hard not to expect to meet the town's resident goblin.

In such a setting, Halloween is naturally a major holiday. It's a chance for grown-ups to act like kids again by donning costumes, holding parties, and playing pranks. For kids, it's the ultimate day of make-believe. Little girls become princesses and boys don Ninja suits. The seasoned trick-or-treaters keep track of which houses handed out their favorite candies last year and plan their door-to-door routes accordingly. So what if it's not healthy? What's the holiday without candy corn and enough Snickers© Bars to make a dentist cringe?

Like many holidays, Halloween's origins are very old and very religious. The Celts in ancient Britain and Ireland marked the start of their new year on November first. That's when they believed their sun god was kidnapped by Samhain - the Lord of the Dead - and held captive during the winter months.

Part of Samhain's ritual was calling together all of the dead. The returning souls took the form of animals as they revisited their old haunts. To trick the dead into staying away, the live Celts took to dressing up in costumes and disguising themselves as animals, too. So began the custom of costumes.

The Jack-O-Lantern was another Celtic invention. To mark the end of one year and the start of another, the Celts extinguished all fires, then re-lit them with embers from new blazes set by the Druid priests. The coals were carried home in large turnips which had been hallowed out, often by carving faces in them.

When the Romans occupied the British Isles, they incorporated the Celtic New Year with their three-day celebration of the Festival of Pomona, the Goddess of fruits and vegetables.

A few centuries later, Christianity arrived. Eager to win over the heathens, the Church made early November a time of remembrance. November first was All Saint's Day, while the Second was All Soul's Day, which honored all of the dead. The night before All Saint's Day was called All Hallow's Eve, or Hallow'een.

During the Middle Ages, the poor went begging through town on All Soul's Day. Housewives gave small pastries - called "soulcakes" - to the beggars. In return, they promised to pray for the dead. Over time, children began making the rounds for the sweets, and candy, fruit and money replaced the pastries.

Witches flew onto the scene during the Middle Ages, too. The superstitious believed that the witches gathered on All Hallow's Eve for a ghoulish gathering. During this crone's convention, they'd trade notes on the mischievous deeds of the past year, consort with the devil, and plan their misdeeds for the future.

If someone wants to meet a witch, the formula is simple: wear all clothing inside out, walk backwards on Halloween, and at midnight, a witch will appear. Of course, anyone acting or dressing like that will have probably met a lot of other interesting people long before midnight.

These days, the costumes, trick or treating, and superstitions are celebrated with a sense of deliciously scary fun. Most RV campgrounds hold special Halloween weekends, with parties, costume contests, prizes for the best-decorated campsite, and other fun. A lot of places hold their own parties and special Halloween events. Ghost walks are popular, with guides leading tours past places where supernatural events happened - and might still be happening. Rural villages host haunted hayrides and spooky forest walks. Town-wide costume balls and trick or treating have whole neighborhoods wondering who's hiding underneath the fur of that werewolf's face - if it is just make-up.

Here are some of the plans for Halloween '99 in the Northeast:

Haunted Forest-Halloween Outdoor Drama: Green Mountain Audubon Society, Huntington, VT: A theater event outside in the woods after dark. The audience moves through a trail lit by jack-o-lanterns, stopping along the way for a series of skits which tell ghostly stories. Tickets are $10, and it's usually a sell out. No tickets at the door. They are available after September 15 at 802-434-3068.

Haunted Hay Rides: Adams Farm, Wilmington, VT. An hour-long hay ride through a dark, spooky forest. An 'authentic' ghost story unfolds as the wagons creak along. The ride ends with a stop at an old log cabin for hot mulled cider and warm apple pie served by the fire. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in October. 6:30 and 8:30PM. $12 adults; $6.50 children. Reservations. 802-464-3762

"Sc'ary County": New York, Schoharie County. Two months of events celebrating fall and Halloween. Haunted cave, haunted mazes, "Scarecrows on Parade," ghost stories around bonfires, all of the Halloween traditions in one place. Chamber of Commerce has a schedule 518-295-7033 or www.scholariechamber.com.

Salem, MA: Well, of course, it's going to have about the biggest Halloween celebrations in the country. A full month of plays, spooky storytelling, a Monster Mash dance party, Halloween parade, costume balls for children, parents, and pets. The Salem Halloween Office: 802-744-0013.

Canandaigua, NY: Haunted Gardens, Sonnenberg Gardens. Scary scenes among the shrubs, but none of those plants are really man-eating, are they? All during October: Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 7-9 p.m. 716-394-4922

Greene County, New York - The home of Rip Van Winkle.
Purling, NY, Psychic Night, Bavarian Manor Country Inn. Dinner and a psychic reading. A variety of psychics to choose from. Pick the fortune you like the best. Reservations required. 518-622-3261

East Durham, NY: Blackthorne's Massacre Museum. "Not for the faint of heart" October 15-16, 29-30. 518-634-2541.

Farmington, CT: Ghost Walk through Farmington's oldest cemetery. Listen to tales about the town's earliest inhabitants. Not recommended for children under 7. October 15. 6-8p.m. Adults $7, children $5. 860-677-9222.

Bristol, CT: Witch's Dungeon Horror Museum. This is a museum of classic horrors, with displays paying tribute to actors and makeup artists who created the Hollywood chillers. Walk through a maze of life-sized replicas of famous monsters in one of their classic movie scenes. Not recommended for small children. October 15-17, 22-24, 29-31. 7-10 p.m. 860-583-8306

Essex, CT Oct. 30-31. Essex Stream Train and Boat Ride. Passengers ride the train in costumes. Lots of family activities as well as the rides: face painting, pumpkin carving, treats for all. 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Train and boat rides $16 adults; $8 children. Train only $10 adult, $5 children. 860-767-0103

East Haven, CT: Trolley Trick 'N Treats, Shore Line Trolley Museum. Stories and a visit by the Ghost of the Lost Motorman and other ghoulish passengers. Oct 28-31, 6-9 p.m. Adults $5, Seniors $4, Children (2-11) $2. 860-467-6927

Newport, RI, Haunted Newport Week, with ghost and vampire tours, book signings, haunted hayride tours and other events marking the 'darker side of Newport." October 25-31.
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