About Me
Hola, I'm Jerry and by day I'm a graphic designer who works in higher education. By night, things get a little more spooky because I love horror movies, the paranormal, and of course, Halloween. There's something magical about a pagan holiday that has evolved over centuries through various cultures and continues to thrive. It sparks creativity, wonder, and brings out my inner child.
As the Editor-in-Mischief, I created this site over 13 years ago to archive my dreadful projects and share my Halloween fun. I now to present it to you like an offering. I hope you find something strange, eerie or frightful within these pages to celebrate your Halloween. Vive la Vida Espantosa! š³ļøš
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Señor Scary's Instagram
5 Common Questions I Get Asked
Isn’t Halloween just for kids!?
No. It was brought to America as a young hooligans' night filled with pranks and damage to homes. To curb the costly tomfoolery, it was transformed into a children’s holiday of costumes, trick 'r treating and parties with light refreshments. Today, Halloween fans are connected by social media and we celebrate all year long. For many, it's even considered a lifestyle.
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Is it true Halloween has questionable origins?
Very much so! Scratch beneath the candy corn facade and you will find Halloween's deeper and darker origins were anything but child's play. This cultural holiday began with the Druids of Ireland who celebrated Samhain, the final harvest before winter, with huge bonfires and animal sacrifices (and perhaps a person here and there). This was a time when the veil between the worlds of living and the dead were at its thinnest. To ward off demons, candles were lit in hollowed out turnips, and masks were worn to confuse the spirits roaming about. They gave little cakes to whoever (or whatever) knocked at the front door in hopes of not being dragged to HELL!!! But that was a long time ago.
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Sam and Señor Scary at Midsummer Scream 2019
Why is Halloween so popular?
Halloween is a fun holiday without personal obligations: candy, costumes, and decorations, instead of traveling, forced family time, extensive meal prep, and expensive gift-giving. There’s a mysterious aspect to Halloween where, for one night, your wild and wicked inhibitions can be set free without judgement. Be scary, be sexy, be butch, be femme, be a hero, or just let your freak out.
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Why are Halloween decorations impossible to find in stores in October?
Halloween is now the second-most profitable holiday behind Christmas, and savvy entrepreneurs have made it a $10 billion industry by extending the shopping season. Retailers have seized the opportunity to serve an eager and voracious online shopping demographic starting just after the Fourth of July. This clears shelves during October, November and December for that other jolly holiday. Most of my Halloween hunting is done by Labor Day!
Halloween is so scary. That can't be a good thing, right? Think of the children!!!
Being scared has many positive physical and psychological effects, who could know? Well, science does! When you are scared, adrenaline is released, your heart rate increases, and your body gets a little cardiovascular workout. Being scared also reduces stress (just like laughing reduces stress), and by surviving a little fright, you can achieve the irrational satisfaction of cheating death, and overcoming real anxiety and fears. It’s all very empowering. "We build up tension in our lives and we need a way to release it,” says San Francisco State University professor Jeff Leroux. “Being scared or scaring others is a way to release that tension. Especially around Halloween you see people testing their boundaries of fear. The further those boundaries are pushed, the greater the payoff.” (Oakland Tribune, 10/26/05)
