Facts About Halloween
There are hundreds of facts about Halloween. From its origins to the traditions there is no limit to the number of facts that you can find about this cool holiday. Since there are too many Halloween facts to list in one place, I narrowed it down to 10 that I found to be the most interesting.
So keep reading to find out more about these cool facts.
Legend of Stingy Jack
The legend of Stingy Jack is one of the bases for the tradition of the Jack-o-lantern. The story is an Irish myth of a man who tricked the devil into turning into a coin to pay for his drinks. But Stingy Jack took it a little far and put the coin into a pocket with a rosary. Which of course trapped the devil until he promised not to take his soul. This trickery eventually led Jack to be banned from both Haven and Hell. Bound to walk the world between the living and the dead for eternity with just a lighted turnip to show the way.
Jack-o-Lanterns
This Halloween tradition comes from several different origins that have since merged into one. In the Old World, they often used lighted veggies as decorations for fall harvests. And there are plenty of scary stories about lighted figures roaming the earth looking for people to lure to their deaths.
As more and more people moved to the US in the 1600 and 1700’s they of course brought their traditions with them. They soon found that pumpkins were a much better choice for carving and made the switch.
Children and other pranksters would often hide in the shadows with lighted pumpkins in an attempt to scare people during Halloween. Over the centuries people began to carve faces and figures into the pumpkins which added to the spookiness of the simple veggie.
Second largest commercial Holiday
Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday in the U.S. It is considered a “lower-cost” holiday but most people spend about $90 on decorations, candy, and costumes. In 2019 the total was about $8.8 Billion spent on Halloween merchandise. Because who doesn’t love decorating for Halloween?
Halloween Full Moon
This year Halloween has a full moon and the next won’t happen till 2039. A full moon on All Hallows Eve is a special thing. And it helps to add to the spooky element of the night and it is just cool in general.
This event occurs roughly every 18 years or so. The last full moon falling on October 31 everywhere happened in 1944.
In 2001 trick or treaters in central and pacific time zones were treated with a full moon but no one else. What also makes it so special this year is that it is the second full moon in October, making it a blue moon too!
Related Reading: Family Halloween Activities and 10 Interesting Facts About Candy
Michael Myers Mask
The creators of the original Halloween movie has such a low budget for the mask that they purchased one from a local costume shop. The mask they got? Nonother than Captin Kirk (William Shatner). They modified the mask to give it the iconic look that it has today, but the original was of William Shatner’s face.
Days of the Dead
The Mexican day of the dead is Dia de Los Muertos. Following their traditions, the holiday is a way to celebrate the souls of the deceased. They believe that the veil between the living and dead worlds is thinned enough for the spirits of those that died to return to the living for a brief time beginning October 31 and ending November 2. It starts on November 1st with the Day of the Children and the 2nd is the Day of the Dead. They celebrate with food, drink, and offerings to the souls of their loved ones. The holiday is a mix of different traditions that go back to the time of the Aztecs.
Favorite Halloween Candy
Reese’s peanut butter cups were the most popular candy in 2019. Even though there is a ton of candy given out during Halloween everyone has their favorites. In 2019 polls showed that a whopping 36% of people said that Reeses Peanut Butter Cups were their favorite candy to eat on Halloween. Snickers and M&M’s come in second and third with 18 and 11%. This means that most people prefer chocolate candy over other types.
Candy Corn
The iconic Halloween treat was created in 1880. So it has been around a long time. It was originally marketed as “Chicken Feed”. With a cute rooster on the package. The candy was made by hand in the beginning but now is made with machines.
Over 20 million pounds of the sweet treat is made each year and October 30th is National Candy Corn Day. Of Halloween candy, it is a second runner up to chocolate.
And it’s not just for Halloween. Many of the major holidays throughout the year have their own version of the sweet which is made in colors that match the themes of the days.
All Saints Day
The Catholic holy day of All Saints falls on November 1. It is a day to celebrate and remember all of the saints that have passed to haven. The celebration was originally held on May 13th. But was reportedly moved to November 1st in an attempt to overshadow the Celtic traditions of Samhain in the 900’s.
Halloween Today
The way that we celebrate Halloween today is basically a hodgepodge of different traditions from various places. From costumes to candy there are deeply rooted Celtic and Old World traditions that once combined make up the symbols and celebrations of Halloween.
Facts About Halloween Final Thoughts
There is no doubt about it. Halloween has been a tradition for a very long time and has elements of different cultures intertwined in it. This is one of my favorite days of the year and I love that I have been able to share some cool facts about Halloween with you!
There you have it. Some cool facts about Halloween. What other Halloween facts do you know? Let me know in the comments!