Halloween has been celebrated in some capacity, but some name, for over two thousand years. Which means there is a great deal of history behind the holiday. What many believe to be modern traditions actually have roots that date back hundreds of years. Here we take a look at fifteen fun facts you might not know about Halloween history.
- “Halloween is Oct. 31 – the last day of the Celtic calendar. It actually was a pagan holiday honoring the dead.” – The Holiday Spot
- “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.” – Dark Shadow Ghost Tours
- “Jack-o’-lanterns were once made out of turnips, beets and potatoes — not pumpkins.” – Huffington Post
- “Halloween symbols aren't random. Black cats, spiders, and bats are all Halloween symbols because of their spooky history and ties to Wiccans. All three were thought to be the familiars of witches in the middle ages, and are often associated with bad luck. Bats are even further connected to Halloween by the ancient Samhain ritual of building a bonfire, which drove away insects and attracted bats.” – Business Insider
- “The first known mention of trick-or-treating in print in North America occurred in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta, Canada.” – Fact Retriever
- “Black and orange are the international colors of Halloween. Black, of course, is a sign of death, gloom and the foreboding night, which are all associated with Halloween. Orange is a traditional emblem of fortitude, survival and power, which signify the harvest, and the colors of fall. Halloween is where death (winter) takes over from the life-giving fall harvest, hence the mixtures of black and orange come festival time.” – Total News Wire
- “Halloween first became popular in the southeastern United States and it wasn’t widespread until the wave of Scottish and Irish immigrants arrived in the 19th century.” – Heavy
- “Halloween also is recognized as the 3rd biggest party day after New Year's and Super Bowl Sunday.” – The Holiday Spot
- “Fifty percent of kids prefer to receive chocolate candy for Halloween, compared with 24% who prefer non-chocolate candy and 10% who preferred gum.” – Dark Shadow Ghost Tours
- “Boston, Massachusetts holds the record for the most jack-o-lanterns lit all at the same time. A whopping 30,128!” – VitalChek
- “In the middle ages, people began practicing a tradition known as mumming, in which they dressed up as ghosts and demons, and went door-to-door performing songs and scenes from plays in exchange for food and drink. This custom is believed to be an antecedent of trick-or-treating, according to the History Channel.” – The Pioneer Woman
- “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 deal 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.” – Good Housekeeping
- “Jack-o'-lanterns come from Irish folk tales about "Stingy Jack." Irish Central details the myth of Stingy Jack, who was eternally doomed to roam the earth at night after making a deal with the devil. To guide his way, he lit a coal in a carved out turnip, inspiring Irish and Scottish people to do the same. When they later immigrated to America however, they realized the native pumpkins there had a more ideal surface for carving.” – Country Living
- “Bobbing for apples is a popular Halloween party game. But it turns out, the activity started as an 18th-century British courting ritual, according to the History Channel. In one set of rules, each apple was assigned to a potential suitor. The woman bobbing for apples would attempt to bite into the apple associated with her preferred suitor. If she bit it on the first try, they would be destined for love. If it took her two tries, their love would fizzle out. If it took her three, their relationship would be doomed.” – Best Life
- “Last year, 1.3 million children were expected to dress as witches, 2.4 million as superheroes, and 3.1 million as princesses.” – Insider
