Halloween  Facts

The Halloween facts provided here are frightfully interesting.  Questions are answered that you never even thought to ask.  Statistics are given and it never occurred to us anyone was counting.  Share your Halloween trivia knowledge with your friends and family as you become a Halloween know-it-all.

Halloween is a popular holiday known for its spooky decorations, costume parties, and trick-or-treating. But did you know that Halloween has a rich history and is filled with fascinating traditions and fun facts? From the origins of the holiday to the largest pumpkin ever grown, here are some fun facts about Halloween that you may not know!

One Stop Party Ideas Warning:
Possible side effects of reading fun Halloween facts include howling at the moon!

Fun Halloween Facts & Trivia

Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on the night of October 31st. Celts believed that on this night, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, and spirits could roam the earth. To ward off these spirits, people would dress up in costumes and light bonfires. When the Romans conquered Celtic territories, they combined Samhain with their own festivals, such as Feralia (a day to honor the dead) and Pomona (a festival of fruit and trees). Over time, the Christian church adapted these traditions into All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, but the customs of dressing up in costumes and going door to door asking for treats (or "souling") remained. This eventually evolved into the modern celebration of Halloween as we know it today.

One of the most iconic aspects of this festive occasion is the use of Halloween colors to set the mood and create a mystical atmosphere. Black and orange are the traditional colors of Halloween because orange represents the colors of the harvest and black represents the darkness of Halloween night.

The skinny on scarecrows.
Did you know that farmers invented scarecrows to protect their crops?  Originally designed to frighten and scare, the Halloween scarecrow of today has evolved into a happy, festive decoration and costume.

Photo credit: Pinterest

Bats are the only mammals that fly.  
Favorite Halloween treats for bats include creepy,
crawly insects, jumpy frogs, floppy fish or fruit.

The skinny on pumpkins.

As of October 9, 2023, the world's largest pumpkin weighed 2,749 pounds and was grown by Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota.

Approximately $100 million worth of pumpkins are grown each year in the United States.  That's a lot of Halloween pumpkin carvings.

The tradition of carved pumpkins, or jack-o-lanterns, is said to have originated with the legend of an Irishman know as Stingy Jack.  Facing death, Jack promised the Devil that he would willingly follow him to hell if allowed one last drink.  When he had no money to pay, he convinced the Devil to show off his trickery by turning himself into a coin. Jack then put the devilish coin into a purse enclosed with a cross, thereby imprisoning the Devil.  In exchange for his freedom, the Devil promised to never claim Jack's soul.  Upon Jack's death, he was refused entrance to heaven and hell. He was left to roam the netherworld with only a coal from hell's fire to light his way-which he carried in a carved out turnip.  Hence, the Jack-O-Lantern.

98 to 99% of spider bites are harmless.  
Chill out arachophobias!

Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas.  Now that's a fun Halloween fact. 

The skinny on candy.
About $19 billion worth of candy is sold each year in the United States.  The average American consumes 25 pounds of candy each year.  A large portion is consumed on Halloween.

51% of trick-or-treaters prefer to receive chocolate candy for Halloween.

70% of parents admit to stealing chocolate from the children's candy stash.

Is that why jack-o-lanterns don't have all their teeth?

The estimated number of potential trick or treaters is 41 million with potential stops of 106 million.

Photo credit: Glo Professional

Frankenstein is one of literature's most frightening monsters.  This best selling book was published in 1818.  Over the last thirty-five plus years, films have been produced making Frankenstein a movie classic.

The folklore surrounding black cats varies from culture to culture, often ascribing either good or bad luck.  

The superstition of black cats bringing bad luck makes it difficult for animal shelters to find them a forever home.  

Now who's the unlucky one?

Dracula is arguably the most famous vampire of all time and still remains a popular Halloween costume.  He has been portrayed by more actors in more film and television adaptations than any other horror character.  But, with the recent popularity of the Twilight saga, Edward is quickly gaining momentum.  That sucks for Dracula!