Halloween is arguably the best holiday of the year and there’s a lot of history behind it. Many of our favorite Halloween traditions date back centuries and you wouldn’t believe their spooky origins. We’ve curated 25 of the most fascinating facts about Halloween in the gallery below, take a look at these need to know facts and let us know your favorite thing about Halloween in the comments section on social media.
-Halloween is the second most popular commercial holiday after Christmas.
-The first Jack O’Lanterns were made from small gourds and turnips.
-Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
-Chocolate is the most popular type of candy consumed on Halloween.
-The predecessor of Halloween, Samhain, dates back over 2,000 years.
-The world’s heaviest pumpkin weighed 2,624.6 pounds and was grown in Belgium.
-During the 18th century, the Halloween tradition of bobbing for apples was used to help single women find husbands.
-Trick-or-treating came from the Celtic tradition of leaving treats for the spirits who roamed the Earth on Samhain.
-The wave of Irish immigrants to the United States helped to popularize Halloween in the United States.
-Jack O’Lanterns are named after a man named Stingy Jack from an Irish legend, who tricked the devil and was banned from both heaven and hell. He instead walked the Earth for eternity carrying a lantern.
-Halloween is short for All Hallows’ Eve.
-Harry Houdini, River Phoenix and Sean Connery all died on Halloween.
-Rob Schneider, Willow Smith and Vanilla Ice were all born on Halloween.
-Illinois grows five times more pumpkins than any other state.
-According to myths, if a person wears their clothes inside out and walks backward on Halloween, they will see a witch a midnight.
-Salem, Massachusetts is the Halloween capital of the United States.
-The most Jack O’Lanterns lit at once was 30,581 in Keene, New Hampshire.
-New York City holds the United States’ largest Halloween parade with over 50,000 participants.
-Candy Corn was originally named chicken feed.
-Kids are twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year.
-In Alabama, it’s illegal to dress as a priest or a nun on Halloween.
-“Monster Mash” hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1962.
-Witches, vampires and cats are among the most popular Halloween costumes for adults.
-In many parts of the U.S, the night before Halloween is called Mischief Night and is celebrated by pulling pranks.
-Skittles are the top selling Halloween candy.
