For us, the Jack O'Lantern is a carved pumpkin whose face light up Halloween night. But it has its origins in the phenomenon of a strange light that flickers over peat bogs called ignis fatuus.

The actual practice of carving out gourds to create elaborate decorations began thousands of years ago in Africa. The tradition of carving a lantern from these gourds seem to have originated in England. The were left on the doorstep on All Hallows' Eve to ward off evil spirits.

The name Jack O'Lantern comes from the tale of a man who tricked the devil into never claiming his soul. But he lived such sinful life that when he died he was not be allowed into heaven either. So he had nowhere to go. Sadly, he carved out a turnip and climbed inside. For light, the devil tossed him an ember from Hell that would never go out, and Jack began wandering the Earth looking for a resting place.

Below you will find more bits of trivia about Halloween.
A Big Slice is proud to present our very own wine tasting kit, the Bacchus Box, a complete evening of fun in one rosewood box! Challenge your friends to a taste off. May the best wine win! No one, not even the host, knows the identities of the selections. Observe, smell, taste, rank, vote. Was yours the nectar ...or the salad dressing? A relaxed and fun way to discover new favorites. And remember, there is always a next time with the Bacchus Box. Includes everything you need (except wine and glasses) and a free 12 minute instructional DVD. Great gift! To check out the Bacchus Box, click on the bar above. A Big Slice is a very large website (including over 200 recipes!) that is organized thematically. But if you know what you are looking for, just click on the bar above and it will take you to our search page. Type in the term, or recipe in the space provided and it will take you directly to that page. If any links appear to be broken, please let us know at:

thegoodlife@abigslice.com
Click above to return to the A Big Slice homepage. From there you will be able to visit our wine and international dinners sections. Plus we have a recipe and craft archive so you can quickly find what you are looking for. If it is contact information that you seek, that is also on the homepage - near the bottom. Thousands have already signed up for our newsletter. In 2009 we are focusing on the monthly holidays in a different way. How about a Mardi Gras Fais Do Do? Or a hearty St. Patrick's Day Irish Breakfast. We include holiday trivia and history, table settings, napkin folds and of course recipes. All we need is your email address. Click on the bar above to sign up. Thank you!
Click on the above link to return to the main entertaining page. There you will find complete menu, decorating and craft ideas for every month of the year. Summer is the time to enjoy the big outdoors. Below you will find some of our favorite summertime recipes. Just click on the black bars below to view the recipes. Happy grilling!
The origins of Halloween are ancient and date back to a 2000 year old Celtic festival. They celebrated the New Year on November 1, the end of summer and the beginning of a dark cold winter. But they believed that on October 31 the last day of the year, the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred as ghosts returned to earth to cause trouble and damage crops.

To the Celts, Halloween was known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in) or the "end of summer". By the Middle Ages, the church was trying to replace the Celtic festival of the Dead, with a day that honored the saints. This new celebration was called all-hallowmas and the evening that preceeded it, all-hallowseve, or Halloween.
An early Christian tradition was placing a platter of soul cakes outside the front door on all hallowseve. The purpose was twofold. They were given to beggars who went from house to house on Halloween. They promised to say a prayer for one of the family's departed in return for a cake. One cake for one soul. They were also used as a reward for bands of entertainers called mummers who made their merry rounds at Halloween. Either way, this is believed to be the basis for the modern practice of trick or treat.
Most of the symbolism surrounding today's Halloween is inspired by the classic Hollywood horror films, like Dracula, and Frankenstein's Monster. One of the most enduring however, is the black cat. Even in ancient folklore black cats were associated with witchcraft and evil. During the witch hunts of the Middle Ages, black cats were also hunted down and burned. Today we see them mostly as a silly superstitions.

Witches being closely associated with Halloween is a very modern idea. During the early Christian era, witches were seen as the cohorts of the devil often depicted in his embrace, or flying through the sky on a broom or goat. But what is more frightening than the witch, itself, is how they were hunted down during the Middles Ages. Now, the most well known witch is the green faced creature from the Wizard of Oz.
If you feel the need to get away for Halloween you might want to put Darmstadt, Germany on your must see list. There is a castle in the town that was once inhabited by theologian and physician Johann Conrad Dippel. The legend goes that Dippel tried to construct a new human being out of the body parts of prisoners he kept locked up in the castle dungeon. When Mary Shelley visited the Castle in 1816, she was inspired to write Frankenstein.