130 Scary Facts About Halloween!

Facts About Halloween: Halloween is a festival celebrated on October 31st. It has its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints' Day. It is largely a secular celebration, but some Christians and pagans have expressed strong feelings about its religious connotations. Irish settlers took variants of this tradition to North America during the Great Famine of 1846 in Ireland. The day is generally associated with the colors orange and black and is closely associated with symbols such as the jack-o-lantern. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o-lanterns, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies.

Interesting Facts About Halloween

Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
Snickers are the favourite Halloween candy.
It's illegal in Alabama to dress up as a priest!
The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips.
The famous magician Harry Houdini died on October 31, 1926.
The blockbuster movie Halloween was filmed in just 21 days.
The movie Halloween was originally titled Babysitter Murders.
Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.
October 31st is not only Halloween, it's also National Doorbell Day!
A child born on Halloween is said to have the ability to talk to spirits.
In Alabama, it is illegal to dress up as a priest or as a nun on Halloween.
Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas.
The longest haunted house in the world is "Factory of Terror" in Canton, Ohio.
The original name of Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's famous book was Count Wampyr.
In Bellville, Missouri, it is illegal to ask for candy if you are over the age of 13.
Boston, Massachusetts, holds the record for the most Jack O’Lanterns lit at once (30,128).
Scarecrows, a popular Halloween fixture, symbolize the ancient agricultural roots of the holiday.
The sounds of stabbing in the Halloween movie is made by a knife being plunged into a watermelon.
The average bag of candy that one child will collect on Halloween contains about 11,000 calories.

Historical Facts About Halloween

Halloween has been celebrated for over 6000 years.It is thought to have originated around 4000 BC!
The first Jack-o-lanterns were actually turnips. Yeah, they look spookier too. Pumpkins only came later.
Both Salem, Massachusetts, and Anoka, Minnesota, are the self-proclaimed Halloween capitals of the world.
It's very rare for Halloween to be a full moon night. Although it is predicted that 2020 will be such a year.
Ireland is the birthplace of Halloween. Not just famous for its whiskey and coffee, but also for being spooky!
The largest pumpkin ever was weighed in at 1,872 pounds. It was Norm Craven, who broke the world record in 1993.
In an attempt to decrease robberies and crime on Halloween, Walnut Creek, California banned masks without a permit.
The first known mention of trick-or-treating in print in North America occurred in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta, Canada.
Halloween is thought to have originated around 4000 B.C., which means Halloween has been around for over 6,000 years.
Children are more than twice as likely to be killed in a pedestrian/car accident on Halloween than on any other night.
The Guinness World Record for Heaviest Pumpkin is held by Mathias Willemijns from Belgium and his 2,624.6-pound pumpkin.
Halloween has variously been called All Hallows’ Eve, Witches Night, Lamswool, Snap-Apple Night, Samhaim, and Summer’s End.
In many countries, such as France and Australia, Halloween is seen as an unwanted and overly commercial American influence.
Comedian John Evans once quipped: “What do you get if you divide the circumference of a jack-o’-lantern by its diameter? Pumpkin π.”

Fun Facts About Halloween

Pumpkins are classified as a fruit, not as a vegetable. In fact, in 2006, New Hampshire declared that its state fruit is the pumpkin.
In Dublin, Georgia, it is illegal for anyone over the age of 16 to wear a mask, sunglasses, or any other facial covering on Halloween.
The word Halloween comes from Hallows eve. Which was the evening before All Hallows’ (sanctified or holy) Day or Hallowmas on November 1.
Fifty percent of kids prefer to receive chocolate candy for Halloween, compared with 24% who prefer non-chocolate candy and 10% who preferred gum.
The owl is a popular Halloween image. In Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be witches, and to hear an owl's call meant someone was about to die.
Some animal shelters won't allow the adoption of black cats around Halloween. Animal protections fear that they will either be cursed or sacrificed!
According to tradition, if a person wears his or her clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween, he or she will see a witch at midnight.
The word “witch” comes from the Old English wicce , meaning “wise woman.” In fact it is believed that the wiccians were highly respected people at one time.
Magician Harry Houdini died on Halloween. One of the most famously mysterious magicians to have ever lived, strangely died on the spookiest day of the year.
Halloween is the second highest commercial holiday after Christmas in America. It’s estimated that total Halloween spending could reached $8 billion in 2015!
The Village Halloween parade in New York City is the largest Halloween parade in the United States. The parade includes 50,000 participants and draws over 2 million spectators.
The least healthy Halloween candy is Candy Corn. Just 15 pieces of Candy Corn equal 110 calories and 22 grams of sugar. The healthiest Halloween candy is Hershey’s Special Dark.

Cool Facts About Halloween

Halloween was influenced by the Romans. The agricultural influence of Halloween comes from the ancient Roman festival Pomona, which celebrated the harvest goddess of the same name.
According to the National Retail Federation, 40.1% of those surveyed plan to wear a Halloween costume in 2010. In 2009, it was 33.4%. Thirty-three percent will throw or attend a party.
Halloween is the sweetest holiday. Over 20 million Pounds of candy corn is sold each year! Add the hard candies, chocolates gums to it and so many sweets are sold for no other holiday!
In 2010, 72.2% of those surveyed by the National Retail Federation will hand out candy, 46.3% will carve a pumpkin, 20.8% will visit a haunted house, and 11.5% will dress up their pets.
“Souling” is a medieval Christian precursor to modern-day trick-or-treating. On Hallowmas (November 1), the poor would go door-to-door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes.
In 1970, a five-year-old boy Kevin Toston allegedly ate Halloween candy laced with heroin. Investigators later discovered the heroin belonged to the boy’s uncle and was not intended for a Halloween candy.
Keene, New Hampshire, holds the record for the most jack-o’-lanterns on display. In October 2013, the city broke the record with 30,581 lit pumpkins displayed around town. Talk about lighting up the night!
In a few American cities, Halloween was originally called "Cabbage Night." The name is on a Scottish fortune-telling game in which girls would use cabbage stumps to predict who their future husband would be.
Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year.
Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was one of the most famous and mysterious magicians who ever lived. Strangely enough, he died in 1926 on Halloween night as a result of appendicitis brought on by three stomach punches.
Orange and black are the colours of the night. Orange is the colour of strength and endurance, and also symbolises harvest of autumn, and black is symbolic of evil and death. Two things that Halloween stands for.
Your ghost costume isn't authentic till you poop in it! Disgusting as it sounds, according to custom, it is believed that ghosts wear the same clothes they die in, and an involuntary effect of death is defecation.

Unique Facts About Halloween

The original creator of Milk Duds wanted to make the candies into perfect circles. When that proved impossible, he called them "duds." He added the word "milk" to refer to the large amount of milk used to make the candy.
Halloween celebrations in Hong Kong are known as Yue Lan or the “Festival of the Hungry Ghosts” during which fires are lit and food and gifts are offered to placate potentially angry ghosts who might be looking for revenge.
According to tradition, if you see a spider on Halloween, a loved one is watching over you. Girls also believed they would see their boyfriend’s faces if they looked into mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween.
Jack-o-Lanterns were named after stingy man Jack. According to legend, Jack tricked the devil several times and was not allowed to enter hell, or heaven. So he passed his time waving his lantern to lead people away from their paths.
Mexico celebrates the Days of the Dead (Días de los Muertos) on the Christian holidays All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) instead of Halloween. The townspeople dress up like ghouls and parade down the street.
Trick-or-treating was actually meant to pacify roaming spirits. It evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, on the last day of the Samhain calendar.
The word “witch” comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman.” In fact, wiccan were highly respected people at one time. According to popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings, or sabbats, on Halloween night.
During the pre-Halloween celebration of Samhain, bonfires were lit to ensure the sun would return after the long, hard winter. Often Druid priests would throw the bones of cattle into the flames and, hence, “bone fire” became “bonfire.”
Thousands of people suffer from Samhainophobia even today. Samhainophobia is the irrational fear of Halloween. Despite conscious understanding of the individual and reassurance from others, the phobic individual is spooked out on Halloween.
"Monster Mash" once reigned supreme on the Billboard charts. Bobby "Boris" Pickett reached #1 on the Hot 100 in 1962 just before Halloween and hit the charts again in 1973 — but this time in August. You might even say it was "a graveyard smash!"
The National Retail Federation expects consumers in 2010 to spend $66.28 per person—which would be a total of approximately $5.8 billion—on Halloween costumes, cards, and candy. That’s up from $56.31 in 2009 and brings spending back to 2008 levels.

Mind-Blowing Facts About Halloween

Scottish girls believed they could see images of their future husband if they hung wet sheets in front of the fire on Halloween. Other girls believed they would see their boyfriend’s faces if they looked into mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween.
According to Irish legend, Jack O’Lanterns are named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell. He was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead people away from their paths.
In 1974, eight-year-old Timothy O’Bryan died of cyanide poisoning after eating Halloween candy. Investigators later learned that his father had taken out a $20,000 life insurance policy on each of his children and that he had poisoned his own son and also attempted to poison his daughter.
Dressing up as ghouls and other spooks originated from the ancient Celtic tradition of townspeople disguising themselves as demons and spirits. The Celts believed that disguising themselves this way would allow them to escape the notice of the real spirits wandering the streets during Samhain.
Princesses and superheroes rank as the most popular kids' costumes. Adults dress as witches most frequently, according to the National Retail Federation. In 2019, the most popular costume for dogs was a pumpkin. The most popular costume for cats is hiding under the couch, hissing at the very idea.
With their link to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (a precursor to Halloween) and later to witches, cats have a permanent place in Halloween folklore. During the ancient celebration of Samhain, Druids were said to throw cats into a fire, often in wicker cages, as part of divination proceedings.
Stephen Clarke holds the record for the world’s fastest pumpkin carving time: 24.03 seconds, smashing his previous record of 54.72 seconds. The rules of the competition state that the pumpkin must weigh less than 24 pounds and be carved in a traditional way, which requires at least eyes, nose, ears, and a mouth.
Halloween was influenced by the ancient Roman festival Pomona, which celebrated the harvest goddess of the same name. Many Halloween customs and games that feature apples (such as bobbing for apples) and nuts date from this time. In fact, in the past, Halloween has been called San-Apple Night and Nutcrack Night.
Teng Chieh or the Lantern Festival is one Halloween festival in China. Lanterns shaped like dragons and other animals are hung around houses and streets to help guide the spirits back to their earthly homes. To honor their deceased loved ones, family members leave food and water by the portraits of their ancestors.
Because the movie Halloween (1978) was on such a tight budget, they had to use the cheapest mask they could find for the character Michael Meyers, which turned out to be a William Shatner Star Trek mask. Shatner initially didn’t know the mask was in his likeness, but when he found out years later, he said he was honored.
Black and orange are typically associated with Halloween. Orange is a symbol of strength and endurance and, along with brown and gold, stands for the harvest and autumn. Black is typically a symbol of death and darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween once was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.

Strange Facts About Halloween

You can even visit a pumpkin patch in Hawaii. Head to Waimanalo Country Farms in Oahu to pick pumpkins while you're on the islands, whether you live there or need a taste of home on vacation. Looking for squash in Florida? Try the Pickin’ Patch in Dunnellon. It's a watermelon farm the rest of the year, but pivots to pumpkins for seasonal appeal.
The fastest pumpkin carving only took 16.47 seconds. Stephen Clarke of New York holds the Guinness Book of World Records distinction, having carved his speedy lantern in October 2013. In order to nab the title, the jack-o'-lantern had to contain a complete face, including eyes, nose, mouth and ears. No word on whether the expression was silly or scary.
Because Protestant England did not believe in Catholic saints, the rituals traditionally associated with Hallowmas (or Halloween) became associated with Guy Fawkes Night. England declared November 5th Guy Fawkes Night to commemorate the capture and execution of Guy Fawkes, who co-conspired to blow up the Parliament in 1605 in order to restore a Catholic king.
Now Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in the country. It ranks second only after Christmas. Consumers spent approximately $9 billion on Halloween in 2019, according to the National Retail Federation. Spending was down a bit in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Americans still forked over $8 billion overall, or an average of $92 per person.
A city in Canada banned teens over 16 from trick-or-treating. According to CBC, anyone over the age of 16 caught trick-or-treating in Bathurst, Canada, faces up to a $200 fine. The city also has a curfew for everyone, so even those under 16 aren't allowed out after 8 p.m. on Halloween. The rules were instituted to curtail after-dark mischief, after a rash of pranks.
“Halloween” is short for “Hallows’ Eve” or “Hallows’ Evening,” which was the evening before All Hallows’ (sanctified or holy) Day or Hallowmas on November 1. In an effort to convert pagans, the Christian church decided that Hallowmas or All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) should assimilate sacred pagan holidays that fell on or around October 31.
Candy corn was originally called "chicken feed." The Goelitz Confectionery Company originally sold the polarizing treat in boxes with a rooster on the front in order to appeal to America's agricultural roots, according to National Geographic. The sugary recipe has gone largely unchanged since the 1880s. Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't argue with that kind of consistency.
Illinois produces up to five times more pumpkins than any other state. If you're in the market for a truly destination-worthy pumpkin patch, look to the heartland. The Land of Lincoln has more than 15,000 acres devoted to gourd growing, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Those Illinois farms typically grow more than 500 million pounds of pumpkins annually.

Spooky Facts About Halloween

The night before Halloween is called Mischief Night or Goosey Night in some places. For those who've lived on the East Coast and the Midwest, it's probably not news to you that lots of teens and tweens pull pranks on October 30. But from toilet papering the trees outside someone's house, to egging cars and more dangerous capers, the tradition never really made its way to the West Coast.
They used to be carved out of turnips, potatoes and beets. Jack-'o-lanterns did originate in Ireland, after all. Once Halloween became popular in America, people used pumpkins instead. This year, you might consider adding some creative produce to your Halloween tableau for a more natural look that also has historical origins. When the holiday's over, they make a delicious dinner side too!
There's also traditional Halloween bread in Ireland. It's called barmbrack or just "brack." The sweet loaf typically contains dark and golden raisins, as well as a small hidden toy or ring. Similar to the classic king cake at Mardi Gras, tradition dictates that the person who finds the item will come into good fortune in the coming year. That is, as long as they don't choke on the trinket.
Disney almost made Hocus Pocus a completely different movie. Everyone's Halloween fav nearly didn't turn into the icon it is today. The original title, Disney's Halloween House, had a much darker and scarier script, according to IMDB. Not only that, but Leonardo DiCaprio was courted to play teenage heartthrob Max Dennison, but turned it down to appear in What's Eating Gilbert Grape instead.
Skittles are the top Halloween candy. No chocolate? No problem! The bite-sized fruit candies outranked M&M's, Snickers and Reese's Cups, according to 11 years of sales data from CandyStore.com. And even though candy corn made the top 10, the tricolored treats also ranked among the worst Halloween candies, according to a CandyStore.com survey. No wonder Halloween night candy trades can get so heated.
The Irish also brought us jack-o'-lanterns. As the story goes, an Irish man named Stingy Jack tricked the devil and therefore was not allowed into heaven or hell — so he spent his days roaming the Earth carrying a lantern; hence the name "Jack of the Lantern." Tell that story to the kids when you pick up your seasonal squash and try not to get goosebumps when you carve up your own pumpkins this year.
Some shelters used to suspend black cat adoptions for Halloween. They feared that the animals were in danger from satanic cults that wanted them for nefarious purposes in the days leading up to Halloween. Now though, shelters have gone in the opposite direction. Many even promote black cat adoptions in October, using the pre-adoption screening and interview process to weed out anyone with the wrong intentions.
Immigrants helped popularize the holiday in the U.S. When the Irish fled the potato famine in their country in the 1840s, they brought their Halloween traditions with them. The celebration spread across the country, until the mischievous Halloween pranksters reached an all-time high in the 1920s. Some believe community-based trick-or-treating became popular in the 1930s as a way to control the excessive pranksters.
Sugar rationing during World War II halted trick-or-treating. Because of the shortage of sweet stuff, trick-or-treating wasn't as big of a thing during WWII. After the rationing ended, it was all systems go on the candy-collecting front. Candy companies began launching advertising campaigns to cash in on the ritual and make sure kids were clamoring for their products to show up in their candy buckets and spare pillowcases.
Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926. The famous magician, illusionist and entertainer died from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix, according to Biography.com. However, as befits a man of mystery, multiple contradicting reports did surface at the time. Some say a band of angry Spiritualists poisoned him, others that it was a student punching him in the stomach (with his permission) that caused his appendix to burst.
Most Americans spend on candy, decorations and costumes. Many of us put our money where our mouth is when it comes to loving Halloween. The largest share goes toward candy, with 95 percent picking up the sweet stuff, 75 percent planning on buying decorations and 65 percent shopping for costumes. Overall, Americans spent an average of $1,048 on winter holidays in 2019, if you're wondering why we all tighten our belts (and our wallets) in January.
New York City throws the biggest Halloween parade in the U.S. On an average year, the event draws more than 2 million spectators and includes thousands of participants joining in along the route. It all began as the brainchild of Greenwich Village resident and puppeteer Ralph Lee, who just wanted to throw a whimsical walk from house to house for his kids and their pals. When a local theatre got wind of it, they joined in and expanded the event. It's gotten bigger, more creative and more theatrical just about every year since.
Trick-or-treating has existed since medieval times. Taking candy from strangers on one night a year (and one night only!) isn't a new tradition. Back then, it was known as "guising" in Scotland and Ireland. Young people dressed up in costumes and went door-to-door looking for food or money in exchange for songs, poems or other "tricks" they performed. Today, the tradition has morphed into children to getting dressed up and asking for candy. Hardly anyone performs for their candy these days — but a simple "thank you" will go a long way.
Some Halloween rituals used to involve finding a husband. During the 18th century, single ladies devised Halloween traditions that were supposed to help them find their romantic match. According to History.com, women used to throw apple peels over their shoulder, hoping to see their future husband’s initials in the pattern when they landed. When they bobbed for apples at parties, the winner would supposedly marry first. Most spookily, they even used to stand in a dark room, holding a candle in front of a mirror to look for their future husband’s face to appear in the glass.
The holiday dates back more than 2,000 years. Halloween is even older than Christianity itself. It all started as a pre-Christian Celtic festival called Samhain, which means "summer's end." Held around the first of November, the feast recognized the last day of the fall harvest and spirits crossing over, since they believed the veil between the living and spirit world grew thinnest at that time. People in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Northern France used to ward off ghosts by lighting sacrificial bonfires, and – you guessed it – wearing costumes to trick the spirits, according to History.com.
The Michael Myers mask in Halloween has a fascinating backstory. The famous horror movie villain comes from surprisingly innocent roots. When shooting the original 1978 film, production designer Tommy Lee Wallace picked up two masks from a Hollywood Boulevard magic shop: a clown mask and William Shatner as Captain Kirk in Star Trek. "Tommy came in with the clown mask on, and we went, 'Ooh, that’s kind of scary.' Then he put on the Shatner mask, and we stopped dead and said, 'It’s perfect,'" actor Nick Castle told the New York Times. They spray painted it white, made the eye holes bigger and the rest is spine-tingling history.

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