It's October, the tenth month of the year !

image from here

"It won’t be long before we’re deep in October, but what is the tenth month of the year famous for?

Well, did you know it is named after the Latin word for eight — ‘octo’ — as it was originally the 8th month of the Roman calendar? Or that it is the same month Sir Walter Raleigh, Che Guevara and Harold II met their untimely deaths? Or that October is when we celebrate Hallowe’en every year?

You knew that last one, right?

As we’re morbidly fascinated by it, here are our top 10 favourite facts about Hallowe’en!

1. Hallowe’en has its origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain marking the final harvest of the year

2. Why October 31? Because it was the last day of the year in the old Celtic calendar

3. The name is a contraction of All Hallow’s Evening, also known as the night before All Saints Day (“hallow” being the Old English word for saint)

4. Hallowe’en and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) are very different celebrations: Hallowe’en fears the dead, Día de los Muertos celebrates the dead

5. Which is why people started wearing masks at Hallowe’en - so the ghosts wouldn’t recognise them!

6. ‘Trick or Treat’ dates back to the 9th century when beggars would knock at houses for a type of biscuit called ‘soul cake’ — in return for a prayer

7. The colours orange and black are traditionally associated with Hallowe’en as they represent harvest and death

8. Samhainophobia is the fear of Hallowe’en

9. According to tradition, if you wear your clothes inside out, and walk backwards on Hallowe’en, you’ll see a witch at midnight! 

10. 10 years ago, consumer spending on Hallowe’en in the UK totalled £12m — now it is a £300m+ industry! (I'm sure consumer spending in many other countries is also high) 

That last fact is enough to give you a fright, isn’t it?" 

Words above from Mary Mocklow here

How about some Spookily Friendly Peppers For Halloween !
more details here 

Enjoy the month of October 
All the best Jan