TAHLEQUAH — A week from tonight, the streets of residential Tahlequah will be full of witches, ghosts, goblins and many other caricatures intent on receiving treats or playing tricks.

Halloween, All Hallows Eve (“hallow” means “sanctify”), or Samhain (for those of Celtic descent, pagans or Wiccans) is associated with many customs, not just going door-to-door asking for candy. Other names for the holiday include Hallowtide, Hallowmass, Hallows, The Day of the Dead and All Soul’s Night.

The holiday had its beginnings in the British Isles, while modern-day trick-or-treating began in the U.S. Both are based on customs brought to this country with the Irish immigration after 1840.

According to Witches’ Voice, a leading Wiccan Web site, Samhain is a very spiritual time for Wiccans and pagans, because Oct. 31 lies exactly between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice, and provides a very potent time for magic and communion with spirits.

In Ireland, Scotland and England, Oct. 31 is celebrated as a feast for the dead, and also marks the beginning of a new year. Historically, the end of the harvest closed the year.

For the ancient Celts, Samhain (pronounced SAW-win) provided mortals an opportunity to celebrate their dead ancestors or, since this is one of two nights during the year the veil between the realm of the dead and the living is “thin,” an opportunity to commune and converse with family members who have “passed on.”

Often, the dead were invited to feast with the living. Following the party, the spirits were escorted out of town by villagers dressed in costumes, including goblins and ghosts – hence the tradition of wearing costumes.

Carved pumpkins, or jack-o’-lanterns, are also descendants of Celtic ritual. Lanterns carved out of pumpkins or turnips were used to provide light on a night when huge bonfires were lit, and all the households let their fires go out so the could be rekindled from this new fire. This was believed to be good luck for all families.

According to Witches’ Voice, the name “jack-o’-lantern” means “Jack of the Lanterns,” and is derived from an old Irish folktale. Jack was a man who couldn’t enter heaven or hell, and was condemned to wander through the night with only a candle in a turnip for light.

Trick-or-treating is also a custom derived from Samhain traditions, and is still very popular here in Tahlequah. Many children who live in the country get dressed up in costumes and travel into town to receive a generous portion of treats.

Rita Lamb, information coordinator for Cherokee Nation Health Services, was one such child.

“When I was growing up, we lived in the country, so – as dumb as this sounds – I enjoyed getting to go to town and dressing up for Halloween,” she said. “I think my mom and dad’s favorite costume for me was Tweety Bird, with the big plastic feet and face mask.”

Lamb enjoys Halloween, and hosts a party every year to celebrate.

“We are having our second annual costume party for all of our friends,” she said. “We recently held a kids’ Halloween costume party for our children and their friends, which was fantastic!”

Lamb believes the occasion gives kids of all ages an opportunity to stretch their imagination.

“It gives you a chance to be someone else for a moment, to leave your worries at the door and enjoy the fellowship of friends in another persona,” said Lamb. “And it is always so exciting to see who comes dressed as what, or whom! It is amazing that many of my friends get as pumped as we do about our costume party.”

Costumes can sometimes be problematic for children participating in school parties, but Greenwood Elementary School Principal Brenda Hathcoat puts very few restrictions on her students.

“We don’t have a written policy on costumes,” said Hathcoat. “I solicited suggestions, ideas and concerns at my grade level meetings a few weeks ago. Based on teacher feedback, we established a few guidelines for wearing Halloween costumes.”

Greenwood’s costume guidelines require students to not wear anything with blood, guts or gore, and they may not wield weapons of any kind – plastic, tofu or otherwise. According to Hathcoat, teachers were to inform their parents in the “party notes” sent home.

Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director David Moore remembers school Halloween parties from his past with fondness.

“I liked getting dressed up in elementary school and parading around the other rooms for the kids to see your cool costume,” he said. “Afterward, the PTA moms would have some cupcakes and such. Nowadays, kids can’t wear the costumes, because either they’re fire hazards or they’re not politically correct. You don’t get homemade cupcakes because they could be hazardous to your health. You can’t walk room to room without passing through a dozen locked doors and a security guard.”

Moore stands amazed that his generation survived.

“It’s a wonder we didn’t burn up in those plastic suits or eat razor blades [hidden in the candy],” he said. “How did we ever make it? Oh, happy Halloween.”

Rather than brave the streets of Tahlequah, Lamb enjoys decorating her home for guests to enjoy.

“Since we decorate so much around our house, we like to have the neighborhood come to us, and our kids enjoy handing out candy and seeing what everyone is dressed up as,” she said. “Plus since we have costume party for their friends and their school parties, they should already have plenty of candy.”

Lamb carries on the tradition her parents had of checking out the candy her kids bring home.

“It is a sad day when you have to do these things, and I specifically remember when I was a kid, my parents having to go through my candy,” she said. “I hate to think of people wanting to bring any harm to kids, but in this day and age, you never know what people are capable of. This is evident in everyday news stories.”

Lamb and her husband, Brent, always go through the candy before the children are allowed to eat it. She pointed out her husband has an odd method when it comes to inspection.

“I will have to admit he [Brent] is one to ‘test’ some of the chocolate to make sure it is in good shape before the kids have any,” she said. “But then again, isn’t that the parents’ job?”