62 Interesting Facts About
Halloween
Halloween is now considered as a
global holiday that is celebrated by millions around the world. Given this
level of popularity, you might be wondering how it came about and what led to
its development. In this article, we delve deeper into the origins and other
interesting facts about Halloween.
1. Halloween happens every
evening of the 31st of October. It marks the start of Allhallowtide, a series
of Christian holidays meant to remember the dead such as loved ones, saints,
and martyrs.
2. In several Hispanic countries,
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, takes place from 31 October to 2
November.
3. Current Halloween customs can
be traced to the pagan traditions of ancient Celtics, particularly the festival
called “Samhain” which means summer’s end. It is part of their preparation for
the gloomy winter.
4. Celtics believed that the
boundary with the Otherworld is weaker during Samhain, allowing spirits to pass
through and walk among us. People left food offerings outside their homes to
appease the spirits.
5. By the 1500s, the festival
began to include costumes and house-to-house visits. Young people impersonated
the spirits, recited verses, and sang songs in exchange for food. Households
obliged to receive good fortune.
6. “Halloween” first appeared in
Christian writings around 1745. It is a shortened form of the term Hallows
evening, referring to the vigils and other activities the night before All
Hallows Day (also called All Saints Day).
7. Most celebrations of saints
and martyrs were held from spring to summer. In 837, Pope Gregory IV moved All
Saints Day to November 1 which coincides with Samhain. This was a practical
decision to decongest Rome from pilgrims during summers.
8. By the 1100s, the festivities
included street parades with criers in black asking people to remember the
dead. Homes baked soul cakes marked with a cross and gave these out in exchange
for prayers. Shakespeare mentioned this souling tradition in his play “The Two
Gentlemen of Verona”.
9. Although most people consider
Halloween as major US holiday, it did not reach mainstream consciousness in
North America until the 1800s. Mass immigration of Scottish and Irish people
allowed their traditions to flourish here.
10. New York’s Greenwich Village
Halloween Parade is the largest of its kind in the world. It features over
50,000 participants in costume. Millions of spectators turn up each year to
cheer them on throughout Manhattan.
11. In the Middle Ages, Christians would carry
carved out turnips turned into lanterns while going around homes for
traditional souling. These lanterns are thought to symbolize the souls of the
dead.
12. Fires, such as those burning
from jack-o’-lanterns, were thought to prevent demons from haunting homes and
guide wandering souls back to their families. People roaming during the night
could also ward off evil spirits.
13. While Ireland and Scotland
preferred turnips, US immigrants used native pumpkins instead. These were
larger, softer, and easier to access. Pumpkin carving was a common harvest time
tradition before being linked to Halloween.
14. The state of Illinois
produces roughly 90 to 95% of the USA’s pumpkins – around 500 million pounds.
15. A popular Irish folktale
explains the origin of the jack-o’-lantern. It is said to contain the soul of a
person who was denied entry to both heaven and hell, condemning him to roam
forever.
16. The most jack-o’-lanterns on
display at one time was 30,581 on 19 October 2013 in Keene, New Hampshire.
17. The heaviest jack-o’-lantern
in the world was carved from a massive pumpkin weighing 2,684 lbs (1,217.5 kg).
This monstrous pumpkin was grown by Italian Stefano Cutrupi and the record was
set on 6 November 2021.
18. Another enduring image of the
holiday is the skull. This is a reminder of death and the fragility of life. In
the Christian tradition, it is a reference to Golgotha where Jesus was
crucified.
19. Trick-or-treating comes from
the medieval practice of mumming in which costumed actors parade on the streets
and perform in homes. Aside from Hallows Eve, they also did this on other feast
days like Christmas, Shrove Tuesday, and Twelfth Night.
20. As for the term “trick or
treat”, the first printed mention was in 1927 also in Canada. It was from the
newspaper Blackie Herald based in Alberta.
21. The first recorded instance
of “guising” in North America was in 1911. A regional Canadian newspaper from
Kinston, Ontario published an article about children disguising in costume as
they roam for food or coins around their neighborhood.
22. The city of Bathurst in
Canada banned teenagers over the age of 16 from trick-or- treating, and a
citywide curfew for all residents of 8 p.m. is in place to ensure pranks and
mischief was avoided. Those caught breaking the rules are fined $200.
23. Children were often seen in
Halloween postcards from the early 1900s but they weren’t tricking or treating.
The practice only became widespread in the US during the late 1930s.
24. In rural areas where homes
are spread far apart, a safer alternative known as trunk-or- treating is often
arranged. Kids can ask for treats from decorated cars filled with goodies in a
church or school parking lot.
25. The earliest literary works on the subject
comes from Scotland where poet John Mayne wrote about the pranks and the
supernatural elements of the holiday back in 1780.
26. The Middle Ages was a
difficult period for all, including churches that did not have resources to
display saintly relics. They let their parishioners dress up as these saints
and go around instead.
27. Putting on costumes for
Halloween parties is an early 20th century development in North America. People
poke fun at the things they fear including ghosts and monsters. Over time,
options moved beyond the supernatural such as notable celebrities, fictional
characters, and other themes.
28. From 1909, the Dennison
Manufacturing Company produced Halloween costumes, decorations, and
invitations, increasing the popularity of Halloween.
29. In 2022, roughly 69% of
Americans dressed up for and participated in Halloween festivities.
30. Although it’s quite popular
at Halloween, Silly String has been banned in Hollywood, and if you get caught
using Silly String on Halloween, you can receive a $1,000 fine.
31. Master escape artist Harry
Houdini died on Halloween of 1926 from a ruptured appendix, but many of the
circumstances surrounding his demise remain mysterious to this day.
32. Pets are part of the family
so they can’t be left behind. In 2018, Americans collectively spent roughly
$480 million on Halloween costumes for their pets. It is a massive increase
from the $200 million estimate back in 2010.
33. In Ireland, it was customary
for unmarried women to gaze into a mirror at night during Halloween to see the
face of their future husband. Sometimes a skull might appear to signify that
the person will pass away before marriage.
34. Halloween bonfires were also
used to determine mortality. After the fire dies, individuals will each place a
ring of stones on the ashes. They believed mislaid stones foretold imminent
death for the associated persons.
35. Another Irish Halloween
tradition involves hiding small items in food and serving these randomly.
Fortunes depend on the item obtained. A coin predicts wealth, a ring signifies
marriage, and so on.
36. The first Halloween-themed
attraction opened in 1915 in England. It was called the Orton and Spooner Ghost
House, a steam-powered carnival fun house. It continues to be displayed as part
of the Hollycombe Steam Collection.
37. In the US, the San Mateo
Haunted House began its operation in 1957. This was soon followed by other
major attractions that proved so popular that the haunted house became a
cultural phenomenon.
38. In 1984, the fatal fire at
the Haunted Castle in New Jersey led to tighter safety regulations, new
building codes, and more inspections. Smaller venues could not handle the
higher expenses so many of them folded. Bigger commercial attractions dominated.
39. The longest haunted house in
the world is Dragon’s House of Horror, which is 7,183 feet (2,189.59 meters)
long. This haunted house is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and earned this
status in November 2015.
40. By the late 1980s, famous
theme parks like Six Flags, Universal Studios, Disneyland, and Knott’s Berry
Farm began to hold annual Halloween events that draw large crowds. The
decorations, attractions, and live events are tweaked to align with the season.
These contributed to the globalization of the holiday.
41. Rhode Island plays host to
the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular every year and has over 6,000 jack o’lanterns.
It attracts around 140,000 visitors annually.
42. Halloween comes right after
the annual apple harvest in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s no surprise that
apple-based treats are popular during the holiday. These include candy apples
in which the whole fruit is covered in sugar syrup and rolled in nuts.
43. Unfortunately, the practice
of giving out candy apples faded due to nasty rumors of dangerous embedded
items. The reality is that cases were extremely rare and usually traced to the
children’s own parents according to research from the University of Delaware.
44. It is also common to bake or
order a Halloween cake with a spooky design fit for the occasion. These usually
come on black, white, and orange but other colors may be injected as well. They
often feature jack-o’-lanterns, skulls, ghosts, cobwebs, bones, bats, and other
well-known symbols of the holiday.
45. In some Christian
denominations, people are encouraged to go on a fast or abstain from meat. This
increases the demand for vegetarian dishes such as colcannon in Ireland. It can
be described as a combination of mashed potato and kale or cabbage.
46. The annual Halloween
expenditure in the United States was projected at $8 billion in Around $2.6
billion of that went into costumes. The average consumer will spend $92 for
Halloween-related items.
47. In 2022, the money spent on
Halloween candy in the US was a scary $3.1 billion – an all time high!
48. The survey conducted by the
National Retail Federation also found that 148 million consumers planned to
celebrate the holiday in 2020. Nearly half wanted to decorate their homes and
carve pumpkins.
49. In 1958, the White House was
decorated for Halloween for the first time. Mamie Eisenhower decorated the
dining room and foyer with jack o’lanterns, flower arrangements, twinkle
lights, owls, black cats, goblins, and witch heads.
50. On the 31st October 2013,
Stephen Clarke of the USA carved a pumpkin in a world record-setting time of
16.47 seconds. This was his third time setting the record – he previously held
the record at 54.72 and 24.03 seconds.
51. Pop culture has had a
tremendous impact on Halloween over the years. Gothic novels and horror films
have defined our modern monsters. The top adult costumes for 2020 were witch,
vampire, ghost, cat, and Batman.
52. Horror and scary movies are
especially popular around Halloween, and made over $700 million at the US box
office in 2022.
53. The 1962 song “Monster Mash”
was banned by the BBC in the UK because it was too morbid. However, when it was
re-released in 1973, the Halloween favorite became a “graveyard smash hit”.
54. The 1978 classic horror film “Halloween”
is well-known for the iconic face mask worn by Michael Myers. This famous mask
was purchased for just $2 and spraypainted and reshaped to look super creepy.
55. Disney’s 1993 movie Hocus
Pocus was originally going to be called Halloween House. It was meant to be
scary rather than funny.
56. The 2017 movie “It” is the
most successful horror film ever made. The Stephen King classic grossed over
$700 million worldwide.
57. Halloween sales indicate the
health of the retail sector heading into the holidays. Although Black Friday
officially kicks off Christmas shopping season, about 39% of shopper actually
start before November.
58. The three most popular treats
given away by households include chocolate bars, chocolate candies, and chewy
candies. Many will also hand out gums, corn candies, and salty snacks. Lucky
children may even get toys.
59. Candy wasn’t the original
fare of Halloween and trick-or-treaters used to get anything from coins, nuts,
and fruit to toys and cake. In the 1950s, candy companies saw an opportunity to
get into the market, starting the tradition of Halloween candy.
60. The popular confection “candy
corn” was created by George Renninger in the 1880s and sold by Goelitz
Confectionery Company (today it’s called the Jelly Bean Co.). It was originally
called “chicken feed” and was sold in a box marked with a rooster.
61. Reese’s Cups are America’s
favorite candy based on sales figures in 2022. Skittles, M&Ms, and
Starbursts came in close behind Reese’s Cups.
62. Do you think that Candy is
only a child’s affair? Over 86% of parents have stated that they have stolen
their children’s Halloween candy. Plus, over 50% admit to stashing Halloween
candy to indulge in later in the year.
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