By Jamee Larson
Many people look forward to Halloween as a night where the youthful joy of fantasy is celebrated. Young boys can spend a few hours as a superhero, while girls get a chance to be the princess they dream about when they look in the mirror. Neighborhoods open their doors to each other as trick-or-treaters accumulate candy and other goodies. It is a tradition most people enjoy, but few really understand.
The History of Halloween:
Halloween has its origin in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. The festival is a celebration of the end of harvest season in the Gaelic culture. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and wreak havoc on the living. They dressed in costumes in an attempt to copy the evil spirits and ward them off.
In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV decreed November 1 “All Saints Day,” in honor of all the saints, known and unknown. The night before became known as “All Hallows” and it was believed that on this night, the lines between the living and spiritual worlds were blurred. Eventually, the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Roman tradition of All Hallows were combined into one. October 31st became known as All Hallows Eve and eventually, Halloween.
The traditions associated with October 31st were brought to the United States by Irish and Scottish settlers during the 19th century. The first official citywide celebration occurred close to home, in Anoka, Minnesota in 1921. Since then, the holiday has exploded. According to the US Census Bureau, 41 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 trick-or-treated in 2011 across the United States. In addition, $113 million in pumpkins were harvested from the top six pumpkin producing states – Illinois, California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan in 2011.
Cute costumes and youthful exuberance aside, Halloween also has an edgier side to it. A poll conducted in 2009 by the Associated Press and Ipsos concluded that one in every three people in the United States believe in ghosts. A Gallup poll from the same year concluded that more believe in haunted houses than any other paranormal item, upwards of 40%. Halloween is a time when many people like to tap into those beliefs and fears and push the boundaries of their normal comfort zone.
The Haunted Farm:
People in the mood for a good scare don’t need to look any further than Mel Nygaard’s Haunted Farm. Located just ten miles south of Moorhead on Highway 75, The Haunted Farm is four acres of carefully designed terror. Frequently rated among the top ten haunted attractions in the nation, Mel prides himself on keeping the attraction new and fresh every year. He promises that this year, visitors will notice a “total work over.”
Mel didn’t begin with aspirations of creating a large attraction. “I started doing horse drawn hayrides for the kids,” he said, “and then those became haunted hayrides. I just added a bit more each time and it kept growing.” Grow it did. Now in its 23rd year, the farm boasts fourteen different “theaters,” as Mel calls them, each with its own unique experience. These theaters include the morgue, the asylum, the chemical room, and of course, the haunted house. To make matters worse, one must travel through the dark and eerie woods to get to each structure. Adding to the atmosphere is the cornfield in the background. Anyone that has ever seen a horror movie knows what can happen in a cornfield.
The Haunted Farm is run by a staff of over twenty volunteers, people who “just like to scare people,” as the skeleton in the woods put it. From the sounds of the screams that emanate throughout the property, it sounds like they are doing their job. Nygaard promises to keep pushing the envelope so that visitors will never be disappointed. With 5,000-6,000 visitors per year, he has his work cut out for him.
The Haunted Farm is open from dusk (7:00pm) to 11:00pm every Thursday through Saturday in October and October 28th – 31st. For more information, call 218-585-4302 or visit www.hauntedfarm.com.
Chad Lewis, Ghost Hunter:
Not everyone’s interest in haunted houses and other paranormal activities is for purely entertainment purposes. Some people, like Chad Lewis, study the unexplained for a living. Lewis is paranormal researcher and author for Unexplained Research L.L.C. He spoke at the Moorhead Library last week and one of the books he was touting was The Minnesota Road Guide to Haunted Locations. It is full of ghost lore, recorded paranormal activities, and Lewis’ own investigation notes. The book is a step-by-step guide to where find haunted houses, ghosts, trails, businesses, and cemeteries all over the state of Minnesota.
One of the locations Lewis highlighted during his presentation was Minnesota State University Moorhead’s own Weld Hall. Home to the English Department, Weld Hall has long been the subject of campus ghost lore. Some people say the building’s theater is haunted by a construction worker who met an untimely death during its construction. Others claim a maintenance man or janitor is roaming the halls of Weld, unable or unwilling to leaving the building because of some unfulfilled purpose. No one really knows for sure if the noises often heard late at night are from the old building or that of something, or someone, else.
Regardless of whether for business or pleasure, haunted houses and ghosts are a huge part of the Halloween experience. Many people have a fascination with the paranormal that leads them to the brink of their fear threshold. Places like The Haunted Farm are a good place to test those limits and see how far those boundaries really go. It is okay to leave the lights on afterward.