Halloween Trivia You May not Know!

On October 31st we dress up as a witch, our favorite celebrity, or a ghost and knock on strangers doors asking for candy; sounds a bit odd doesn’t it? But this standing tradition has been present for hundreds of years and no one questions if they should dress up but rather asks what they should be!

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Similar to Christmas, the term “Halloween” was originated from the Catholic Church and referred to as All Saints Day or All Hallows Day but even before the term “Halloween” was coined it is believed that ancient customs began long before that. The end of the Celtic year marked a day that was believed to be a day for all those who had died in the proceeding year to re-join the mortals and find a body to possess! Causing hysteria among the mortals it is understood to avoid being taken over by a spirit; mortals would try and make their homes as cold and unwelcoming as possible and disguised themselves as demons or ghouls. It is also believed that on this grave day a person who was believed to already be possessed by a spirit would be burned to death.

The above description varies a significant amount from our traditions today of candy, dressing up for fun, and playing tricks on each other and it wasn’t until Irish Immigrants came to America in the 1840’s that Halloween as we know it today was created.

Back in the Medieval Ireland they used turnips to make their jack-o-lanterns! Of course nowadays we use pumpkins to make our jack-o-lanterns; the world's largest pumpkin weighing 1,061 pounds. Try cleaning that mess up after taking all of the insides out!

Ever been told its bad luck to see a black cat? Black cats became a popular Halloween symbol of bad luck because they were associated with witches and that witches could transform themselves into cats. And what is with the broom? We always see witches flying away on a broom but I don’t think I know why. Did you know that witches are said to fly a broom through the air to symbolize the ability to blend domestic life with an ability to visit other dimensions?

The popular use of UNICEF boxes today are used to collect donations for children who are less fortunate but I bet you didn’t know that in the 1950’s during communist hysteria a few schools actually banned UNICEF from coming to their campuses fearing that they were communist supporters!

Halloween Fun Facts and Trivia

Adults and children alike look forward to Halloween with great enthusiasm! For adults, there is the chance to be a kid again. For kids, there are lots of candy and treats to get and the opportunity to play tricks on friends and family. Even though we celebrate Halloween with such great enthusiasm, how much do we really know about Halloween? Here are some fun facts and trivia about Halloween that are spooktacular to know!

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The word “Halloween” is also spelled “Hallowe’en” without any loss of meaning. Just ask the British.

Halloween has its origins from a Druid holiday that honors the dead--"All Hollows Eve". All Hollow's Eve is also New Year's Eve on the Celtic calendar.

The tradition of bobbing for apples at Halloween dates back to ancient Roman times. When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added bobbing for apples to the celebration to honor the Roman harvest goddess Ponomoa.

Did you know that the name "Jack-O-Lantern" is traceable to an Irish folk legend figure named Stingy Jack?
According to legend, he was too tricky for both Heaven and the Devil. To this day, he needs a light to find his final resting place. The Jack-O-Lantern is that light!

The tradition of using skeletons as Halloween symbols goes back to the ancient Celts. They used skeletons to symbolize and memorialize their dead loved ones.

The ancient Celts also created the first Halloween costumes. The Celts made the costumes out of animal skins and bones.

The wearing of Halloween costumes in America caught on in the early 20th century. It was not until the 1950's that wearing costumes became the craze among kids as it is today.

Witches have become the "official" Halloween symbol because there is a belief that "supernatural" forces are at their peak at this time.

Bats owe their existence as a Halloween symbol thanks to the belief that they have "supernatural" powers that include being able to communicate with the dead.

Ghosts have different Halloween meanings. To some, ghosts represent death and visits from "supernatural" forces. For others, they are a funny symbol that represents fun and frolic.

Halloween has two "official" colors": black and orange. These colors have special meanings.

Black represents darkness and death.

Orange celebrates the bounty of the autumn harvest and the end of the farming season.

Did you know that pumpkins come in a wide array of colors? Pumpkins can be blue, red, yellow, white as well as the more well-known orange.

Finally, samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween!