Halloween Happenings, Spooky Celebrations, and Frightful Fun

Episode
Written By Tracy Kaplan

10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 610

1. Halloween Around the World 🎉

2. One Big Spooky Spectacle 🎃

3. A Boo Moon 🌕

4. Halloween isn't all Tricks and Treats 😱

5. Behind Bobbing for Apples 🍎

6. Haunted Halls 👻

7. Halloween at the White House 🍬

8. Smashing the Pumpkin Smashing Record 🤯

9. The City of Halloween 🧐

10. The U.S. Pumpkin Capital 🇺🇸

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TRANSCRIPT

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

<SFX: Door creak open, witch crackle, thunder crash>

RYAN: TRICK OR TREAT!

PAM: Nope. Not yet, Ry. 

RYAN: Okay. How about now? TRICK OR TREAT!

PAM: Still no, Ry. Halloween is in less than 24 hours…

RYAN: Can’t we start celebrating it now?! 

PAM: Well, I guess we could start celebrating early…also, you seem a little hyper…have you been eating candy this morning? <SFX: Candy rustle under this question>

RYAN: Yes. Yes! YES! YES TO EVERYTHING. Cause I’m Ryan Willard. 

PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland, it’s Thursday, October 30th…

RYAN: This is Ten Spooky Things You Need to Know About Halloween. <SFX: something spooky>

PAM: Happy almost Halloween, Ten’ers! It’s that time of the year to put on your spookiest costume and head out for trick-or-treating, at least that’s what we do here in the United States! But, what about the rest of the world? How do they celebrate? Well… in countries like–

  1. PAM: –Mexico, kids also go trick-or-treating!<SFX: music, mariachi guitar>  But, they also get ready for another celebration called Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, that takes place from November 1st - 2nd. Observers say that during this time, deceased loved ones’ spirits reunite with their still-living family! How cool is that?

  2. RYAN: And, in England, around this time, they celebrate the failed assassination attempt of King James I by Guy Fawkes Day, on what is actually called “Guy Fawkes Day”. Instead of trick or treating for candy, kids walk around for a “penny for the guy.”

  3. PAM: On November 1st, Italians celebrate ‘All Saints' day <SFX: church bells> through many different traditions like Sicilian children receiving gifts from the dead, Roman grave-side meals, and making pumpkin lanterns in Abruzzo and Trentino. 

RYAN: There are so many cool ways to celebrate this time of year, whether it’s spooky or sentimental, it’s all about bringing people together! And that’s exactly what happens in New York City, at the Village Halloween Parade.<SFX: crowd noise> It’s the world’s largest Halloween parade and the only major nighttime parade in the United States. Starting around 7 p.m. on Halloween night, nearly 50,000 costumed participants line up to march in the parade and up to 2 million spectators fill the streets to watch. First held in 1973, the parade has become a beloved tradition, featuring a new theme each year brought to life through giant puppets, more than 50 marching bands, and spectacular Halloween floats. I’ve been to it multiple times, and if you like Halloween, it is EPIC. 

PAM: Unfortunately, this year on the holiday, the sky will be missing its eerie finishing touch, a full moon. Did you know that a full moon only appears on Halloween every 18 to 19 years? <SFX: wolf howl> The last time it lit up the night sky for trick-or-treaters was in 2020, which means we’ll have to wait until 2039 for the next “Boo Moon.” This is because Halloween always lands on October 31st, but the moon runs on its own schedule, a lunar cycle that is a 29 and a half day cycle. So when it does show up on Halloween, it's extra special and known as a Blue Moon. 

RYAN: Halloween isn’t all tricks and treats for everybody; for some, it's actually pretty scary. Not because of ghouls and goblins but because of the holiday itself. That’s right — some people actually fear Halloween! It’s called Samhainophobia. A phobia is when someone feels anxious about something just by thinking about it or being around it. Like for me, it’s butterflies, obviously. So someone with Samhainophobia may have extreme fear or anxiety around Halloween, or even at the thought of it, including things like Halloween parties, symbols like ghosts or spiders, and even trick-or-treating. So, while some of us love spooky season, it’s always good to remember that not everyone feels the same, and that’s alright! 

PAM: But for those who do enjoy Halloween and all of its festivities, we’ve got the facts about an activity that dates back many years. Bobbing for apples is a game that involves a large tub of water filled with floating apples. Participants who bob for apples stick their heads underwater and try to grab an apple with only their teeth. <SFX: water splash then bite crunch> And, it’s actually associated with love instead of spookiness. The game has been around since at least the 14th century and was once a way for British women to find out who their male suitor was. If they got the apple on the first try, the match was destined for love; on a second attempt meant a short-lived romance, and on a third, well, it just wasn’t meant to be at all. Today, bobbing for apples isn’t as intense, and the winner is just the person who catches an apple the quickest or who catches the most! Alright Ten’ers, we asked you what you’re dressing up for this Halloween and we heard back! 

<SFX: phone text alert> I hate butterflies so much said: “I’m being Baby Saja from K-Pop Demon Hunters.” - That is an epic costume, I hadn’t even thought of being him. Though I like to think I can rap like him….

<SFX: phone text alert> And then Meeeow I’m a Caaaaaat said: “I’m going to be Frisk from Undertale. I love the show.” Thanks Meow I’m a Cat, I love Undertale and Deltarune, so I think that is an awesome costume. Are you making the sweatshirt, or did you buy the whole costume? SO COOL! Alright, let’s get back to the show! 

RYAN: Okay, we’re back and we gotta get a little spooky…I got some ghost stories for you: The White House has been home to many United States presidents and their families… and many spirits, too. <SFX: echoing footsteps>  It’s been said that Abraham Lincoln’s ghost has been spotted several times following his death in April 1865. One of the most famous sightings was by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who got out of the bath and walked into the Lincoln Bedroom to find Lincoln’s ghost standing by the fireplace. <SFX: fire crackle> Then there’s the ghost of Abigail Adams, America’s second first lady, who has been spotted doing her laundry in the East Room by White House staff members and residents.<SFX: dripping water under this> It’s even been reported to smell like damp clothing or lavender sometimes. But, President Lincoln and First Lady Adams aren’t the only ones haunting 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Over the years, countless other spirits are said to haunt the halls of the White House. 

PAM: Speaking of the White House, it wasn’t until October 30, 1958, that First Lady Mamie Eisenhower decorated the mansion for Halloween for the first time. Since then, presidents have celebrated the holiday in many ways, and today, thousands of children and their parents will gather on the South Lawn! <SFX: kids playing> There will be trick-or-treat booths and festive fall decorations, while the President and First Lady hand out candy and the Air Force Strolling Strings play Halloween music. Families can snap photos with a giant pumpkin, take home miniature pumpkins from American farmers, enjoy apples from Washington and New York, and grab sweet treats from the National Confectioners Association.

RYAN: PUMPKINS PUMPKINS PUMPKINS. Giant pumpkins, miniature pumpkins, and smashing pumpkins! And no grown-ups, we’re not talking about the rock band. We’re talking about a world record! A man by the name of Ronald Sarchian holds the world record for the most pumpkins smashed in 1 minute… and that number is 52! <SFX: thud & squish> He smashed the record on October 31, 2020 in Van Nuys, California. But, get this! Someone else named Ashria Furman tied his record the very same day in New York City. Furman and Sarchian both still hold the record to this day!

PAM: One South Carolina town has taken its Halloween celebration to a whole other level. In 11 out of the 12 months of the year, it’s known as Conway, South Carolina, but for the month of October? It’s the City of Halloween, South Carolina, by proclamation of the town’s mayor. It’s not just a name change, though; the city goes as far as updating its website, local businesses update their signs, and the downtown turns into a Halloween wonderland. In 2019, the town’s trees on Main Street were decorated with 500 pumpkin buckets. Today, it’s up to nearly 5,000 and takes almost 2 weeks to set up. There are also more than 200 events hosted, as well as Halloween-themed set-ups around the town, like a Tunnel of Bones made of towering skeletons and a witches' garden with floating witch hats, and more! <SFX: witch cackle>

RYAN: And for the last thing you need to know, let’s go to our Trivia Master, Owen. 

OWEN: Thanks, Ry. Okay, do you know which city is known as the pumpkin capital of the United States? Is it:

  1. Salem, Massachusetts

  1. Conway, South Carolina

  2. Morton, Illinois, or

  3. Tombstone, Arizona?

The answer is… Morton, Illinois! This small town in Illinois produces tons of pumpkins each year. So many that, up to 95% of canned pumpkin in the U.S. comes from this area and is likely pureed and canned at the Libby’s plant, a business that’s been in the town for nearly 100 years. The Libbys' plant has harvested more than 1.9 million tons of pumpkins, and at one point, sold enough cans to make over 48 million pumpkin pies!

PAM: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know.

RYAN: Ahhhh that just got me MORE excited for Halloween!

PAM: Well…we are dropping a Deep Dive tomorrow, on Halloween. How’s that?

RYAN: WHAT! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. We should give Ten News Snaps so I can start preparing…

PAM: But before that, here’s a quick note for the grownups. 

<AD BREAK> 

RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!

PAM: A Ten’er named Greg Da Super Dupa Graet left us this review on Apple podcasts: “I love how the podcast lets me as a kid know about the stuff around the world that the news does not cover! Ryan, you should play more Roblox and Minecraft!”

RYAN: Ummmmmmm, OKAY, I will obviously play more Roblox and Minecraft, just because you said so. 

PAM: Thank you for the review, Greg Da Super Dupa Graet!

RYAN: Also, two extra notes for the grown-ups, you can now get ad-free versions of our episodes when you join the Ten’ers Club on our website. 

PAM: And if you want to help support the Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes. The whole team thanks you for your support!

RYAN: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts, and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.

PAM: The Ten News creative team is putting the final touches on their Halloween costumes and includes Tracey Not a Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas, Earl I Don’t Know His Last Name and Carson Not So Harry Potter. Big thanks to Owen, Not Slowin Down for Anybody.

RYAN: Our Production Director is Jeremiah “On Fyaaah” Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald “Albright, Albright, Albright!” and show creator Tracy Takes the Leeds Kaplan. I’m Ryan Willard. 

PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland, thanks for listening to the Ten News. 

Tracy Kaplan
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