Did you know that most Halloween traditions originated in Ireland? The traditions spread to other parts of the world after the potato famine when many Irish fled the country,in fact Halloween is more Irish than St. Patrick's Day which was a US product of Irish immigrants. The colors for Halloween (orange and black) represent death of summer and fall harvest. Speaking of black...the word black and bleach both come from the same root word "bhel" which meant shine,flash,or burn. Black gained its current meaning from association with burnt objects and bleach got its meaning because it made things shine. The broomstick gained its place in Halloween lore because poor elderly women who were accused of witchcraft couldn't afford horses so they used a walking stick to help them travel. A broom was often substituted for the walking stick. Happy Halloween!
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