By TR Robertson
Halloween 2024 is Thursday, October 31st, for all those ghouls and goblins and anything else imaginable and this is one “holiday” that is filled with interesting and unusual trivia and facts, many of which date back years and years ago. See how many you have heard of, enjoy and have a Happy and Spooky Halloween.
• The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips.
• Pumpkins originated in Mexico.
• According to an 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 is condemned to wander forever, waving his lantern to lead people away from the path they are on.
• The word witch comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman”. According to belief, witches hold one of their two main meetings on Halloween night.
• In Medieval Europe owls were thought to be witches and to hear one meant someone was about to die.
• Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets on the day they called Samhain.
• Samhain means summer’s end.
• The first known mention of trick-or-treating in North America occurred in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta, Canada.
• The original trick-or-treaters were given fruits and nuts.
• Halloween is short for “Hallows Eve” or “Hallows Evening”, the evening before All Hallows Day (Nov. 1) or All Saints Day.
• Halloween in England was referred to as “souling”.
• Halloween had disappeared from England until the late 1970’s when the interest in the holiday began again.
• Black and orange are the colors associated with Halloween. Orange is the symbol of strength and endurance and along with gold and brown stands for the harvest and autumn. Black is the symbol of death and darkness reminding people Halloween was once a festival marking the boundaries between life and death.
• Gargoyles were created for churches in Europe to ward off evil spirits.
• Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.
• Scarecrows symbolize the agricultural roots of the holiday.
• Halloween is also called Witches Night, Snap-apple Night and Summer’s End
• Halloween events have been influenced by the Roman festival Pomona.
• Bobbing for apples is supposed to have originated from the Roman festival of Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.
• Dressing up as ghouls and other spooks originated from an ancient Celtic tradition of townspeople disguising themselves as demons or spirits.
• According to an Irish tradition, if a person wears his or her clothes inside out and then walks backwards at midnight, they will see a witch.
• Scottish girls once believed they could see the images of their future husbands if they hung wet sheets in front of the fireplace on Halloween.
• Another Scottish custom involves taking two hazelnuts, writing your name on one and your loved ones name on the other, placing them in a fire, if they burn gently and went out, this indicated a long lasting life together. If they spluttered or exploded this was a sign of problems ahead.
• Many countries, like France, China and Australia, see Halloween as an unwanted and overly commercial American influence
• Salem, Massachusetts and Anoka, Minnesota are the self-proclaimed Halloween capitals of the world.
• Over 2 million visitors see the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, the largest in the world, and over 50,000 are in costume.
• Boston, Mass. holds the record for the most Jack O’Lanterns lit at once.
• Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the U.S.
• Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.
• Snickers is still the most popular chocolate candy given out on Halloween.
• The Count Dracula Society was founded in 1962 by Dr. Donald A. Reed.
• If you see a spider on Halloween, it is the spirit of a loved one watching over you.
• The mask used by Michael Myers in the movie “Halloween” was actually a face mark of William Shatner painted white.
• Over 90% of all parents steal some of the candy their children receive.
There are hundreds and hundreds more fascinating bits and pieces of folklore, trivia and facts surrounding Halloween, but these are a few to mull over as you decide what costume to wear or what candy to hand out.
BE SAFE, HAVE FUN AND GET INTO THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT!
