Halloween 2018 is here already. Can you believe this year is coming to a close? It sure has flown by.

I'm sure we all know by now the origins of Halloween. It started from Samhain, the ancient Celtic holiday. But, of course, over the centuries it has completely changed from a pagan ritual to a holiday complete with parties, pumpkins, costumes and decorations. Haunted houses are abundant and the major theme parks also jump on the bandwagon with festivities for the Halloween season generating millions of dollars in ticket sales.

So, what do you do on Halloween? It is a billion dollar holiday in America each year now, ranking only behind Christmas for the dollars spent on decorations, costumes, and whatever else you can think of. I have seen a lot of amazing displays at houses just in my small beach town. Are you dressing up this year? So many great costumes are available at the stores. You don't even have to be creative any more. You can just go purchase whatever you need for the look you are going for. Lots of us even dress up at work on Halloween and for some that may be the only opportunity available.

Many people love dressing up on Halloween and pretending to be something that is not normally a part of their everyday lives. It's great for grown ups to be able to have a day to play dress up and be something different for a change. And that's what Halloween is for.

So be safe and have fun and if you are driving make sure to keep your eyes open for kids and teens on the roads. Happy Halloween! We sure hope you get to have some fun. 

Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network