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Halloween
- The Story Behind Halloween – Lesson
- The Story Behind Halloween – Quiz
- Are You Too Old To Go Trick-Or-Treating? – Lesson
- Look out for the Blue Pumpkin – Lesson
- Is the White House Haunted? – Lesson
- Is the White House Haunted? – Quiz
- Mummies Discovered in Egypt – But That’s Nothing to Fear – Lesson
- Salem Witch Trials: When Being Called a Witch Meant Death – Lesson
- Halloween Around the World: It Isn’t Just Costumes and Candy – Lesson
- Halloween Around the World: It Isn’t Just Costumes and Candy – Quiz
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Thanksgiving
- The Evolution of Thanksgiving – Lesson
- The Evolution of Thanksgiving – Quiz
- The Political Roots of Thanksgiving – Lesson
- The Political Roots of Thanksgiving – Quiz
- Turkey for Thanksgiving – But Why? – Lesson
- Turkey for Thanksgiving – But Why? – Quiz
- This Thanksgiving, Consider Helping the Less Fortunate – Lesson
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Christmas
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Easter
- Good Friday: Christ Carried Sin to the Grave – And Left It There – Lesson
- Good Friday: Christ Carried Sin to the Grave – And Left It There – Quiz
- Easter Traditions: From Rabbits to Egg Jarping – Lesson
- Easter Traditions: From Rabbits to Egg Jarping – Quiz
- Easter Monday and Egg Rolling at the White House – Lesson
- Easter Monday and Egg Rolling at the White House – Quiz
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Federal Holidays and Observances
- New Year’s Day: Just as Political as Anything Else – Lesson
- This Presidents’ Day, Let’s Remember the Weird – Lesson
- Astounding Facts about US Presidents – Lesson
- Astounding Facts about US Presidents – Quiz
- Memorial Day: A Time of Honor and Respect – Lesson
- Memorial Day: A Time of Honor and Respect – Quiz
- From Decoration Day to Memorial Day – Lesson
- From Decoration Day to Memorial Day – Quiz
- Who Was the Poppy Lady, Moina Belle Michael? – Lesson
- Who Was the Poppy Lady, Moina Belle Michael? – Quiz
- The Origins of Flag Day – Lesson
- The Origins of Flag Day – Quiz
- America’s Flag – An Evolved Banner for an Ever-Changing Country – Lesson
- America’s Flag – An Evolved Banner for an Ever-Changing Country – Quiz
- Celebrating the 4th of July – Lesson
- Celebrating the 4th of July – Quiz
- Who Should We Thank for Labor Day? – Lesson
- Who Should We Thank for Labor Day? – Quiz
- Constitution and Citizenship Day – Lesson
- Constitution Day – The First Day of Constitution Week – Lesson
- Constitution Day – The First Day of Constitution Week – Quiz
- The Political Origins of Columbus Day – Lesson
- The Political Origins of Columbus Day – Quiz
- Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? – Lesson
- Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? – Quiz
- Veterans Day: A Day to Honor Those Who Served – Lesson
- Veterans Day: A Day to Honor Those Who Served – Quiz
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Other Traditions
- Valentine’s Day Love Poems – Lesson
- Love Poems for Valentine’s Day – Lesson
- Who Was St. Valentine? – Lesson
- Who Was St. Valentine? – Quiz
- No Love for Valentine’s Day in the East – Lesson
- No Love for Valentine’s Day in the East – Quiz
- Beware the Ides of March – But Why? – Lesson
- Beware the Ides of March – But Why? – Quiz
- St. Patrick’s Day: A Celebration of the Irish – Lesson
- St. Patrick’s Day: A Celebration of the Irish – Quiz
- May Day: Dancing ‘Round the Maypole – Lesson
- May Day: Dancing ‘Round the Maypole – Quiz
- Cinco de Mayo: Celebrating Mexico’s Victory in Puebla – Lesson
- Cinco de Mayo: Celebrating Mexico’s Victory in Puebla – Quiz
- Mother’s Day: The Anti-War Effort Turned Holiday – Lesson
- Mother’s Day: The Anti-War Effort Turned Holiday – Quiz
- Father’s Day: More Than Just a Day for Ties – Lesson
- Father’s Day: More Than Just a Day for Ties – Quiz
- Presidential Fathers: Responsible for Their Kids and the Country – Lesson
- Presidential Fathers: Responsible for Their Kids and the Country – Quiz
- Proof of the Hanukkah Story Found? – Lesson
- Proof of the Hanukkah Story Found? – Quiz
Salem Witch Trials: When Being Called a Witch Meant Death – Lesson
Being a witch for Halloween can be fun – but there was a time when that was a label to avoid.
Dressing up as a witch for Halloween is popular among kids and adults as they take time adding warts to noses and other witchy accessories. In fact, according to Google, a witch is the number one costume choice for trick-or-treaters. While being a witch one night a year is fun for today’s partygoers, the folks from 17th century Salem, Massachusetts had a completely different idea of anyone suspected of practicing witchcraft.
The folks in Salem took the Bible verse “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (Exodus 22:18) very seriously. The Puritans were extremely religious people who believed the Church of England was too close to Catholicism and wanted to move away from the Catholic rituals and more towards the teachings of the Bible. Their beliefs and structure also made them less tolerant of anything that might break their strict rules. Unfortunately, many women and some men lost their lives after being accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials, which began in 1692.
In January 1692, Elizabeth (Betty) Parris, 9, and 11-year-old Abigail Williams became strangely ill, causing fear and confusion within the community. The girls were the daughter and niece of the minister of Salem Village, Samuel Parris. A local doctor diagnosed the pair, saying they had been bewitched. Soon, other young girls in the community started saying they had similar symptoms.
Betty and Abigail named three women whom they said were causing the affliction: Parris’s slave, Tituba; Sarah Osbourne, an invalid widow; and a local beggar woman, Sarah Good. The women denied the accusations except for Tituba, who said Satan had revealed himself to her. Her testimony started a massive witch hunt that would see near 200 people accused of witchcraft – including Good’s four-year-old daughter – and resulted in 20 executions.
The first official case heard in the special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to decide) was against Bridget Bishop, a widow who had been accused of witchcraft years earlier but never convicted due to lack of evidence. Ten people testified against her this time, and she was found guilty.
In August, Martha Carrier was brought before the court. Her family was already unpopular as it was believed they brought smallpox to Andover. Carrier was executed on August 19 along with Reverend George Burroughs, whom the villagers thought was the ringleader of the witches, and three other men.
Martha Cory, an upstanding member community and church member, went to trial in September. After she had tried to prevent her husband, Giles, from participating in the witch trials, folks became suspicious of her and one of the girls accused Martha of making her blind. Her husband even testified against her. Giles, however, found himself being questioned for witchcraft.
Thankfully, the trials did not last long, but the story of the fanatical craze that swept the area and resulted in executions of women and men has remained centuries later.