October 31, 2021 – National Magic Day | Halloween

This Magician Was More Famous Than Harry Houdini In Her Day. Welcome to October 31, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate magical history and all things spooky.  During the Golden Age of Magic, there was only one magician more famous than Harry Houdini. Adelaide Herrmann. Her husband had a very popular magic show and when he died in 1896, she kept it going. Adelaide became wildly successful in her own right, performing for the next 25 years. Her signature trick was the bullet catch, in which someone would fire a gun at her and she would appear to catch it with her hands…or teeth. One time she even faced down a firing squad and caught all the slugs coming her way—or so the illusion would have everyone believe. On National Magic Day, celebrate the sleights-of-hand that still keep us guessing. Halloween dates back thousands of years to ancient Ireland, when folks celebrated the end of the Summer harvest. They believed that on this night, the gates between the worlds of the living and the dead would open. In order to scare off any fairies or evil spirits, people dressed in costumes. Centuries later, the custom of “souling” began. This involved going door to door in costume, singing hymns and reciting prayers on behalf of the dead. In return, they were given soul-cakes, something like a fruit muffin. And just where did the idea for jack o’ lanterns come from? Well, it turns out that those costumed singers carried around hollowed out turnips with candles inside to represent the souls of the dead.  Get your masks on, boys and ghouls, it’s Halloween, the spookiest day of the year. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.