Best of: Halloween

[@mccallosone4903]

40 years ago my great grandmother, a folklorist from scotland, told me origin of jack o lanterns. she explained that a jack is a spirit that can occupy an object to serve a purpose, like jack of the green to ring in the spring, jack frost to bring the winter, and the jack o lantern to protect your home on the eve of samhain, when the evil spirits sought to enter. the candle inside should be lit from the flame of a special bonfire called a need-fire. at dawn on november 1st the candle should be extinguished, so that family members that have passed could visit you that day, and an extra plate should be set out with every meal for them. anywho, thats what she said.

[@angelachouinard4581]

Nice to add Houdini to the Halloween compilation. My grandmother told me about attending a Houdini performance and described his intense, mesmerizing gaze. She said he was quite amazing to watch and I was very envious of her. Happy Halloween, Lance and thanks for a great episode.

[@samanthab1923]

I’ve loved hearing about Houdini since I was a girl. I truely believed he was magical. Dying the way he did on Halloween. Spooky 👻

[@victorkreig6089]

​@@samanthab1923can't think of a better day to go on

[@cindystrachan8566]

Re: used/extra pumpkins - check with your local zoo. Many of the animals at the zoo would be delighted to have the pumpkin and seeds to add to their diets.

[@lynemac2539]

Elephants tend to like pumpkins. They also like to throw them around!

[@ballsdeep2520]

So i drive an hour, into the city for a pumpkin?

[@davidmorse8432]

Just listening to Lance talk has somehow improved my diction. He has mastered the technique of English communication.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you!

[@michaelmanning5379]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Just today you corrected my pronunciation of Pliny.

[@angelachouinard4581]

Yes indeed, he is well spoken in the best sense of the word, not only correct but interesting.

[@LymanPhillips]

I think the longevity of candy corn is that it's the only candy that makes really good fake fangs and fake teeth when you stick them behind your lip. That never gets old.

[@SugarandSarcasm]

I like separating them at their layers. All tastes the same ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@LymanPhillips]

@SugarandSarcasm dude! Thts some twisted thinking. Of course, i like to take 2 different colored gummi bears and slice them in parts at the exact same place and swap the parts. I guess I'm like Dr. Frankenstein.

[@SugarandSarcasm]

@@LymanPhillips we all have our candy quirks 🤣 I used to switch gummy bear heads. There are gummy people that come in pieces that you can mix and match, like off-brand edible lego bricks by the way

[@pattycoe7435]

Being brought up in the South, we couldn’t enjoy a carved pumpkin very early in the Halloween season because of the high temperatures. You were lucky if your pumpkin lasted two days!

[@stephenrogers3367]

Hello History Guy, I have been following your videos since I stumbled across your video on the Halifax Explosion. I am a retired Halifax Firefighter who actually worked with relatives of members who were involved in this tragedy. I really enjoy your videos and would like to make a suggestion for a video. This year is the 85th anniversary of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, I found the Robert May story quite interesting. Yes there are stories about this on You Tube already, some of them very good, the subscriber counts are low and like you say “history deserves to be remembered”. Thanks for your time and keep the history coming.

[@HM2SGT]

*Happy HallowThanksMas y'all!*

[@fearthehoneybadger]

More chocolate is sold for Halloween than any other holiday except Valentines Day. More money is spent for Halloween than any other holiday except Christmas.

[@JanelleVocate-Ames]

and why the candy companies are so against daylight savings changing, they want max. time to trick or treat...=more MONEY!!

[@sarge4455]

That’s why women are getting so big

[@robertjensen1438]

My friend Brian is having a rough time of it this Halloween. He was attacked by dyslexic zombies.

[@bretthess6376]

"Brians! Brians!"

[@brianmorger2174]

I resemble that !

[@artrickard4494]

The only time we did not have a carved pumpkin was Halloween 1966. That night our house caught fire. Thus , my history has changed forever. That was 58 years ago. I always have a carved pumpkin in my home on Halloween. Better safe than sorry .

[@myragroenewegen5426]

The one thing that I feel sure of, when it comes to pumpkin carving tradition, is that there was some pre-existing tradition, because this is an easy and fun thing to do, and then, when people discovered pumpkins in North America there was a great collective thought of "Wow. We should use THIS!". Big and round and plaesingly coloured orange to emit warm light. And so symbolically powerful that multiple traditions lay claim to the roots of their harvest and Halloween connection, all contradictory-yet-thoughtful mythmaking. I just wish I'd been there when a bunch of folks looked at a pumpkin for the first time and said "You know what would be awesome --"

[@SugarandSarcasm]

I imagine easier to carve into as well

[@victorkreig6089]

White gourd 👻!

[@cynfulpsyko420]

I always wondered why the thing to light fireworks was called a punk! Super interesting!

[@johngregg5735]

In most of the animal kingdom, the alpha male is the dominate. Not so in the root vegetable world. There it's the beta carrot teen.

[@the80hdgaming]

Bah dum tiss ... 😂😂😂

[@joelbrown3479]

BRILLIANT 😂😂😂😂

[@davidmorse8432]

Very clever, John! 😅

[@jonnybravo3606]

Ba dum bum. Ohhh!

[@lindacox3662]

I see what you did there.

[@hermittao]

A wonderful story of a fun Tradition.. It also brought back remembrances from when this 73yo man was a boy. Thank You Jim

[@fearthehoneybadger]

Happy Halloween, everyone.

[@blueskieskoda2833]

👻 Happy Halloween!🐈‍⬛

[@artcflowers]

Thanks Lance. That was great.

[@WendyDarling1974]

Re pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns:,I recently learned that my mother, who was born in the 1930s to German immigrants, celebrated a different pumpkin tradition as a child. Today we have pumpkin-shaped candy baskets, typically out of plastic, but back in the day the pumpkins were made from paper mâché and were lanterns not baskets. The faces on them were grotesque, with eyes and mouth turned into windows, covered with colored celluloid to let candlelight through. My mom says they didn’t exactly go trick-or-treating, but rather families lit the lanterns and walking around singing a song having to do with fall and lanterns (and probably the devil and grisly stuff). It was in German, so it was some sort of German tradition, which may have blended with what they found in America. (They don’t really have pumpkins in Germany, certainly not back then.). Meanwhile in the early 20th century a ton of Halloween decorations were actually made in Germany, as Germans had the lock on scary images as well as printing. Anyway, I thought this was interesting in terms of all different immigrant cultures in America sort of adopting the same object into a fall tradition.

[@victorkreig6089]

Max Miller at Tasting History covers this a bit in his Halloween episode from a few years ago

[@jeanne-marie8196]

Very illuminating! All of the productions were well done, so thank you for doing the research. As soon as the three divisive candies were mentioned, I knew THG “gets” me! Boom! My top three strongly dislike candies! Ugh to all three! My father loved black licorice, but then he also liked liver (??!), my grandmother loved circus peanuts, (I can’t believe they strive to make that texture), and my granddaughters both love candy corn!! (they are so sweet that I actually get shivers up my spine!). Boo to them all! Keep them out of my hollowed out beet! Houdini probably ate them before his death on Halloween

[@DanielCarrillo-qh9li]

Hello History Guy and all you fellow commenter's- I have been so caught up in all the political news and wars and stressful stuff going on these days that haven't taken time to listen to our favorite and most positive history teacher . Thank you for this video and all the nice comments, I wish all of you and your families a wonderful and safe holiday. season

[@kellys.6047]

Pumpkins are SO much easier than turnips! The scarecrow in Howls Moving Castle has a turnip head❣️🎃🎃🎃

[@thomaskirkpatrick2897]

Happy Halloween to the History Guy and all who listen and watch his great work!!

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

Happy Halloween! 🎃🎃🎃🎃

[@johnburns2940]

I am quite fond of Circus Peanuts, also The Dutch double salt licorice. Such a crazy candy😂

[@blueskieskoda2833]

I do adore your channel and got a serious giggle out of this historical information. Thank you so much for being part of the youtube verse.

[@anthonycalbillo9376]

Okay, who is going as .... A pirate?

[@harrykuheim6107]

This Guy needs to be awarded a PhD in History...You can tell he loves his job...

[@janelinley3624]

Love this channel! Happy Halloween 🎃

[@ghowell13]

What a great content conglomeration, thanks! I'll watch it again with my family tomorrow, as I've left it late this evening. The whole of my family, both sides, ate candy corn when I was a child. Didn't know too many people that didn't, honestly. My wife has a great disdain for it. However, her mother LOVED it. And after we found that out about each other, even before my wife and I were married, it was a race to see who could produce the fist bad of Brach's candy corn (or the pumpkins) and send them along to one another first. It's yet another of the myriad things I miss about my mother-in-law. Both my in-laws, honestly. We lost them both little less than 3 years ago now. We'll put another bowl of candy corn out, Judy, and I'll think of you fondly❤

[@shawnharrington9548]

My favorite holiday, thank you.

[@michaelfarrell5101]

i remember that 10 cent stamp ! I'm old.

[@magistrumartium]

I remember when stamps were just 6 cents!

[@jameslovelady7751]

Ii grew up with 3 cents for a letter, 1 cent for postcards.

[@danperry3116]

I was going to say the same. ​@@jameslovelady7751

[@nilo70]

@@jameslovelady7751 I also remember those times, but we are thin on the ground now.

[@cathipalmer8217]

banana and I *loathe* marshmallow, but circus peanuts give me happiness. I think I'm broken.

[@cruisepaige]

I dislike all of the ingredients in a ruben sandwich individually, but together they are my favorite sandwich!

[@rayvandenberg4574]

always enjoy the way history is presented.

[@ivonekowalczyk5823]

All of us who watch are better and more educated because of it. Thank you!

[@Anderson-f4t6c]

Imagine being such a chad both Satan and god are pissed at you

[@Joe-ym6bw]

Not good

[@WinterInTheForest]

The story sounds Christianized when there are undoubtedly pagan roots. Satan doesn't exist in the traditional Celtic world.

[@victorkreig6089]

​@WinterInTheForest well yeah, Christianity is literally a religion founded on the idea of copying myths and traditions of other cultures and religions just to steal followers. What did you expect?

[@thenoblepoptart]

@@WinterInTheForestpeople often have this idea, it comes from Victorian era authors, that some practices in Europe are pagan holdovers, and while true in some cases, medieval and early modern christian europe has MORE than its share of homegrown religious weirdness. Probably the majority of folktales originate in Christian times simply because it’s been around for so long and is closer to us chronologically than the paganism of classical antiquity

[@sarahcoleman3125]

I have actually loved (black) licorice since I was a child. My father has always loved it, too. Maybe it's genetic, like how people don't like cilantro.

[@jenette16]

Licorice ice cream, turns your pooh purple

[@sarahcoleman3125]

@jenette16 licorice candy can turn your poop green if you eat an unhealthy amount of it.

[@JM-zk9ou]

Good and Plenty are delicious. Try those or black jelly beans with a spicy red wine. 😋 They pair perfectly.

[@jenette16]

Spicy red wine? I'm on it. Sounds nasty, buuut then again......

[@SanBrunoBeacon]

Great video History Guy!!!!!

[@asullivan4047]

Interesting/informative/entertaining. Engaged in (3) pleasurable 🤗 " Trunk or Treat " events. Weekend of ( 10-25-24 ) Melbourne Fl🐊.

[@ricksaint2000]

Thank you History Guy

[@trees1trees]

Absolutely wonderfiul.

[@KK-uu7zf]

Happy All Hallows Eve!

[@ralphstacey5743]

A Great story and Happy Halloween and may History always be waiting for you Cheers

[@joeanderson8839]

The taste of candy corn was a lot better when I was a child.

[@danemal7469]

We hated those candies but when you ate all the good stuff and those were all that was left, we ate them gladly.

[@jamesbrown4092]

I've seen Dubbel Zout - salted Dutch licorice - touted as the world's most feared candy.

[@MBMCincy63]

26:45 and previous " ... to seek treatment the blows that he took on NOVEMBER 22nd..." Two mentions of the wrong month, if he in fact died on 10/31 prior to November... Great stories, thanks for them.

[@jpharrod2]

We, as an older generations, like to keep things in our lives that remind us of our childhood. Whether it’s tradition or just a favorite pastime. 😊

[@chrisingle5839]

I watch this every year! I am one who is under 80 ( 44), and like black licorice ( not red), Candy Corn, AND Circus Peanuts.

[@michaelhewitt258]

Interesting 🤔 bit of history Interesting hat collection

[@sinbient]

I actually like candy corn haha

[@lucasvincent2875]

I love all three 😊

[@katestyrsky329]

I love "Feathertop!" A magical and romantic and just marvelously written tale of a witch and her scarecrow. "Bring me my pipe, Dickon!"

[@michaelgreene2920]

We did this play when i was in highschool, state wide one act play competition.... We came in 2nd.... I played Diccon....

[@michaelgreene2920]

I tried to find some information on this story, but, didn't really find any.... kinda bummed me out.....

[@martagaines7272]

Pope night 😂 I've never heard that one! That don't make no never mind. It doesn't surprise me. Ayuh. (Hi from Maine)

[@ironman1518.]

AWESOME explanation and loved the reference to Houdini!!

[@johnburns2940]

Satan's earwax 😂😂😂 Yes! It's really Good!! haha

[@jamesbodnarchuk3322]

The liquorice root is good for bowel movements

[@rodrigocoockiemonster4460]

Although every modern record of the holiday claims lanterns carved from vegetables as a traditional component of Halloween celebrations in the British Isles, there are no _primary sources_ to support this. In fact, none of the major 19th-century records of British folk festivals and traditions make any mention of carved lanterns in connection with Halloween; nor does any standard documentation from the early 20th century. A similar tradition exists in France. The so-called *guénel,* lanterns carved from beetroot, are popularly used in the *défilé des guénels* held during the month of December, very close to Christmas. In almost all of Spain, carved pumpkins shaped like faces and lit with candles, sometimes also turnips, were traditionally used, almost always related to references to the deceased; They were mainly used on *All Saints' Day,* but sometimes unrelated uses are found between October and November. These traditions are still alive today in some isolated localities, but most have been lost. Their use is known in Cantabria, Galicia, Castile and León, Asturias, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura, Catalonia and Aragon. In some cases they have been recovered, such as the Carbassada de Ripoll. The tradition can be traced back through oral or literary testimonies to the 19th century, but there are no _explicit earlier documentary references._ In Sardinia, a similar tradition of illuminated pumpkins on All Saints' Day, *the conca e mortu,* has been preserved, although there is also one unrelated to the dead: in another tradition children carry illuminated pumpkins on the *feast of Saint Andrew,* at the end of November. Similar traditions are also known in various parts of mainland Italy: they are found in Piedmont, Liguria, Campania, Friuli, Emilia-Romagna, Upper Lazio or Tuscany, where the pumpkin was called Zozzo. Also note the *Noce della streghe* The fact that these traditions spread throughout the Mediterranean, and in territories that did not host Celtic cultures, has raised doubts about traditional theories about their origin. Recently, a theory has been raised that these pumpkins are the descendants of the *_Roman sepulchral lanterns,_* lights lit as offerings to the wandering souls of the deceased that were carried out in the Roman festival dedicated to the dead, the *feralia lucem,* which would be the origin of the term _ferale_ used in Italy to refer to lanterns (from the Latin fero, "to offer"). Great video, History deserves to be remembered and debated, and so is such a special and unique holiday such as Halloween/Samhain/etc. A day that still holds such traditions whose cultural roots would be difficult to understand today if it weren't for tradition. Happy Halloween!

[@sorchaOtwo]

Good n Plenty, YUM! My grand kids like them too ; )

[@rumpleforeskin5064]

Happy Halloween indeed, booooo🎃 great video

[@shirleytodd6900]

Here in Scotland we used turnips-swede carved for our Jack o lantern before pumpkins became popular. Turnip is much more difficult to carve😊

[@jeanneratterman4174]

I loved candy corn, as a kid. Not now. Hubby loved black licorice. And those peanuts! Love/hate them as a kid, but completely over them. Chocolate, dark! with almonds are tops! 😁😋😋😋

[@jamesbrown4092]

Banana-flavored circus peanuts... Oh so THAT'S what they're supposed to taste like. 😉

[@patriciafeehan7732]

On the Anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death he promised if there was another side he would try to come back and send a message. Every year on Halloween, Houdini fans gather at his tombstone in NYC to see if he will send a message. His real name on the grave stone is Weiss.

[@ironsevs]

I unironically LOVE circus peanuts

[@denysejohnson3352]

I have to say I never knew that Circus Peanuts are banana flavored, just taste sweet and gritty to me. I really enjoy black licorice as an adult but no way as kid

[@ToyInsanity]

Default twinkies are also banana

[@bronwynecg]

Good morning, professor! 👋🏽 😊

[@DawnOldham]

I can’t stand even the smell of licorice, much less the taste of it. The circus peanuts? I have a vague memory of tasting them as a child and that shows how much I (didn’t) like them! 😂 And as for candy corn, I am content with eating 4-5 of them. They don’t tempt me, which is funny because they are my mother’s very favorite candy!

[@PopCultureFan_]

Blackies are the best! I used to own one, he was the most affectionate cat ever. You probably cover it in the video but there is an that old shitty superstitious view of them that they are witches in disguise ☹️lol, and because of that they are the least to get adopted out. Its shocking to me people still really buy into this in this day and age. Anyways i wanted to mention we have two black cats who regularly hang out at our house now lol, they fight, i try to break it up, they say you shouldnt let cats just fight it out, and they are easily distracted and lose interest in fighting. We are constantly running out of treats now lol, but i think there is room enough for both, i love cats ✨. Anyways, i always thought what are the odds we have TWO solid black cats hanging around, we often get them confused, one has a collar but sometimes she loses the collar and so we don't know which is which.

[@sharlenezuhlke1561]

I like all 3.

[@lugenewhittenberger1983]

When I was a child, my mother would take Circus Peanuts to Church on the Sundays that Communion was being celebrated. When they started passing out the Communion bread, she would give my five siblings and I a Circus Peanut. We would eat them like we were taking Communion. I loved them then, not sure how I would feel about them now. I loved licorice and Good 'n Plenty. However, in my opinion, the best thing to do with Candy Corn if you ever find a bag of it in home is open the bag, walk to the kitchen and pour it into the trash.

[@robertlussier2944]

There are still "spiritualists" in Lily Dale NY.

[@Cs13762]

Spoopy season!

[@Keylimelife]

7:40 The settlers had milk but wouldn't have had butter? That does make sense. I get not having flour, but you just shake or stir raw milk long enough and you have butter.

[@Judgewrath1]

Butter was, I believe, sold for profit. It was considered too valuable to consume

[@Keylimelife]

@@Judgewrath1 sold to whom?

[@ikeyschultz4969]

Lance is awesome!

[@dawnt6791]

I still love circus peanuts. Very rarely eat them because their sugar content is really not compatible with chronic health issues, but I sure love them. LOL

[@jenette16]

Gotta slightly squish them, usually they are really old and hard. Not good when they are hard.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Back in the Saddle Again Naturally

[@burningsandsexploration3711]

I've now heard 3 different versions of Houdini's death.

[@DougYeager-i8b]

I love candy corn and I am proud of it!

[@Shatterverse]

I would totally eat a candy called Satan's Earwax.

[@SatSun-op9dp]

Black licorice can be an excellent laxative, also you have to be careful eating it if you have high blood pressure.

[@debbralehrman5957]

Yes Good and Plenty is my Dads favorite. He is 87years old. Which I have to remind myself every now and then. My husbands favorite was always Black Licorice. he was from WA state I don't know if that had anything to do with it. He was only in his 60's. I guess if you like it you like it.🤷🏼‍♀️ My kids told me not to give any option on Twitter. Because of the reason you said. Thanks for another informative show. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Oh my Dad did tell me about the Harry Houdini thing when I was a kid.😉

[@michaelmanning5379]

I suddenly have an urge to crunch some Popeye Cigarettes.

[@rickbrandt9559]

"Wild Flowers' will get one to Interesting History

[@katestyrsky329]

I once tried to carve a turnip-- it was incredibly hard! I don't know how a person shapes that thing without electrical equipment! {but I still love the idea of a traditional carved jackolantern that you could carry around in one hand.)

[@JanetGregory-fj1pm]

Good afternoon 😊❤🙏

[@karenh.]

I love Circus peanuts and Good N Plenty, but draw the line at candy corn 😂

[@h.paulsprojects3061]

Love me some circus peanuts!!😂

[@patriciafeehan7732]

No one could break the Houdini code. It was the inscription in their wedding rings. Rosabelle, My Rosabelle I love you more than I can tell🎶🎶 It was a song they heard on a circus organ.

[@jonnybravo3606]

A History Guy segment on 60 Minutes could bring some credibility to that zombie network.

[@chiseldrock]

23:31 nov 22nd should be Oct 22 i think

[@dnile50]

Since going on a Keto diet, the candy I miss the most are circus peanuts (must be fresh and soft! Old, hard circus peanuts are awful). I also miss licorice -- and Good & Plenty.

[@joeanderson8839]

We bury our rotting pumpkins in the compost pile.

[@Lily_of_the_Forest]

Natural recycling

[@figmo397]

With Harry Houdini and spiritualism, the crux point was allegedly when he was at a seance in England and the medium claimed to have heard his mother speaking to him-in English. Houdini's mother didn't speak English. He immediately knew she was a fraud.

[@patriciafeehan7732]

I wonder if people knew back then that their child was allergic to peanuts? The Circus Peanuts would be a sweet alternative snack.

[@toddtourville984]

Up till 25 years ago, my favorite candy was those circus peanuts. I never knew what they tasted of until 30 years ago. They also taste differently. Hmm

[@Shatterverse]

I wonder if that appendix injury simulator that they came up with took into account what would happen if the appendix was already swollen. If it was already close to rupturing anyway from appendicitis, could the punch of pushed it over the edge?

[@shellOceans3083]

Peanuts were fed to circus elephants and that's why they are called circus peanuts

[@bardmadsen6956]

Halloween is the last of The Festival of the Dead that remains on time. The Halloween Fireballs are The Taurid Meteor Stream which is our most recent. My work proves that virtually all anciently derived Traditions, Mythologies, and Religions describe, in detail, said inner solar system space debris that in all probability was the causation of The younger Dryas Impacts Theory / Fact (Firestone),(Zamora). For some examples, The Thunderbird, The Feathered Serpent, and The Rainbow Serpent, are from the radiant, The Pleiades. It is shown in cave art to Gobekli Tepe (Seven Birds in a Row under Pillar 18), to Tauroctony (placement of blade), and even The Statue of Liberty with its Seven spikes on the diadem. I have been researching this since 1969, it really should be ~November 8 as it slips via The Precession of the Vernal Equinox. At the end of the Pleistocene it would have been ~May first, it has nothing to do with Autumn.

[@Duececoupe]

Got to love liquorice....❤