Happy Halloween!!

TWIT would like to wish everyone a happy Halloween today. And in case you've ever wondered, here is a bit of info on the history of trick-or-treating.

Some historians describe a tradition called "mumming" where people dressed up in costumes and went door to door for treats and performed simple plays in exchange for the food and drinks they received. Somehow I can't imagine trick-or-treaters today performing a scene from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream." But I digress. The tricking element began in Ireland, on what became known as "mischief night." People wandered through towns dressed in costumes, tipping over outhouses, unhinging fence gates and engaging in other pranks. This tradition migrated to the U.S.

The tradition of carved pumpkins also has European roots. The first lanterns were made from vegetables such as hollowed-out turnips. Some historical evidence poitns to poor early Europeans, probably beginning in Ireland, who carved out turnips and placed candles or embers in them to use as lanterns.

So whatever way you choose to celebrate Halloween tonight, please be safe, be considerate of others, and have a great time.