We all know that before October is over, at AMS we’ll be having some playful fun. It’s called Halloween and it truly is a unique holiday. We get to put the imagination to work and dream up a costume, or some décor, or even better… have some fun with the boss.
The Party Plans!
Last year we had a blast with “Mummify Your Boss” and we’ll be doing it again this year! Here’s what the invitation looks like: “Employee Challenge to “mummify” their supervisor, manager, or director by wrapping them in warehouse materials. Get creative! 1 winning mummy per facility! Winners get bragging rights. Submit your photos by Monday, Oct. 21st.”
Mummifying the bosses is only one of the fun things we have planned. AMS has been holding a costume contest for 7 years! Here’s the invitation: “AMS 7th annual employee costume contest is Thursday, 10/31! See your Activities Committee Rep for details on the “parade” schedule to see everyone at once. Each facility will vote their winners for each category: Individual, Duo, Department. The prize will be a trip to the prize room!” BTW… the prize room has some pretty nice prizes on the shelves.
We have a couple of decoration contests going on as well. There will be a pumpkin decorating prize and there will be a decoration contest for the workspaces… breakrooms, lobbies, offices, departments. Winners of the pumpkin contest will get a trip to the prize room. For the decorate the workspace winners the prize is a trophy that stays with the winner for one year. Readers can find out more and get involved by contacting Samantha Hicks, ESG Program Manager. Here is her email. [email protected]
A Little About Halloween
We all know that Halloween simply means some fun for us and our children, but how did it start, and why did it start? We went to the History website for some info. “The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.”
Okay – that answers the questions of why and how. Being a little more curious we asked how Halloween is celebrated around the world. The NPR website gives us information on seven countries and we have decided to include the first two… Mexico and England. Readers can follow this [LINK] to read about the others.
Halloween in Mexico and England
Mexico: While children in Mexico also go trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, it acts as a primer for another celebration: el Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which takes place on Nov. 1 and 2. Observers say the Mexican holiday, which dates back 3,000 years to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, occurs when the gates of heaven open, allowing the spirit of a deceased loved one to be reunited with their still-living family. Family members may prepare a feast with the deceased’s favorite foods or leave gifts on their gravesite. Festival-goers will don skull masks and eat skull-shaped sweets. And the holiday, once typically celebrated only in rural, Indigenous parts of the country, is now celebrated in major cities, including the capital, Mexico City.
England: The increasing popularity of Halloween in pop culture means that British children may partake in the holiday. But like other countries, it can often be overshadowed by another, much larger event: Guy Fawkes Day. On Nov. 5, British citizens celebrate the failed assassination of King James I by Guy Fawkes and other participants in the plot. Because Fawkes attempted to kill the king with barrels of gunpowder — before being found by the authorities and being sentenced to death — the holiday is celebrated with bonfires across the country. And instead of trick-or-treating for candy, children will walk around asking for a “penny for the Guy.”
Have a Good Time on the 31st
We hope you join with us in having some Halloween fun at AMS. Let’s see who gets mummified!!! We’ll be there for some photos of the costumes as well!!! And… have a ton of fun decorating your workspace!
