For Kids   We love Halloween! It's one of our favorite holidays. We were surprised to hear, in Austria, they don't celebrate Halloween. Instead, they celebrate a holiday called Rauhnachte. A long time ago, farmers used to believe, on Rauhnachte, animals in the barn could speak and had other magical powers! An American teacher, teaching in Austria, found his students surprised that he had never heard of Rauhnachte! He found it a fascinating holiday. But, since his own children also wanted to enjoy Halloween, he set up his yard for some Halloween Fun....click here to see what happened! Halloween History:  No one is sure how old Halloween really is, but trace its probable origins back to BC times, to the ancient Celts, who lived in England, Ireland and Wales. The ancient Celts held a festival called Samhain, which celebrated the start of a new year. Halloween was their New Years Eve. The ancient Celts believed that the night before each new year, a door opened between this world and the Otherworld - a place the ancient Celts believed was inhabited by supernatural spirits both good and bad. They believed that October 31 was the most dangerous night in the year. That night, people were exposed to the entire supernatural world. Black Cats & Spooky Tales: The ancient Celts believed, on October 31st, the good spirits of the dead would come back to earth, in the form of an animal, often in the form of a black cat, to be reunited with loved ones, one last time. Today, silhouettes of black cats are used as Halloween decorations, and everyone tells spooky tales! Pumpkins: How did pumpkins get in the act? No one knows! It's a history mystery! (This mystery makes a great subject for a creative writing lesson.) But most probably, pumpkins replaced turnips, which is the vegetable people used to carve during the ancient new year festival. Baked Pumpkin Seeds: Baked pumpkin seeds are easy to make and fun to eat! Here's the recipe we use: Dig out the pumpkin seeds, rinse them off, let them dry on a paper towel for a couple of hours, dump them on a cookie sheet (without the paper towel, of course), and cook at 400 degrees for about an hour. Throw them in a bowl, sprinkle with butter and salt, and eat, shells and all. Have you ever tasted fried pumpkin blossoms? They're delicious! This recipe for Fried Pumpkin Blossoms is from our private family cookbook, We Love to Cook, by The Jones Girls. Click Here for the recipe for Fried Pumpkin Blossoms.   For a pumpkin themed soft drink, place one or two scoops of orange sherbet in a glass. Pour in cold ginger ale. Add a straw, and drink! Click here to find 101 Things to do with a pumpkin! A Truly Original Halloween Site. Halloween can be a scary time! To have yourself a safe and happy Halloween, check out this great site! Spider Recipes included! Trunk and Treat!  Lots of Great Halloween Games for Kids (flash, shockwave, java) Catch the Bats! and more - Free Ecards that are also games for kids Halloween Bats The Ghost with the Most! For Teachers The Pumpkin Patch (poetry by 2nd-graders)  Haunted House Graphic Organizer  Halloween Art Lessons  Bats (lessons, powerpoints, games) Magic Cauldron (you set the numbers)  October Day of the Dead (El Dia de los Muertos) Lesson Plans A Ghost Story (HS, short stories)  Ghosts in Myths and Literature Lesson Plans (Sass)    Halloween theme lessons Make a paper stick puppet - Dracula's head and shoes Halloween Helpers SUPER LIST of Halloween links (Awesome Library)  Free Presentations in PowerPoint format for Halloween  Free Clip Art  All Rights Reserved    Clip Art Credit: Phillip Martin Have a great year!