Dr. Jim Surrell, Journal columnist

As you know, the date of Oct. 31 is always the annual date for the celebration of Halloween in the U.S.

Our Halloween activities will certainly have the kids carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, going out to do their trick-or-treating, and having fun showing off their Halloween costumes.

They may also have a chance to watch some scary Halloween movies, and have fun at various other Halloween events as well.

Halloween originated in Europe, and many centuries ago, it was a religious holiday.

It is reported that Halloween in the U.S. today occurred as a result of Irish and Scottish immigration to the U.S. in the 19th century.

Halloween was then gradually assimilated into mainstream society and by the first decade of the 20th century it was being celebrated coast to coast in the U.S.

Eventually, Halloween then became a very popular fun U.S. holiday that is enjoyed by so many children and adults every year.

Of course, we adults have a significant obligation to make sure our children who are out trick-or-treating stay safe and are respected as they work to fill their trick-or-treat bags with candy and other treats.

Many kids will be out crossing streets in numerous neighborhoods and we all need to be very, very careful if we choose to be out driving on Halloween.

OK, I can’t let you off without some silly Halloween jokes and I hope you find them to be more of a Halloween treat than a Halloween trick.

How much did the Halloween pirate pay to have his ears pierced? A Buccaneer.

What do moms like to dress up as on Halloween? Mummies.

How do you fix a hole in your Halloween pumpkin? Use a pumpkin patch.

Which side of the pumpkin should you put the face on? The outside.

Why was the Halloween skeleton so mean to everybody? Because he had no heart.

Why was the Halloween skeleton afraid to cross the road? Because he had no guts.

Why did the Halloween skeleton want to cross the road? He was looking for a “body” shop, and he also wanted to go to the grocery store to get some to get some “spare ribs.”

Why do you never see Halloween witches as identical twins? Well, if they were identical twins, you would not be able to tell which Witch was which.

I sincerely wish you and all your family members and all the trick-or-treating kids to have a fun and very safe 2023 Halloween next week.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Jim Surrell is the author of the best-selling SOS (Stop Only Sugar) Diet book and his new Joke Book, entitled “Laughter Is Good Medicine.” Dr. Jim’s website is sosdietbook.com.