Happy Halloween! For this week’s Hump Day Genius Fix, being ol’ Hallow’s Eve and all, I thought it only fitting to entertain you with “Mr. After Halloween Costume Shop Salesman” (click below to listen). According to Wikipedia, the term Halloween (and its alternative rendering Hallowe’en) is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the eve of “All Hallows’ Day”, also which is now known as All Saints’ Day. Some modern Halloween traditions developed out of older pagan traditions, especially surrounding the Irish holiday Samhain, a day associated both with the harvest and otherworldly spirits. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century.
It was estimated that there were 36.1 million potential trick-or-treaters in 2006; the U.S. produces 1 billion pounds of pumpkins annually; Americans consume an average of 26 pounds of candy per capita (most around Halloween) annually; and Number of costume rental and formal wear establishments across the nation in 2005 was 2,232. But best of all, there are 161 different beers matching the search for “pumpkin ale” on beeradvocate.com, so drink up. and happy Halloween.
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[audio:http://thefuntimesguide.com/audio/Bud_Light_Real_Men_of_Genius_Mr_After_Halloween_Costume_Shop_Salesman.mp3]
