All Hallows Eve

I told you this is my favorite time of the year.  And Halloween is my favorite holiday.  Some people go all out to decorate for Christmas, we decorate for Halloween.  Right now a mummy, a crow, a rat, and many spiders reside on my front porch.  Along with them is a pair of talking skeltons, a screaming doormat, a lighted bat, and miscellaneous body parts.  Ghoulish?  You bet! 

Halloween is an ancient celebration.  "Halloween as it is celebrated these days is but a pale representation of its rich and multicultural history. It is not, as some would call it, a celebration of the Devil or of Hell or of the Damned, but rather a blending of the celebrations marking the end of the growing season, a heralding of the coming of the winter months and folk traditions that told of the day when the veil between the living and the dead, ever a transparent, gossamer veil at that, would lift and ghosts and ghouls would walk among the living. From those many traditions, coming to us from the Celts, the Roman rituals and even Catholic tradition, we get the stirrings of what would eventually become Halloween." (www.halloween.com)

The very best Halloween book by far is Ray Bradbury's "The Halloween Tree."  I remember discovering it after reading Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine."  "The Halloween Tree" is set in the same idyllic small town.  Amazon says this about Bradbury's contemporary classic, "Eight boys set out on a Halloween night and are led into the depths of the past by a tall, mysterious character named Moundshroud. They ride on a black wind to autumn scenes in distant lands and times, where they witness other ways of celebrating this holiday about the dark time of year. This is a superb book for adults to read to children, a way to teach them, quite painlessly, about customs and imagery related to Halloween from ancient Egypt, Mediterranean cultures, Celtic Druidism, Mexico, and even a cathedral in Paris."  Bradbury captures the excitement and dread of this holiday of the dead.

If want another spooky, classic story.  Remember to read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving.  Here is the genesis of the headless horseman who rides the country roads of upstate New York.  Written in 1820, this still holds up as a great, spooky read. 

I try not to go into the deeper meanings of the holiday such as recognizing our own mortality, but I do think it is okay to learn to be a little bit scared as long as you have the refuge of a loving family to run back to.

The library is celebrating with storytime programs and Halloween parties.  Check out website for dates and locations.  The staff is having fun preparing Halloween surprises.

Speaking of the dead, join us for a cemetery walk to learn about local history from an expert.  We had a great group at Farley this week and next up is Epworth.  Lifelong Epworth resident Bill Mausser and co-author of "History of Epworth, Iowa" will lead the walk through Highview Cemetery. The cemetery is located off of 1st Ave. NE past the Epworth Ball Park.  Please wear sturdy walking shoes and bring a flashlight.  The walk begins at 5:15 p.m. on October 29th.

Next up is a series of special storytimes about health.  The library received a grant from the Alliant Energy Foundation to update the health, nutrition, and wellness areas of our collection.  We have ordered books and DVDs about good food, meal planning, exercise, diseases, and related issues such as bullying and eating disorders.  To feature these new resources, we will be having "To Your Health" storytimes on November 8th at three library locations--9:30 at Peosta, 11:00 at Asbury, and 6:30 p.m. at Farley.  As a special treat, every child will receive a free "Good Health Habits" coloring book.  The coloring book teaches about nutrition, exercise, handwashing, toothbrushing, and all those good things.  We will also have a resource list of the new materials so you can see what we have added to the collection. 

So stop by the library and get in the mood for Halloween.  Boo!! 

Dawn