Autumn:

Autumn has officially arrived. The leaves are changing and falling down, and that brings piles to jump in and enjoy. “Fall brings temperatures that are not ridiculously hot, but not so cold that you could get frostbite,” freshman Jacob Belevore said. “A lot of people find spring to be a prettier time of year, but fall’s many shades of red, purple and yellow seem to be a lot more pleasant to me.”

Black Cats:

During the Middle Ages, it was believed that people accused of being involved with witchcraft would have a black cat as a companion.  “I don’t believe that black cats are bad luck or any heeby jeeby like everyone says,” junior Brooke Callaghan said. “Most people believe in that myth, and that’s why black cats are the number one cat breed in shelters.” Animal shelters that have black cats for adoption do not adopt them out around Halloween because people may harm them.

Costumes:

It is that time of the year again to figure out what costume to wear, whether it is to a Halloween party, trick-or-treating or just passing out candy. “The most out there costume I’ve ever had was when I was a yield sign for Halloween,” sophomore Jenna Mazurek said. “It was Oct. 30 and I didn’t have a costume, but I did have yellow poster board. I thought it was perfect.” There is still time before next Friday to come up with the perfect attire.

Day of the Dead:

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that focuses on the gathering of family and friends to remember their loved ones from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 every year. “The Day of the Dead is a celebration of our fallen friends and family members,” senior Jake Walker said. “It is a pretty spiritual day,” Typical traditions include making ofrendas, colorful alters, in homes to welcome the spirits.

Erebus:

Erebus is a four story haunted house in Pontiac. From August 2005 to September 2009, it held the world record for the largest haunted attraction in the Guinness Book of World Records.
“The scariest part was when a person tapped on my shoulder,” sophomore Abby Quesnelle said. “They had a mask on that looked like they only had a mouth. It was really creepy, and I screamed a lot.”

Fenton Hotel:

The Fenton Hotel was built in 1856, when the first railroads came to town. It provided food and a place for travelers to stay while visiting Fenton. “The hotel was used less and less as a hotel and more as a dining restaurant and banquet place.” Through the years, many staff members have claimed to have heard their name called, dancing in the old ballroom, and to have seen a silhouette of a man at Table 63.

Ghost Story:

“One day, I was at my cousin’s house and we were playing hide and seek,” junior Lexus Crawford said. “All of a sudden we heard a voice start counting back from five. We started hearing singing that sounded like a little girl’s voice. We went inside and then went back outside to look out. It was just plain dark.”

Headless Horseman:

In the tale of the “Headless Horseman” written by Washington Irving, school teacher Ichabod Crane disappears after being knocked off his horse with the Horseman’s makeshift Jack o’ Lantern head. Irving used real people and places as inspiration. Ichabod Crane was based on a school teacher named Jesse Merwin. The horseman was supposedly buried in the Old Dutch Burying Ground.

Influence of Celtics:

The Celtics believed Samhain, God of the Dead, released spirits into the world of the living on Oct. 31. To honor Samhain, the Celts held celebrations and wore animal costumes during the celebrations to protect themselves from roaming spirits. This became known as All Hallows Eve. Over time, All Hallows Eve became the name many of us are familiar with today: Halloween.

Jack-O-Lantern:

“A couple of days before Halloween, all five of my siblings and I go to Spicer’s to buy pumpkins with our parents,” freshman Chase Curtis said. “Then we go back to our home and we carve faces into our pumpkins. My favorite thing to carve into a pumpkin is a vampire.”

Killer in the Backseat:

Urban Myth: One night, a teenage girl was running out of gas and needed to stop. She saw a gas station and pulled in. She noticed the gas attendant was acting odd. She got out, and he suddenly grabbed her, forcing her to come inside. “There is a man in the backseat of your car and I didn’t want him to know I saw him.” After they called the police, she learned the man in her backseat was a serial killer who was planning to make her his next victim.

Luna Pier, Michigan:

Urban Myth: Twenty years ago, there was a woman who ran an orphanage in Luna Pier. One day, she went for a walk down the beach and when she came back, the house was in flames; no one made it out alive. Devastated, the woman committed suicide.

According to the myth, if one visits the area at 1 a.m., distant screams and children playing by the pier are seen. It is said that the woman will be by the lake waiting for her children to one day come back to her.

Mystery of the Fenton Monastery:

While the Fenton monastery may look like a place of spirits and darkness right out of any horror film, ironically the building originally housed a baptist seminary. There have been many transitions of this building since its original construction. These include an apartment complex, learning center and most recently a nursing home in the ‘50s. After being condemned in the late ‘90s, it is now a private residency.

North Road Haunting:

“I was at the North Road park with my friends on Halloween night last year and there was this weird white floating light,” freshman Skylar Healey said. “We all knew there was a graveyard nearby, so we figured someone was just messing around; when we went over there to check things out, no one was there. When we got back to the park the light was gone.”

Other-Worldly Beings:

According to acient lore, on Halloween all the dead are set free to travel through the realms,  including the human one. “When I was younger, about 10 or 11, I heard a loud banging coming from my room,” senior Caleb Murley said. “When I went into the room I heard someone saying my name. I snapped a picture really quick and I got a picture of a small misty face. It was terrifying.”

Protection Potion:

Protection from evil on Halloween can be made right in your own kitchen. With protective energies on your mind, mix 1/2 cups of spring water, 1 teaspoon of vervain, 2 tablespoons of sea salt, 2 tablespoons each of frankincense and myrrh together and place in the soles of each shoe for a safe night.

Quote that makes you Quiver:

“One night last year I went to bed with my dog. I woke up a few hours later when she started to freak out and bark so I just let her out of my room not really thinking anything of it.”  “The next day, I went through my camera roll and I found a picture of me laying in bed. I clearly didn’t take the picture and in the background my dog is looking at something. If you follow her eyes you can see a face by my bed.” junior Hannah Swain said. “I told my mom and she said I was just imagining things, but when I came home from school, my clothes had been ripped out of my closet and my dresser.”

Revenge:

Halloween includes revenge pranks on friends and family; it is the perfect time to get someone back from a previous scare. “I banged on my neighbor’s window while she was watching the movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” junior Alex Wert said. “It freaked her out for a long time.”

Spiders:

Spiders are a common Halloween decoration. They are feared by many people, yet they are just an arachnid. “I don’t like spiders,” sophomore Channer Podlesak said. “They can fall in your hair, face, and you can get trapped in their webs.”

Tradition:

Halloween night is not only a night of fright, but a night to spend with others.  There are many different ways to be with family and catch up with friends. “I take my son Nolan, who is nine, trick or treating,” history teacher Dorice Steiner said. “I take him to Jeffers Lane; there we get full size candy bars. His grandma who is handicapped can watch him in the car, because  there are door to door driveways.”

Urban Legend:

Friday the 13th is said to be a very unlucky day and is dreaded by many people. The number 13 itself is considered an unlucky number. Many hotels do not have a floor 13, and many hospitals do not have room number 13. Friday the 13th is supposed to hold a day of unlucky events and accidents, causing people to take caution of their actions throughout the day.

Vampire:

Vampires used to be thought of as pale, middle-aged men with short hair and a habit of wearing capes. Most movies today, depict them as teens with unruly hair with a habit of wearing black on black. “My favorite vampire movie is ‘Twilight Breaking Dawn Part Two,’” senior Josh Fallon said. “The thing that got me so into them I was grounded over the summer, so I read all the books and watched all the movies with my mom.”

“Witch” is More Delicious?:

Witches Brew-Find a punch bowl and fill it with your favorite type punch. Next find a medical glove and fill it with that same punch substance. Put the glove in the freezer for three hours, when the time is up, peel off the glove and set in your punch bowl.

Vs.

Witch Fingers-Whip up some sugar cookies and roll them into finger-shaped blobs. Once they come out of the oven, take some almond slices and give those fingers some nails. Grab some green frosting and paint on the nails.

Xtra-Terrestrial:

Many people have their fair share of stories about seeing odd flashing lights in the distance that they attribute to UFOs. However, there are many misconceptions about aliens. “I think that biggest misconception about aliens is that they’re little green people, with big bug eyes.” junior Kylayha Tietema said. “I never understood who came up with that idea.”

Yikes!:

Halloween is a mischievous night, so it’s no wonder that people get pranked all the time. “While, I was out trick-or-treating a couple years ago, my dad hid in a bush and then jumped out and scared me and my sisters,” sophomore Emma Glynn said. “It was so embarrassing because my mom filmed it and put it on Facebook.”

Zombies:

Television shows like “The Walking Dead” have viewers feeling like they could survive the apocalypse, but people question if there really is a game plan. “If there were a zombie outbreak I would go to a cabin in the U.P. where no one is around, lock all the doors and cover them with cement,” sophomore Ally Bilodeau said. “My weapon of choice would be a crowbar.”