Halloween Torch
In ancient times, the Celt dressed in trange costumes to scare the spirits that were killing the crops in the fal l. That was a forerunner of Allhallows Eve, when people asked for food in exchange for prayers for a good year. Halloween was celebrated in the United States by the 19th century, brought by the Irish. They carved scary turnips, but learned that the pumpkin was easier to use. The Halloween parade didn't start until the 1900s. Allentown and Newtown, both in Pennsylvania, claim the first known parade. There were costumed people, bands and parade torches. Some of the metal torches were shaped like jack-o-lanterns and today those are rare Halloween collectibles. The vintage jack-o-lanterns are made of papier-mache. Newer ones are plastic foam or hard plastic.
