Halloween Trivia

The threat of razors and needles in Halloween candy given during trick-or-treating is actually an Urban Legend. There are no recorded incidents of such an occurrence happening. Sadly, the fear that candy is poisoned has some truth to it. However, this is due to a coupe of reports where parents poisoned their children's candy.

The Halloween season is made up of a series of days, in addition to the day of Halloween itself. For many, the day before or days after Halloween holds more significance than the actual day of Halloween itself, due to various cultures and beliefs. Such holiday names include All Souls' Day, All Saints' Day, Day of the Dead, and El Día de Los Muertos.

The day of Halloween can go by other names for different spiritual beliefs as well. Wiccans may celebrate Samhain and Protestants may celebrate Reformation Day.

Halloween is a celebration that comes from a mix of cultural beliefs. The Celts celebrated the Samhain holiday in the 5th century BC as their New Year when the alive and dead would mingle. They would wear masks to scare the evil spirits away. However, Christianity named November 1st All Saints Day in the 8th century. The day before was called All Hallows Eve, which later became Halloween.

Jack-o'-lanterns are traced back to Ireland where the townspeople would place small candles in hallowed out turnips. This was done to scare away spirits and ghosts. The Europeans brought over the spirit of Halloween to America in the 1800's. Since pumpkins were more plentiful here, they used hallowed out pumpkins for their jack-o'-lanterns instead of turnips.

Each year, billions of dollars are spent on Halloween related items in the Unites States, from costumes to candy and decorations. In 2003, sales were estimated at over $7 billion. In 2008, it was estimated that each American spent an average of $66 on Halloween items. This makes Halloween the second largest commercial holiday, after Christmas.

Trick-or-treating originates from an old European custom where villagers would walk from home to home, begging for "soul cakes". In exchange for receiving a soul cake, the receiver would pray for the ancestor's lives of the giver. This night was known as Beggars' Night where "souling" took place.

Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926. However, it wasn't due to a magic act gone wrong. The legend died due to a ruptured appendix.

Halloween is celebrated in many countries worldwide, but not in all countries, including France. However, the customs and traditions during the Halloween season vary incredibly from one country to the next. Over 60% of Americans celebrate the holiday with Canadians holding a high percentage as well.