WHERE DID THE TRADITION OF
TRICK OR TREATING COME FROM?
THE WORLD'S OLDEST
LIVING ANIMAL
At the age of 183,
Jonathan the Tortoise is the
oldest living animal in the
world.
Since 1882, he has lived
on St. Helena, a remote
island in the south Atlantic,
in the grounds of Plantation
House, the home of the
governor of the island. St.
Helena is most famous as
the place Napoleon was
exiled to by the British.
Napoleon died on this
island.
A serious decline in
Jonathan's health was
discovered by Dr. Joe
Hollins, the island's vet.
Cataracts were causing
Jonathan to go blind and
he was not able to forage
for the right kind of food.
The vet's prescription was
a change in diet to more
nutritious foods such as
apples, bananas, lettuce, guava and carrots. This has turned
Jonathan's health around and he is happier and healthier and
could possibly live to be 200.
According to Smithsonian.com it all began with a Celtic
tradition in celebration of the end of the year. The idea was to
dress us as an evil spirit. People believed that, with the changing
of the year, the spirits could overlap and start to roam the
earth. By dressing as one of the spirits, the real spirits would
believe you were one of them and would not harm you.
In the Middle Ages, the act of trick or treating started with
children in costume going door to door to beg for food or
money, it was said to be for "the dead." This was called
"souling." There was sometimes a threat of mischief if nothing
was forthcoming.
"Guising" was recorded in Scotland in 1895 when costumes
were worn and lanterns were made out of turnips. Cake, fruit
and money were handed out to the revelers.
Trick or treating became common in North America in the
1920s and gained in popularity after the end of World War 11
after the end of sugar rationing.
Today, Halloween celebrations are almost as popular as
Christmas with the sale of costumes, candy and decorations.
In 2016, the National Retail Federation estimated $8.4 billion
would be spent on Halloween.
Check out
these oddities
and curiosities
from around
the world!
Vet Dr. Joe Hollins feeding
Jonathan.
Jonathan is a Seychelles giant
tortoise and was given to the
governor of St. Helena in the late
19th century. It is thought that he
would have been around 50 years
old when he arrived. This picture
was taken in 1900.
Off icialKidsMag.com • OC TOBER 2019 • 17
