By Another Name

Well, here it is. Tonight is the Great Neighborhood Candy Exchange. You know, that night when all the kids dress up funny and the moms trade candy through their kids.

That's all it really has become, you know. Yes, it all started with Druid ceremonies and Day of the Dead stuff in many religions, or celebrations of Saints in others. It has all boiled down to, my kids want to dress up funny and go get candy. "Just one more house, please?"

Kind of keeps things in perspective, doesn't it?


Today is:

Admission Day, Nevada

Apple and Candle Night, Wales

All Hallow's Eve -- Christian

All Saint's Day, Sweden

Dookie Apple Night, Newcastle, England

Duck Apple Night, Liverpool, England

Feast to Pomona -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Festival of Inner Worlds

Ghost Walk

Ghostwriter's Day

Hallowe'en or Beggar's Night

Homemaker's Day

Increase Your Psychic Powers Day

Independence Day, Antigua

National Knock-Knock Joke Day

National Magic Day -- in honor of Harry Houdini, who died on this day in 1926

National Caramel Apple Day

National UNICEF Day

Old Celtic New Year's Eve

Reformation Day -- Protestant Christian

Samhain Eve -- Druids

Senior Absurdity Day at Horace Mann School

St. Quentin's Day

St. Wolfgang's Day (patron of carpenters and woodcarvers)

Thump-the-Door Night, Isle of Mann

Trick or Treat Night

Youth Honor Day


Birthdays Today:

Adam Horovitz, 1966
Peter Jackson, 1961
Larry Mullen, Jr., 1961
John Candy, 1950
Jane Pauley, 1950
Deidre Hall, 1947
David Ogden Stiers, 1942
Michael Landon, 1936
Dan Rather, 1931
Michael Collins, 1930
Barbara Bel Geddes, 1922
Dale Evans, 1912
Ethel Waters, 1896
Chaing Kai-shek, 1887
Juliette Low, 1860
John Keats, 1795
Jan Vermeer, 1632


Today in History:

Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites after their return to Jerusalem from exile, BC445
First All Hallows Eve observed to honor all the saints, 834
Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg church door, marks the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, 1517
Georg Ludwig van Hannover is crowned as the English King George I, 1714
Execution of Girondins at Paris during the Reign of Terror, 1793
Sir Humphrey Davy of London patents the miner's safety lamp, 1815
A standard uniform is approved for US Postal workers, 1868
A tropical cyclone hits Bengal, about 200,000 die, 1876
John Boyd Dunlop patents the pneumatic bicycle tire, 1888
Arthur Conan Doyle publishes "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", 1892
Benito Mussolini becomes Premier of Italy, 1922
Mt. Rushmore sculptures are completed, 1941