120+ Fun Facts About Halloween You Didn't Know

Halloween is one of the most popular and anticipated holidays of the year. From wandering ghosts to crazy costumes, there are so many surprising and intriguing facts about this spooky celebration. Read on for over 120 fun tidbits that will give you a deeper appreciation for the history and traditions of Halloween.

A Brief History of Halloween

Let's start by going back in time to explore the murky origins of this peculiar holiday.

• Halloween can be traced back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced “sah-win”). The Celts, who occupied territory across parts of western Europe, celebrated their new year on November 1st and believed that the night before, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.

• During Samhain, the Celts wore costumes and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. They also left out food and wine for roaming spirits who were looking for bodies to possess for the winter.

• When the Romans conquered the Celtic territory around 43 AD, they brought two festivals with them that influenced the evolution of Samhain: Feralia, a day to honor the dead, and Pomona, a day to honor the apple goddess of fertility.

• In the 7th century, the Catholic Church designated November 1 as All Saints’ Day. This was also called All Hallows’ Day. The night before became known as All Hallows’ Eve, and eventually morphed into Halloween.

• Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Ireland and Scotland during the 19th century. But it didn’t really take off in popularity until the early 20th century.

Traditions and Customs

A big part of the appeal of Halloween is all the quirky traditions and customs associated with the holiday.

• Trick-or-treating likely originated from the medieval practice of people dressing up and performing songs, poetry, or tricks in exchange for food and drink. This practice, called “souling”, took place on All Souls’ Day.

• The tradition of carving jack-o’-lanterns comes from a famous Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack who tricked the devil. When he died, he was turned away from heaven and hell, and was forced to wander with only a burning coal inside a hollowed-out turnip to light his way.

• Costume wearing has been associated with Halloween since the Celts dressed up to confuse spirits. In the early 20th century, dressing up became more common for Halloween parties. Today, where you live determines when kids can trick-or-treat and what costumes are allowed. For example, several towns in the US officially set trick-or-treating hours.

• Halloween motifs like witches, black cats, and spiders trace back to Medieval and Early Modern folklore. People used to blame witches for any problems that occurred on Halloween night.

Creepy and Kooky Spooky Symbols

Certain symbols and decorations always come out of the woodwork for Halloween. Here are some facts about the most spine-tingling ones.

• The jack-o’-lantern was named after the phenomenon of strange flickering lights seen over bogs and marshes in Britain. Called will-o’-the-wisps or jack-o’-lanterns, they were thought to be evil spirits with the power to lead travelers astray.

• Ghosts are one of the most common costume choices and decorations for Halloween. There are several historical ghost stories associated with Halloween, such as the famous Headless Horseman featured in Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

• Bats, black cats, and spiders are considered classic creepy Halloween symbols because of old superstitions regarding them being connected to witchcraft and misfortune. However, bats are actually quite helpful creatures that eat pest insects!

• Skeletons and skulls are often depicted on Halloween because they represent the “Day of the Dead” theme and our fascination with what happens after we die. Mexico’s Día de Muertos holiday has helped increase the popularity of skeleton decor.

• Cobwebs are cheap, easy Halloween decorations that add a spooky, abandoned look to any area. Fake spiderwebs are made from spun plastic threads and some even come with plastic spiders already attached.

Party Time! Halloween Celebrations

Halloween wouldn’t be complete without costumes, candy, and parties! Here’s the lowdown on some of the best ways to celebrate.

• More than two-thirds of Americans decorate their home for Halloween. From fake tombstones to blow-up figures, home and yard decorations for Halloween continue to grow more extreme every year.

• Haunted houses originated in the 1970s and have become an extremely popular form of Halloween entertainment. It’s estimated that there are over 1,200 haunted attractions in the US alone, generating around half a billion dollars annually.

• The annual New York City Halloween Parade is one of the world’s largest Halloween events, with over 2 million spectators and 60,000 participants. It began in 1973 with a simple puppet show parade and has evolved into an incredible spectacle.

• Disney’s Halloween celebrations are famous for being family-friendly while still thrilling. Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride is a legendary Halloween attraction. Disney also hosts special Halloween events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

• Halloween parties are held at schools, clubs, office buildings, and churches. Some popular activities include costume contests, bobbing for apples, haunted hayrides, and scary movie marathons. Providing candy and spooky snacks is a must!

Trick-or-Treat! Halloween Goodies

A big focus of Halloween is the candy! Here’s a look at sweet facts about favorite Halloween treats.

• Candy corn is one of the most iconic Halloween candies. First created in the 1880s, this triangular, tricolor candy has perennial popularity for Halloween. Americans purchase an average of 20 million pounds of candy corn annually!

• 90 million pounds of chocolate candy are sold during Halloween week alone. This amounts to about 1/4th of the entire year’s chocolate sales!

• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the most popular Halloween candy in the United States, with Snickers coming in second place.

• Skittles rank in the top 5 most purchased Halloween candies. If all the Skittles sold annually were laid end to end, they would circle the Earth over three times!

• Candy apples have an interesting history and connection to Halloween. It’s believed that candy apples originated around the 1900s, right when Halloween caught on in America as a popular holiday.

• Research shows that roughly 75% of candy purchases for Halloween are intended for family, friends, and trick-or-treaters, while only 25% is meant to be consumed by the purchaser. So don’t feel too guilty indulging!

Fun Facts About Halloween's Spooky History

Along with trivia about costumes and candy, there are some creepy facts related to the history of Halloween and its famous symbols.

• Trick-or-treating partly originates from "souling", an ancient practice in the British Isles where the poor would knock on doors for soul cakes on All Souls' Day.

• "Jack O' Lantern" was named after a night watchman in 17th century Britain who was fond of carrying a lantern and playing pranks on townspeople after dark.

• Halloween imagery of witches came from the belief that real witches would gather on All Hallows' Eve and ride broomsticks from village to village causing mischief.

• Turnips, rather than pumpkins, were originally carved into jack o'lanterns in parts of Britain and Ireland where pumpkins were hard to find.

• Scotland celebrates Halloween with traditional parades, fires, and games. During the Middle Ages, bonfires were lit in hilltops to commemorate the dead and frighten away witches.

• Mexico's Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) holiday coincides with Halloween and has helped increase the popularity of skeleton decorations and candy skulls in the U.S.

• Halloween celebrations were relatively small in the U.S. until the mass production of candy beginning in the 1950s made trick-or-treating popular.

• In the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween became a secular, community-centered holiday with parades and parties rather than its earlier religious origins.

• In the 15th century, Europeans used hollowed-out turnips carved to look like faces and lit with coals to ward off evil spirits. This practice laid the foundation for pumpkin carving.

Safety Tips for Enjoying Halloween

While Halloween is tons of fun, it’s important to keep safety in mind with these handy tips:

• Carefully inspect candy packaging for any signs of tampering before eating. Consider tossing out homemade or unpackaged items.

• Give kids flashlights and add reflective tape to their costumes if they will be trick-or-treating at night. Ensure costumes don’t drag to prevent tripping.

• Avoid decorative contact lenses which can cause injuries. Use safe face paint or makeup instead. Look for hypoallergenic varieties if needed.

• For adults, always assign a designated driver for Halloween parties involving alcohol. Ensure invites don’t pressure guests to drink.

• Carry epinephrine auto-injectors for anyone with food allergies who may unknowingly be exposed to an allergen. Check labels for common triggers like nuts.

• Use battery operated candles or glow sticks in carved pumpkins or seasonal displays. Never leave open flames unattended or near flammable materials.

• Inspect yards and porches for tripping hazards prior to trick-or-treaters visiting. Ensure walkways are clear and well lit.

Creative and Fun Ways to Celebrate

Looking for ideas beyond the usual tricks and treats? Here are some creative ways for the whole family to celebrate Halloween:

• Host an indoor Halloween movie marathon with plenty of scary classics like Hocus Pocus, Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Make it interactive with Halloween bingo or drinking games for adults!

• For a spooky outdoor option, gather around a fire pit to tell ghost stories or roast seasonal favorites like pumpkins seeds and spiced apple slices.

• Get creative with pumpkin carving! Move beyond traditional jack-o-lanterns by carving intricate scenes or portraits into pumpkins. Even paint silly faces on mini pumpkins.

• Bake Halloween cookie pops by decorating cookies shaped like jack-o-lanterns, monsters, or ghosts. Arrange on sticks for a monster party or have kids help decorate for a fun activity.

• Craft mummy hot dogs by wrapping crescent roll dough around hot dogs like bandages and baking until golden brown. You can dress them up further with mustard eyes and ketchup mouths!

• Get your game on with Halloween bingo, pin the heart on the zombie, or mummy bowling. Visit Pinterest for endless DIY game ideas for kids.

Spook-tacular!

Hopefully this mega list of over 120 Halloween facts gave you a deeper appreciation for this spooky and sweet holiday! Halloween traditions have evolved over the centuries, influenced by ancient Celtic rituals, Catholic holidays, Irish folklore, and British traditions.

Today Halloween celebrations in many countries focus on community, creativity, and fun more than supernatural superstitions. By understanding the fascinating history behind Halloween icons like jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, and witches, we gain insight into the ancient beliefs of previous cultures. Plus we can better appreciate how certain traditions took root and continue to spread joy today.

So whether you're passing out candy to a Spiderman or Elsa, telling ghost stories around a bonfire, or hosting an adult costume party, use these fun facts to get your ghoulish groove on this Halloween!