Halloween, a beloved holiday with long-standing traditions, attracts the attention of many people around the world. When Halloween approaches, we are inquisitive about the mysteries of this spooky festival. This post will be the key to unlocking your curiosity, providing you with 20 interesting facts about Halloween.
1. Origin of the word "witch" from Old English
The word "witch" originated from the Old English noun "wicca" and originally denoted someone who practiced witchcraft or sorcery. Most witches will be females, Wicca was also an important step forward in the feminist movement. Through Wicca, it is shown that this ancient religion is harmless and only helps its followers feel more confident and in control of their destiny.
A ritual by Witches
2.World's heaviest jack-o'-lantern record
On November 6, 2021, the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival in Germany featured the first-ever display of a giant jack-o-lantern weighing 1,217kg. With its incredible weight and distinctive shape, the Guiness World Record has officially recognized this jack-o'-lantern as the world's heaviest.
3.Halloween's origins in Ireland
Indeed, Whether you're a Halloween movie junkie, the question of the festival's origin may not be common knowledge. Although Halloween is celebrated around the world today, its origins come from Ireland. For the Celtic people of Ireland, October 31 was a very spiritual period. They believed that on this night, the spirits of the departed would come back to the world of the living. They lit large bonfires to ward off evil spirits and confront them. Besides, they also wear scary dresses and masks to look like ghosts and avoid being taken to hell.
Halloween night in Ireland
4.Initial use of turnips for jack-o'-lanterns
Jack-o'-lanterns is a legend that originated in Ireland in the 19th century. Since then,people in Ireland began creating their own creations of Jack’s lanterns made by turnips and this tradition of creating Jack lanterns was subsequently brought to America, where pumpkins replaced radishes in the practice.
Horrific turnip lantern
5.Legend of Stingy Jack and the jack-o'-lantern
Jack o’lantern” comes from the Irish legend of Stingy Jack.The legend tells of Jack-a man who outwitted the devil twice. Following his demise, God did not allow him to go to heaven. Instead, Jack was forced to wander Earth for all eternity using an ember-lit gourd to light his way.
Stingy Jack and the jack-o'-lantern
6.Candy corn's original name as "Chicken Feed"
Candy corn has been around since the 1800s but it was originally sold as “Chicken Feed”. And it became the most popular Halloween candy in the 1950s.
Sweet candy corn
7. Trick-or-treating origins from "souling"
In medieval times, trick-or-treaters were children and sometimes poor adults would dress up in spooky costumes and go around door to door on Halloween begging for food or money in exchange for songs and prayers for the dead. This act of giving and receiving demonstrates the belief that prayers for the souls of deceased loved ones can help them find solace in the afterlife.
History of trick or treating
8.Michael Myers' mask being a William Shatner mask
If you are a fan of the famous horror series Halloween, there is a truth that may surprise you. That Michael Myers mask in the movie is actually a remake of the old Captain Kirk mask-played by actor William Shatner. Netflix's series “The movie that made us” revealed this interesting fact.
Michael Myers' mask being a William Shatner mask
9. Halloween's roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain
The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a pagan celebration of the fall harvest, is the origin of modern Halloween. The Celts believed that on New Year's Eve, the boundaries between the world of the living and the dead become blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, building giant sacred bonfires to protect them from evil.
The Samhain festival
10. The most searched Halloween costume is the witch
According to statistics, in 2022 in the US, the number of searches for witch costumes on Google dominate, followed by spiderman and dinosaur costumes.
The Witch custome
11. Americans' Halloween spending in 2022
When talking about Halloween, people often refer to Americans, who are willing to spend heavily on this special festival. In 2022, the National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will spend an average of $100 on Halloween costumes, candy, decorations and greeting cards.
Americans' Halloween spending in 2022
12. German tradition of hiding knives on Halloween
In Germany, people believe that deceased relatives will visit their families during this time. Therefore, every Halloween, families will hide all their knives in the house to ensure that this will prevent the souls from being hurt when they return home.
German tradition of hiding knives on Halloween
13.Popularity of Halloween cards in the early 1900s
During the early 1900s, Halloween cards were at their peak. For years, people sent Halloween greetings through the mail until the telephone was invented.
Halloween cards is very popular in early 1900s
14.Stephen Clarke's pumpkin carving record
It may sound unbelievable but the fastest Halloween pumpkin carving ever took just 16.47 seconds. The person who did this extraordinary thing is Stephen Clarke from New York. He beat the previous record holder of 54.72s and entered the Guinness Book of Records.
15.Significance of black and orange colors for Halloween
When decorating for Halloween, people will use orange and black as the main colors because they represent the times of the year. While orange represents autumn when the green leaves turn orange and it is time to harvest pumpkins (familiar at Halloween), black represents gray and gloomy days. of winter. Orange and black will make the atmosphere of the festival more spooky and magical.
Colors of Halloween
16.Scarecrows symbolizing Halloween's agricultural roots
The scarecrow was one of the very familiar to farmers in the Middle Ages. People often wrap straw into a human shape on a wooden stick, wear old clothes, and make pumpkin heads to frighten away birds in the fields during the harvest season.However, in the dark, scarecrows with pumpkin heads look like ghosts scaring people. For that reason, scarecrows become an obsession for every child on Halloween night.
Halloween Scarecrows
17. Beggars' Night in Des Moines
"Beggar's Night" is a special Halloween tradition celebrated in Des Moines, Beggar's Night takes place on October 30 every year, just one night before Halloween. Because some parents worry about the safety and health of their children when they often ask for candy on Hallo night. To alleviate this fear and control the crime rate of vandalism on Halloween night, the City of Des Moines created Beggars Night.
Beggars' Night in Des Moines
18. Hollywood's Silly String ban on Halloween
Halloween in Hollywood the Government prohibits people from using silly string for a number of reasons considered from reality. The main reason is still its impact on the environment, silly string is difficult to clean and cans of the product can cause pedestrians to slip and fall and it can be used as a weapon. If you use or sell silly strings between 12 a.m. October 31 and 12 noon on November 1, you may be fined up to $1,000.
Hollywood's Silly String ban on Halloween
19. "Monster Mash" song controversy in the U.K.
"Monster Mash" is a classic Halloween song, it's spooky, catchy and imbued with the spirit of the spooky festival. However, the BBC did not agree with this point of view. Upon its release in 1962, they banned the song from being broadcast on the grounds that it was too morbid.
Monster Mash" song controversy in the U.K
20. Harry Houdini's death on Halloween
Famous for his talented and eye-pleasing magic tricks, to this day Harry Houdini is known as the master of escape. He was taken to the hospital after a performance on the night of October 24, 1926 in Detroit. On October 31,1926, Houdini died.
Harry Houdini's death on Halloween
Conclusion
In the article, we have explored about 20 interesting facts about Halloween that you may not know. From ancient Celtic origins to modern-day festivals celebrated around the world, each discovery helps unlock wonders and mysteries. Let these fun facts enrich our Halloween season.
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