Seven Up

Seven Up (sometimes called “Heads Up, Seven Up”, “Heads Up, Thumbs Up”, “Thumbs Up, Seven Up”, or “Heads Down, Thumbs Up”) is a traditional children’s game that is played in primary school. The goal is for each selected participant to correctly guess the person who pressed down his or her thumb. It takes a minimum of 14 children to play the game in its truest sense, but if there is a smaller group to start with, fewer than seven can be picked at the start. The game was known prior to 1859, where it was referred to as “seven up” in the Mark Twain story River Intelligence.

The game is often used by teachers as a relatively quiet indoor pastime for schoolchildren when they cannot go outside to play at recess or lunchtime due to rainy or other inclement weather.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy’s Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by the U.S. chain store business Macy’s. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, with both parades four years younger than the 6abc Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. The three-hour event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m. EST on Thanksgiving Day.

Screaming Yellow Zonkers

Screaming Yellow Zonkers was a snack food, first produced by Lincoln Snacks in the USA in the 1960s. Screaming Yellow Zonkers are popcorn with a yellow sugary glaze, in a black box.

Lincoln Snacks asserts that SYZs were the first food item to be packaged in black. The box contained humorous copy, such as suggestions about what to do with Screaming Yellow Zonkers, or that 8 oz. (226g) = 1/4,409 of a metric ton. (This comic content was provided by Allan Katz and Howie Krakow who wrote the copy on the first several boxes, and the award-winning TV and radio campaigns.) Zonkers were geared toward those who enjoy sweetened popcorn without nuts, as opposed to products like Cracker Jack. Screaming Yellow Zonkers were kosher, but did contain dairy products.
While the front of the package was simple and understated, the rest of the Zonkers box was completely covered with absurdist copy, accompanied by illustrations, informing the reader everything from “how to wash Zonkers” to “how to mate them”. The bottom of the box explained how to determine if it were indeed the bottom: “Open the top, and turn the box upside down. If the Zonkers fall out, this is the bottom. If they fall up, this is the top. If nothing happens, this box is empty.”
World-class illustrators became a part of the Zonkers phenomenon. Airbrush artist Charlie White illustrated the front of the Circus box while Seymour Chwast’s work decorated the rest. White also illustrated a giant Zonkers circus poster, inspired by more of Katz’s copy. The poster was offered on the circus box for “$2.95 to include shipping, handling, and profit.” The circus box ended up being displayed in the Louvre in Paris.

The product was discontinued after ConAgra acquired Lincoln Foods in 2007. However, as of May 2012, Con Agra is producing them on a limited edition basis at Walgreens drug store.

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American prime time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.

A Halloween special, it was the third Peanuts special (and second holiday-themed special, following A Charlie Brown Christmas) to be produced and animated by Bill Melendez. Its initial broadcast took place on October 27, 1966, on CBS, preempting My Three Sons. CBS re-aired the special annually through 2000, with ABC picking up the rights beginning in 2001, where it now airs annually at Halloween, followed by You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown, as if to emphasize the proximity between Halloween and Election Day; furthermore, the latter includes mention of the “Great Pumpkin” as well. Click here to read more and watch a clip »

Halloween Candy: Mallo Cups

Founded by brothers Bill and Bob Boyer in 1936, the company initially produced nut raisin clusters and homemade fudge. The brothers started their business selling door to door.

After those early forays into the candy business, Boyer became notable in the late 1930s for Mallo Cups, a cup-shaped candy consisting of a whipped marshmallow creme center covered with chocolate.