Category Archives: Halloween

Haunted Houses as Charity Fundraisers

18 Wednesday Oct 2023

Posted by in Ghost Education 101, Halloween, Haunted Houses

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In the late 1960s, the United States Junior Chamber, known nationally as “The Jaycees,” began a Halloween tradition that continues today: Charity Haunted Houses. These attractions were cheaply built and staffed by volunteers, but they raked in thousands of dollars per attraction. It was estimated in 2016 that charitable organizations operated 80% of all haunted attractions in the US, raising some $250 million annually.

Haunted attractions were–and remain–inexpensive ways to generate money for charities. Although most people think of the Jaycees, many charities look for ways to scare up extra cash. And Halloween is perfect for it!

For more information regarding haunted houses as attractions and the history of these organizations raising money, view the Ghost Education 101 archived livestream at https://fb.watch/nM37_-8hh9/.

World’s Oldest Haunted House (Attraction)

18 Wednesday Oct 2023

Posted by in Fairgrounds, Halloween

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You can visit the world’s oldest haunted house attraction* in Liphook, England. Built in 1915 by fairground engineers Orton and Spooner, the “Ghost House” (aka the Haunted Cottage) featured steam-powered effects to scare visitors. The ride has been restored and is part of the Hollycombe Working Steam Museum (https://www.hollycombe.co.uk/), a large traditional fairground museum.

*Possibly the oldest but certainly the oldest surviving.

Spooky Ghost Stories

24 Saturday Sep 2022

Posted by in Ghost Stories, Halloween

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Spooky Ghost Stories

Looking for a spooktacular ghost story for the Halloween season? Here are a few top fiction selections. Support your local library by checking them out.

  1. The Book of Cold Cases, Simone St. James, 2022. https://www.amazon.com/Book-Cold-Cases-Simone-James/dp/0440000211.

Stingy Jack: The Story of the Jack-o-Lantern

17 Sunday Oct 2021

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This may be my favorite Halloween tradition story. In America, we owe our Halloween traditions to the Irish. Halloween was not celebrated as extensively in America until the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1852), where 1.5 million Irish people immigrated to America bringing their rich traditions. One story was “Stingy Jack.”

The reason Jack placed pieces of burning coal inside smaller root vegetables is because pumpkins were not available in Ireland. When the Irish settled in America, they preferred to use the larger fruit. Today, pumpkins are used for carving and lighting the paths for trick-or-treaters.

Happy Halloween!

3 Halloween Rituals

17 Sunday Oct 2021

Posted by in Ghost Education 101, Halloween, History, Rituals, Traditions

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I was honored to present “Haunted Halloween: Traditions, Superstitions, and True Crime” last week for Ghost Education 101. If you missed it, check out the Facebook link, https://www.facebook.com/GhostEducation101/. I was a last minute substitution; however, I was ready!

The three rituals I discussed were made up to help ease a female’s mind when she was worried about whom she would marry. The “Finding a Suitor” was done after the young adults played Snap Apple. Snap Apple was a game where an apple was attached to a stick or a string and lowered in front of couples. The first female and male (which did not need to be already a couple) to bite into the apple were headed to alter for marriage. Or so the legend told.

Here is a lovely oil painting by Daniel Maclise called Snap Apple Night (1833). In 1832, Daniel attended a Halloween party in Blarney, Ireland. The painting inspired the lively work of art.

It’s worth noting that these rituals were created for the purpose of marrying off women. They are when women were told that their worth was intrinsically linked to a husband. This is no longer true. In fact, I would love for these games to be updated, reflecting our changing attitudes regarding gender identity.

The image is from Gecko Galz, an online digital products company found on Etsy. The image is a cabinet card, a photographic portraiture consisting of a thin photograph mounted on card stock. It was popular from 1870 until 1924, when people desired varying sizes for displaying and keeping photographs, specifically in photo albums. The origins of the name is unclear; however, it may have become vernacular as people originally displayed these photographs in their parlors. By the early 1900s, the Eastman Kodak Company was selling an inexpensive portable pre-loaded camera. People wanted to take their own pictures. This led to the cabinet card demise.

I’ll be sharing more Halloween tidbits and factoids in the coming weeks. If you’re looking for Halloween and Horror movie suggestions, check out the ones I’ve posted in prior years. I’ve broken the films down into different genres and types. There’s something for everyone! Happy Halloween!

Elizabeth Oehler Krebs: The Flower Woman of Hiawatha

14 Thursday Oct 2021

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Mrs. John Krebs.

Mrs. John Krebs had a problem. Every year at Halloween, her meticulously maintained flower garden was destroyed by mischievous children running around at night. On October 31, 1914, Elizabeth Oehler Krebs (11.19.1848-8.19.1931) organized the first Hiawatha Frolic. It is recognized as the longest consecutive Halloween parade.

Back then, women were called by their husbands’ names. Hence, you need to Google “Mrs. Krebs” to locate more information. You will find that Elizabeth was born in Switzerland and ended up residing in Hiawatha, Kansas. And she loved to garden.

In her obituary, Elizabeth is called “the flower woman of Hiawatha.” She is credited for coming up with a solution to the Halloween antics of the town’s youth: a community frolic.

Frolics are akin to the fetes held in Great Britain. The noun is defined as a “playful action” or “a lively party or game.” The Hiawatha Frolic has grown over the 107 years of its existence to include 2 parades! There’s a Kiddie Parade in the morning and the Grand Parade at night.

Elizabeth suffered great loss during her lifetime. Her only son, John Edward Krebs (12.27.1870-10.19.1893), died at the age of 22 from consumption in 1893. Two years later, she would lose her 16-year-old daughter, Charlotte May “Lottie” (10.22.1878-10.20.1895) to typhoid fever, as well. Tragically, Lottie was buried alongside her brother on what would have been her 17th birthday. The following year, Elizabeth and her husband would lose another daughter, Emma G. (1874-1896), to consumption, as well. Emma had just begun working her third year as a teacher. According to her obituary, all 19 city teachers attended her funeral. The remaining fourth child, Louise Elizabeth Krebs Friend (1872-1946), married, had children, and lived a full life, surviving both her parents.

It is easy to understand what drove Mrs. John Krebs to organize the Hiawatha Halloween Frolic. She loved children and gardening. She planted and took care of many city flower beds during her lifetime. By envisioning the community celebration, she came up with a productive solution to entertain the children of Hiawatha.