Halloween, Day of the Dead, All Saints’ Day

Late October and early November mark a time when many people around the world reflect on death and what it means. Some cultures through history have honored those who are gone, remembering them with celebrations. Others have been concerned that the spirits of the dead may not be at rest. Halloween, Day of the Dead and All Saints’ Day are occasions when the living try to put death in perspective. To learn more, use the direct links on The Times’ Launch Point Web site.

https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/

LEVEL 1

Halloween Village for Kids: Learn the rules of Halloween safety as you help two trick-or-treaters in an interactive adventure. Find out how to make a 3-D haunted house out of paper, and read some very silly monster riddles, like why didn’t the skeleton cross the road? (He didn’t have the guts!)

https://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7134/Halloween/hall.htm

Scary Stories--The Internet Public Library Youth Division: Want to read some scary stories to get ready for Halloween? Find out what other kids think about the spooky books they have read.

https://www.ipl.org/youth/ByteBookie/scary.html

The Haunted Mansion: An assortment of Halloween activities--pictures to color, puzzles to solve, and two different bat mobiles that make good decorations.

https://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/2679/kids.html

LEVEL 2

Halloween on the Net: Did you know that pioneer children in the Old West went trick-or-treating? Discover the reasons for many Halloween customs, as well as the history of Mexico’s Day of the Dead.

https://www.holidays.net/halloween/

Ben & Jerry’s Halloween History: Learn how Halloween began, make some special decorations, or visit the virtual pumpkin patch and design your own jack-o’-lantern. This site also describes how children in Italy and Mexico have their own special celebrations at this time of year.

https://www.benjerry.com/halloween/history.html

What Do Mexicans Celebrate on the Day of the Dead? Photos show how families celebrate life by remembering those who have died. See how the many customs--flowers, special foods, storytelling, decorating graves--honor the memories of loved ones.

https://www.public.iastate.edu/~rjsalvad/scmfaq/muertos.html

LEVEL 3

Halloween--The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows: This essay describes the holiday’s Celtic beginnings and explains how the early Christian Church transformed the celebration into an occasion to honor every saint--All Saints’ Day. https://www.loc.gov/folklife/halloween.html

Day of the Dead: An in-depth look at how the Catholic holiday of All Souls Day is observed in Mexico. The site includes a discussion of how Aztec beliefs regarding death influenced the celebration and explains the significance of ofrendas and calaveras.

https://www.nacnet.org/assunta/dead.htm

Halloween--History and Traditions of the Day: Why do people dress up for Halloween? And what’s the story behind carving jack-o’-lanterns? Read about the origins of those customs and how their meanings have changed over time.

https://wilstar.net/hallown.htm

Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This week’s column was designed by Anna Manring and Stan Woo-Sam.

EXPLORER’S QUEST

The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites at right.

What vegetable did the Celts use to make the first jack-o’-lanterns?

Clue: See Halloween on the Net

Tell Us What You Want To Know

Got a paper or project coming up? Just curious about something? Send us a topic, and we’ll consider it for a future Launch Point column. Write to us at The Times Orange County, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. E-mail us at educ@latimes.com or leave a phone message at (714) 966-4550.

Answer to last week’s Quest:

Light travels faster than sound. That’s why we see the lightning first and hear the thunder later.