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Fun dishes

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We asked Cooking Channel fans to submit their creepiest Halloween photos. The result? Lots of severed fingers, dislodged body parts and buggy treats.

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Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday we know as Halloween has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.

Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and Northern France, lived the Celts. The Celts worshipped nature and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite. It was "he" who commanded their work and their rest times, and who made the earth beautiful and the crops grow.

The Celts celebrated their New Year on November 1st. It was celebrated every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold."

On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished. The Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred). The Druids would light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin.

When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits.

The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween.

During the first century the Romans invaded Britain. They brought with them many of their festivals and customs. One of these was the festival know as Pomona Day, named for their goddess of fruits and gardens. It was also celebrated around the 1st of November. After hundreds of years of Roman rule the customs of the Celtic's Samhain festival and the Roman Pomona Day mixed becoming 1 major fall holiday.

The next influence came with the spread of the new Christian religion throughout Europe and Britain. In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church would make November 1st a church holiday to honor all the saints. This day was called All Saint's Day, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later the Church would make November 2nd a holy day. It was called All Souls Day and was to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils.

But the spread of Christianity did not make people forget their early customs. On the eve of All Hallows, Oct. 31, people continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona Day. Over the years the customs from all these holidays mixed. October 31st became known as All Hallow Even, eventually All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en, and then - Halloween.

The Halloween we celebrate today includes all of these influences, Pomona Day's apples, nuts, and harvest, the Festival of Samhain's black cats, magic, evil spirits and death, and the ghosts, skeletons and skulls from All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day.

title: halloween

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Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday we know as Halloween has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.

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How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth | HISTORY

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Before we carved pumpkins, the Irish chiseled creepy faces onto turnips.

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Jack o lantern

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Classic cupcakes

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Traditional cupcakes are always a crowd-pleaser. Exercise your creative muscle by decorating these cupcakes to suit your mood.

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Jock-o'-lantern cupcakes

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Prep 25 min

Total 1 hr 25 min

Servings 24

Looking for an easy dessert recipe for Halloween? Make these cute Jack o' Lantern cupcakes using canned pumpkin, Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® cake mix and cream cheese frosting. ...MORE+LESS-

Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.

In medium bowl, mix frosting and food color until blended. Frost cupcakes. Use black decorating gel to make jack-o'-lantern face.

On work surface, flatten gumdrops with rolling pin; cut out leaf shapes with sharp knife. Place leaf cutouts and 1 pecan half on cupcakes near stems.

Expert Tips

Omit the gel and jack-o'-lantern face for a simpler pumpkin pecan cupcake.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories

250

% Daily Value

Total Fat

9g

0%

Saturated Fat

2g

0%

Sodium

200mg

0%

Total Carbohydrate

40g

0%

Dietary Fiber

1/2g

0%

Protein

1g

Vitamin A

0%

0%

Vitamin C

0%

0%

Calcium

0%

0%

Iron

0%

0%

Exchanges:

1/2 Starch; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choice

2 1/2

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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Prep 25 min Total 1 hr 25 min Servings 24 Looking for an easy dessert recipe for Halloween? Make these cute Jack o' Lantern cupcakes using canned pumpkin, Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® cake mix and cream cheese frosting. ...MORE+ LESS- Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

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Learn English through Story: Halloween history with subtitles

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Halloween Night