Halloween Facts You May Not Have Known

By Brook Phillips | October 20, 2025

Halloween is one of those holidays that feels timeless; bonfires, black cats, and buckets of candy. But the truth is, every tradition has a story, and some of them are stranger than fiction.

🎃 Origins & History

  • Ancient roots: Halloween traces back over 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. People lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off spirits.

  • Name origins: “Halloween” comes from All Hallows’ Eve, the night before All Saints’ Day.

  • Pumpkin switch: The original jack-o’-lanterns were carved from turnips and potatoes in Ireland. Pumpkins became popular when Irish immigrants came to America.

đŸ‘» Spooky Statistics

  • Candy craze: Americans buy around 600 million pounds of candy for Halloween each year.

  • Spending: In the U.S., Halloween spending topped $12 billion in 2024, making it one of the biggest holidays for retail after Christmas.

  • Top candy: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups consistently rank #1 in Halloween candy polls.

  • Pet costumes: About 1 in 5 pet parents dress up their pets for Halloween (pumpkins, hot dogs, and bats are the most popular outfits).

🧛 Symbols & Traditions

  • Black cats: In medieval Europe, black cats were associated with witches. Today, they’re a popular Halloween icon.

  • Bobbing for apples: This tradition comes from an old Roman festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of fruit and orchards.

  • Trick-or-treating: Inspired by medieval “souling” (where poor people collected food in exchange for prayers) and the Scottish/Irish tradition of “guising.”

đŸ•žïž Fun Extras

  • Full moons are rare: A full moon on Halloween only happens every 18–19 years (the last one was in 2020).

  • Pumpkin records: The largest pumpkin ever recorded weighed over 2,700 pounds (grown in Italy in 2021).

  • Haunted houses: The first recorded haunted house attraction opened in 1969 at Disneyland—the Haunted Mansion.

 

So the next time you’re bobbing for apples or sneaking that extra Reese’s, remember, you’re keeping history alive, one spooky bite at a time.

Posted in Holidays