Glen Vienneau
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 27/00) - While ghosts and goblins will surface next Tuesday, many Yellowknife teens say they will be celebrating Halloween over the weekend instead.

While some may be attending school-organized dances, many have decided home parties are the way to go.

"Those (dances) are kind of boring nowadays. I don't want to waste my Friday," says Grade 9 Keith Dargo.

"I think that a lot of kids are having parties at home or they're going to Spookarama," said Grade 9 Louise Tumchewics, who has not yet decided where to spend her weekend.

For some, like Grade 12 student Mike Beauchamp, celebrating with friends means he can be sure to stay away from those involved with booze and drugs.

Instead, he plans to spend the evening with friends playing video games and watching scary movies on TV. He says on Halloween a quiet evening at home is good enough for him.

"I've got nothing else better to do, so I'll hand out candies for the kids," says Beauchamp.

Grade 12 student Derek Dumas, believes the opposite and says home parties are a little wilder than organized dances.

But, one home-party hostess is sure her party will be well under control.

Jessica Govin says her parents allowed her to invite about 16 of her friends on Friday for a few games of pool and to watch a few classic scary movies.

"I can't stand dances, they're boring. My party has more chips and pop."

Grade 12 student Catherine McManns, is undecided about her weekend plans, but will be going to work dressed up on Oct. 31.

The origins of Halloween date back 2,000 years ago to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) celebrated on the first of November.

It marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.