By TR Robertson
Halloween 2025 is on Friday, October 31st and is the first of a series of holidays for the Fall and Winter seasons. There is a tremendous amount of history surrounding this holiday as well as numerous superstitions and tales of folklore. You will be able to surprise your friends at your Halloween parties with the trivia and folklore contained in this article about this unique holiday.
Historically, Halloween is celebrated on the last day of the Celtic calendar, Oct. 31st. Initially, it was a pagan holiday thousands of years ago in Ireland and Scotland, called Samhain, marking the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest season and the “dark season”. Over the years this celebration would merge with the Catholic “All Saints Day and Soul’s Day”, becoming All Hallows Eve. Ancient Celts believed spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on this day. They would leave food and drink out for the souls of the dead on this day. Part of the celebrations involved large bon fires and wearing of masks and costumes to avoid being recognized by these ghosts and spirits. As Irish and Scottish immigrants began to settle in the Americas, they brought many of these customs with them. Over the years all of this will evolve into the Halloween Day we know today.
• Trick or treating began in Europe in the 16th century
• Trick or treating evolved from an ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets on the day they called Samhaim.
• Fruits and nuts were the original food items placed outside of homes.
• Dressing up as ghosts and other spirits originated from an ancient Celtic tradition of townspeople disguising themselves as demons or spirits.
• Trick or treating in Medieval times was called Guysing.
• During this time children and poor adults wore costumes and begged for food or money in exchange for songs or prayers of dance.
• Gargoyles were created by medieval stone carvers and architects to ward off evil spirits on the buildings where they were placed.
• The first known mention of trick or treating in North America occurred in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta, Canada.
• Jersey City, New Jersey is #1 city in U.S. for trick or treating friendliness.
• The colors most associated with Halloween are orange – representing the Fall harvest and Black – representing darkness and death
• Jack O’Lanterns originated in Ireland.
• Jack O’Lanterns were originally hollowed out turnips and beets
• Candles were placed were placed in them to ward off ghosts and spirits
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According to an Irish legend, Jack O’Lanterns are named after a stingy man names Jack, who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell. He is condemned to wander the world forever, waving his lantern to lead people away from the path they are on.
• Halloween disappeared in England until the late 1970’s when interest in the holiday began again.
• Halloween in England was referred to as “souling”.
• Pumpkins come in white, yellow, blue and green colors as well as orange.
• Pumpkins are a fruit and originated in Mexico over 9,000 years ago.
• A home with a blue pumpkin on display will be giving away allergy free treats.
• Boston, Mass. Holds the record for the most Jack O’Llanterns lit at once.
• Illinois is the leading state for growing pumpkins.
• The word witch comes from the Old English wicca, 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.
• 19 girls were put to death as witches during the Salem Witch Trials.
• Halloween is also called Witches Night, Snap-apple Night and Summer’s End.
• Some of the Halloween traditions come from the Roman festival Pamona.
• Bobbing for apples is supposed to have originated from the festival of Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.
• Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday in the U.S.; Christmas is #1
• Halloween candy sales will total over $2.5 billion, Costumes sales $1.5 billion.
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Over 90 million pounds of candy will be sold in the U.S.
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is the #1 chocolate candy sold.
• Tootsie Rolls were the 1st wrapped candy sold in the U.S.
• It takes an average of 252 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop
• M & M’s come in 25 colors.
• Silly string is banned in Hollywood on Halloween.
• 35 million pounds of Candy Corn will be made for Halloween.
• Candy Corn traditionally comes in three colors – always in this order – top color white, middle orange and bottom yellow.
• 90% of all adults will sneak candy from their kids trick or treat bags.
• In the U.S., the 1st city wide celebration of Halloween was in Anoka, Minn. In 1921, Anoka is known as the Halloween Capital of the World.
• 86% of Americans decorate their homes for Halloween.
• Salam, Mass., has the largest celebration of Halloween.
• 10% of pet owners dress their pets for Halloween.
• Over 28 million Halloween cards will be sent this year.
• The top costumes for kids this year are K-Pop, Labubus, Minecraft Chicken Jockey and Fortnite
• The top costumes for adults this year are Adams Family (Wednesday), Elphaba & Glinda (Wicked), and Fantastic Four
• The mask used by Michael Myers in the movie “Halloween” was actually a face mask of William Shatner painted white.
• The movie “Halloween” was shot in only 21 days in 1978 and was shot in the Springtime, not Fall.
• It was reported by Winston Churchill that he saw the ghost of Abraham Lincoln while visiting the White House.
• Dolly Madison’s ghost is said to walk in the White House Rose Garden.
• The #1 most haunted places in the U.S. are Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Whaley House in San Diego and Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.
• The most haunted hotel in the U.S. is the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Spring, Arkansas.
• Dr. Donald A Reed founded the Dracula Society in 1962.
• The signs of a werewolf are uni-brows, hairy palms and long middle fingers.
• There are vampire bats in Central and South America, feeding on horses, cattle and birds.
• The little brown bat of North America has one of the longest life spans for a small mammal – 32 years.
• One way to deter a vampire is to throw seeds (usually mustard) outside a door or place fishing nets outside a window. Vampires are compelled to count the seeds or holes in the nets, delaying them until the sun comes up.
• Sprinkling salt on doorsteps and windowsills or creating a protective ring will ward off evil spirits and witches.
• Most animal shelters will not put black cats up for adoption for weeks leading up to Halloween.
• Harry Houdini died on Halloween Day.
• A person born on Halloween is said to have the ability to see and talk to spirits.
• Scottish girls believed they could see images of their future husbands if they hung wet sheets in front of a fire on Halloween.
• Some of these girls also believed they would see their boyfriend’s face if they looked into mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween.
• Another Scottish custom involves taking two hazelnuts, writing your name on one and your loved one’s name on the other, then placing them in a fire. If they burned gently and then went out, this indicated a long-lasting life together. If they spluttered or exploded, this would be a sign of problems ahead.
• If you see a spider on Halloween, it is a sign of a loved one watching over you.
• An Irish custom – If a person wears their clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween, they will see a witch at midnight.
• Girls who place the apple they bobbed under their pillow are said to dream of future love.
• The fear of Halloween is called Samhainophobia.
• The fear of ghosts is called Phasmophobia.
• The fear of vampires is called Sanguivoriphobia.
• The fear of werewolves is called Lupophobia or lycanthophobia
• The fear of skeletons is called Skelephobia.
• The fear of bats is called chiroptophobia.
• The fear of monsters is called Terphobia.
• The fear of candy is called caramelaphobia.
• The fear of pumpkins is called cucurbitophobia.
• The fear of costumes is called masklaphobia
It is fascinating to look at all of the trivia, customs, and superstitions surrounding this popular day of Halloween. At any rate – HAVE A HAPPY SAFE AND FUN HALLOWEEN.
