Intriguing Halloween Facts That Will Interest Adults and Children

Photo Credit (Pixabay)

Fun themed trivia nights are the only thing we enjoy more than a good trivia night, and Halloween is the ideal occasion to test our spooktacular abilities. In addition to being a fantastic Halloween party idea that both adults and children will love, holiday trivia is far more festive than asking each other generic questions. How much do you actually know about Halloween, even if you may be able to pull off the ideal costume year after year? Asking each other these Halloween trivia questions is the only way to find out.

From a religious feast to a night of mischief and mayhem, everyone’s favorite Halloween holiday has changed throughout the years to become one of the year’s most commercialized, candy-filled festivities. So, where did Halloween come from? Was there usually sweets involved? In what ways is it observed globally? With this compilation, we have answers to all of that and more. We guarantee that the amount of knowledge you can acquire will amaze you. Scroll ahead to see how many you already know!

1. Salt should work wonders if you wish to ward off ghosts.
   If you’ve watched any supernatural television, you may have noticed that some people use salt to ward off scary ghosts. And for good reason. People have been using salt as a “protective shield against evil spirits and malevolent entities” since ancient times, according to some. It can’t hurt to sprinkle some on your porch in case any unwanted guests drop by on Halloween night, even if you’re not a big believer.
2. It’s true that Jason Vorhees drowned in the lake on Friday, the 13th. kind of
   In statue form, the evil serial killer from the notorious Friday the 13th movie franchise is still at the bottom of a lake in Minnesota. Using plywood, bubble wrap, and foam, diver Doug Klein created a Jason Vorhees statue, complete with mask, and had it lowered 120 feet into the Louise mine pit, which is filled with water and close to Crosby, Minnesota. Only the most experienced divers can see it.
3. A city in South Carolina changed its name to “Halloween.”
   A city in Horry County called Conway declared in 2022 that it would be renamed the “city of Halloween” for the month of October in an attempt to “boost tourism and economic development during the fall season.” Since then, the city has done this every October, with each annual celebration becoming more festive by increasing the seasonal events, decor, and activities throughout the month, according to The State, a newspaper published in Columbia, South Carolina.
4. On Halloween, one in five adults typically pretends to be away from home.
   According to a 2021 YouGov survey, roughly one in five adults (or 21% of respondents) turn off the porch lights and act as though they are not home when the trick-or-treaters arrive. Radio station WBIW claims that this percentage has since gone up, and in 2023, it was more accurately reported as 25%.
5. It was not always the case that kids would yell “trick or treat” in order to get candy.
   It is said that children would shout, “Belsnickel!” instead. Historians contend that the contemporary call came from “belsnickeling,” a German-American Christmas custom in which children dressed up and approached their neighbors to ask them if they could identify who they were. This information is provided by the Library of Congress. In certain iterations, the kids received candies and treats if the adults were unable to guess correctly.

6 Black and orange are the colors most commonly associated with Halloween for a reason.
According to the Library of Congress, the Celtic festival of Samhain, a Gaelic celebration that marks the end of the harvest season and the start of winter, or the “darker half” of the year, is where the colors orange and black originated. Orange, then, stands for the life of the autumn crop, whereas black symbolizes the “death” of summer.

7. On Halloween, there is a full moon every 19 years.
   A full moon glowing amid a gloomy sky is the perfect way to add to the excitement of a fantastic Halloween night. However, NASA estimates that you will only likely see one every 19 years due to their extreme rarity. Well, if nothing else, it makes a Halloween night one much more memorable!
8. The celebration has been observed for over 2,000 years.
   Even older than Christianity itself is Halloween. It all began as a pre-Christian Celtic festival known as Samhain, which translates to “summer’s end.” Celebrated at the start of November, the feast honored the final day of the fall harvest and the passing of spirits, as they felt that this was the time when the line separating the worlds of the living and the spirits grew thinnest. According to History.com, people in Northern France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland used to fend off ghosts by dressing up as characters to deceive the spirits and blazing sacrifice bonfires.
9. Since the Middle Ages, trick or treating has been practiced.
   The custom of accepting sweets from strangers just once a year is neither new nor exclusive to the United States. It used to be called “guising” in Ireland and Scotland. The ritual has evolved into children dressing up and requesting sweets. In the past, young people would go door-to-door in costume and ask for food or money in exchange for performing songs, poems, or other “tricks.” Nowadays, almost anyone sings for their tiny Snickers, but a simple “thank you” will make a big difference.
10. In the past, several Halloween customs were focused on finding a spouse.
    In the 18th century, unmarried women created Halloween customs that were meant to facilitate their love matchmaking. In the past, women would toss apple peels over their shoulders in the hopes of seeing their future husband’s initials in the pattern they created upon landing, according to History.com. The victor of the apple bobbing game at parties was said to get married first. Most eerie of all, ladies would hold a candle in front of a mirror while standing in a dark room, hoping to see their future husband’s face in the glass. Who the bloody Mary?
11. The holiday gained popularity in the United States thanks to immigrants.
    The Irish carried their Halloween customs with them when they left their homeland in the 1840s due to the potato crisis. The nation began to celebrate, and in the 1920s, the number of naughty Halloween pranksters peaked. Some people think that in order to keep the numerous pranksters under control, community-based trick-or-treating gained popularity in the 1930s.
12. Trick-or-treating was halted during World War II due to sugar scarcity.
    During WWII, trick-or-treating wasn’t as popular because of the scarcity of the sweet food. The candy-collecting front was in full swing once the rationing was lifted. To capitalize on the custom and make sure children were begging for their items to appear in their candy buckets and extra pillowcases, confectionery makers started running advertising campaigns.
13. Halloween is currently the nation’s second-biggest commercial holiday.
    No holiday brings in more money than Christmas. Consumers reportedly spent a record $12.2 billion, surpassing the record-breaking $10.6 billion in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation. Additionally, a record 73% of people reportedly took part in Halloween-related activities, up from 69% in 2022.
14. The majority of Americans spend money on costumes, decorations, and candy.
    When it comes to our love of Halloween, many of us put our money where our mouth is. In total, people spent an estimated $108 per person on candy, decorations, and costumes, according to the National Retail Federation. Costumes alone accounted for $4.1 billion, candy for $3.6 billion, decorations for $3.9 billion, and greeting cards for half a billion. And if you’re wondering why we all tighten our belts in January, the typical American spent $1,048 on winter getaways in 2019.
15. We also got jack-o’-lanterns from the Irish.
    According to the legend, Stingy Jack, an Irishman, deceived the devil and was consequently denied entry to either heaven or hell. As a result, he spent his days wandering the planet with a lantern, hence the moniker “Jack of the Lantern.” Share this tale with the children when you get your seasonal squash and try not to get chills when you carve your own pumpkins this year.