15 Interesting Facts about Halloween

Want to know more about Halloween? Here are 15 Interesting Facts about Halloween that you probably didn’t know before reading this!

Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween

The origins of Halloween date back to the Celtic people from Ireland and Scotland, and their festival of Samhain. So, even though the holiday has become heavily Americanized, the celebration didn’t reach America until much later.

Halloween is the second highest-grossing commercial holiday

Only Christmas sees higher spending when it comes to commercial holidays. Only in America, over $9 billion is spent every year, which makes this one of the many interesting facts about Halloween.

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The Jack-o-Lanterns was not made of pumpkins originally

The famous Jack-o-Lanterns are a real Halloween classic these days, but they weren’t always made from pumpkins. Originally, they were made of turnips, potatoes or other kinds of beetroots.

But, I have to say, I really like the Jack-o-Lanterns made of pumpkins. They look really spooky and matches the whole vibe of Halloween.

Dressing up for Halloween is an ancient tradition

You might think that costumes are a new invention because these days the costumes tend to be all about being sexy or cool. The origins date back to Samhain, and the Celtic people would dress up in animal skins and heads to scare away evil spirits.

This continued for centuries as people believed that the line between living and dead crossed paths during all Hallow’s eve, so you had to blend in with the evil spirits in order to avoid them and hide from ghosts.

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New York has the biggest Halloween Parade in the world

More than 50,000 people participate in the annual Halloween parade in New York City. It’s a popular event that attracts about 2 million visitors that watches the parade from Sixth Avenue to 16th Street.

Trick or Treat

Trick or Treat is believed to come from the tradition of souling where poor people knocked on doors of wealthy people to beg for so-called soul cakes. This practice continued with children that went from door to door asking for anything from food to money or even ale.

In Scotland and Ireland, there was also the tradition of tricking for a treat, which meant that they did a small performance in order to receive a treat. The trick could be anything from a song to dancing or reciting a poem.

Today, kids will go from door to door dressed up in Halloween costumes and ask for candy.

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Orange and Black are the colors of Halloween

Orange is a very common color during autumn so it makes a lot of sense that it goes well with Halloween. As for the black color it is often used to represent darkness, which is also an important part of the holiday.

Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween

If you’re scared of Halloween you might suffer from Samhainophobia.

Bonfires and Candles

Crops and bones of animals were burned in the fires as offerings, and these fires were also believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits. It was also a way of guiding the good spirits and light up the dark nights.

Today, bonfires are not that common, but we still light up candles.

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Spooky facts about Halloween

Animal skins and heads were worn in the earliest celebrations according to Roman accounts
It is believed that the line between living and the dead becomes blurred during All Hallow’s eve
Studies have found that Halloween celebrations actually makes people more evil. It can lead to deindividuation and bad behavior since dressed up kids and adults can’t be identified easily

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Halloween Facts for kids

Halloween is short for All Hallow’s Eve
Black Cats, Bats, and Spiders are some of many Halloween symbols
Witches are said to have held important meetings during Halloween
The biggest pumpkin in the world weighed 1,528 pounds

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General information about Halloween

Historians estimate that the origins of Halloween and the earliest celebrations date back as far as 4000 BC, which means that it has been ongoing for about 6000 years in various forms.

It’s believed to have originated from the Celtic tradition of Samhain in Ireland and Scotland. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It’s celebrated on 31 October, which is the same day as Hallow’s Eve.

It was considered a pagan festival by the church, and they used it to bring pagans and Christians together. In Christianity, you celebrate All Saint’s day and All Saints eve, which is the same night as Halloween.

As many as 86% of all Americans decorate their homes for the celebrations. Pumpkins, ghosts, spider webs, witches and various other decorations and candles are often being used.

The tradition is widespread all over the world these days, even though the US has the biggest celebrations with most decorations. It’s very popular among the younger generations to dress up and go to Halloween parties.

And the kids will go from door to door and say trick or treat.

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Movies about Halloween

If you’re looking for Halloween facts and information, you might also be interested in watching some related movies. Below is a list of some of the most famous Halloween movies that you should definitely watch to get that spooky feeling.