Even if you prefer to keep things sweet most of the year, you can't deny the urge to embrace the spooky spirit when Halloween rolls around! With all the fun costumes and festive activities throughout October, the atmosphere is truly magical. And this year, as you start to get ready for the holiday, you might want to check out some interesting and worthwhile Halloween facts.
Even if you consider yourself a Halloween expert, there’s likely still a lot you don’t know about this haunted holiday. To get the wheels in your brain turning, why not check out this list of surprising and spooky Halloween trivia? Armed with these fun facts, you’ll impress your friends and family while trick-or-treating or at Halloween parties. You could even host a trivia quiz to see who really knows their Halloween lore—just make sure the winner gets the first pick of the Halloween treats! Read on for everything you should know about Halloween.
1. Illinois grows the most pumpkins in the country.
And the pumpkin-producing prize goes to...Illinois! The Midwestern state produced 630 million pounds of pumpkins just in 2022 (which is almost enough to make the amount of pumpkin pie you're probably craving).
2. Husband hunting was once a Halloween tradition.
Valentine's Day who? Back in the 18th century, Halloween was about tricks in more ways than one! At this time, people took to many peculiar methods to rewrite their real-life Halloween horror story: being single in the fall. These tactful techniques included lighting candles in front of a mirror in a dark room to conjure up the fact of a future lover and even tossing apple peels over their shoulders to form an initial upon landing.
3. The treats in trick-or-treating were once on hiatus.
Halloween wasn't always so sweet. During World War II, American sugar imports were rationed, limiting how much Halloween candy could be made. Thankfully (for those with a sweet tooth), candy companies quickly caught up to their regularly scheduled candy-producing levels to keep up with the demand and make up for lost time.
4. A full moon brightens the sky once every 19 Halloweens.
You can string up cobwebs, skeletons, and gauzy ghosts, but you can't recreate the eerie glow of a full moon on Halloween! Luckily, you don't have to (at least for one night in 19 years, which is how often a full moon looms on spookiest night of the year).
5. Before there was candy corn, there was chicken feed.
The quintessential Halloween treat was once known as a different type of farm food. When George Renninger invented the tri-colored candy in the 1800s, he marketed it as "Chicken Feed" before it was quickly renamed "Candy Corn" following World War I.
6. The song "Monster Mash" once topped Billboard charts.
"Monster Mash" may be a staple on Halloween playlists across the world, but have you ever wondered when and why the phenomenon started? In 1962, the Monster Mash took over dance floors when Bobby "Boris" Pickett's smash hit reached #1 on the charts.
7. Harry Houdini died on Halloween.
Kinda crazy when you remember that he was a very famous magician and illusionist. While his death was reported to be caused by health complications, there are some other mysterious claims on the matter...
8. Approximately 46% of Americans planned to make jack-o'-lanterns in 2023.
According to Finder, that means 154 million Americans planned to carve up pumpkins last year! That number is up from the 44% (then 146 million people) who said they’d be making jack-o'-lanterns in 2022.
9. There's a statue of Jason Voorhees (from Friday the 13th) at the bottom of a lake in Crosby, Minnesota.
Diver Doug Klein built the statue and tethered it to the bottom of the water-filled Louise Mine Pit in 2013. Since then, it's become a popular underwater attraction for other divers.
10. New York is home to the world's largest Halloween parade.
The Greenwich Village Halloween Parade takes place every year on Halloween night in Manhattan, drawing thousands of costumed participants and even more spectators.
11. The word "witch" comes from the Old English wicce, meaning "wise woman."
Taking it a notch further, "wiccan" were actually thought of in a positive light, with their opinions being highly respected. This probably could have been useful in Salem...
12. The world's heaviest jack-o'-lantern weighed 2,684 pounds, 2 ounces.
The pumpkin made its debut at the the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on November 6, 2021. And it wasn't your average jack-o'-lantern, either: It was etched with a face and other decorations including stars and heraldic scenes.
13. In Ireland, where Halloween originated, people celebrate by setting off fireworks.
They also eat barnbrack, a traditional fruitcake, and light bonfires to celebrate the holiday, according to Business Insider.
14. Americans spend more than $100 on Halloween.
In 2023, the National Retail Federation reported that Americans spent an average of $108.24 on Halloween-related items, including costumes, candy, and decorations.
15. In Germany, it's tradition for people to hide their knives on Halloween night.
The goal is to prevent returning spirits from getting injured.
16. People originally carved turnips instead of pumpkins.
Jack-o'-lanterns are believed to have originated in Ireland in the 19th century—but they actually carved turnips instead of pumpkins at the time.
17. Americans used to celebrate the holiday by sending Halloween cards.
In the early 1900s, before the telephone was invented, Halloween cards were about as popular as Christmas cards.
18. Stephen Clarke holds the record for the world's fastest pumpkin carving time.
He did it all under 16.47 seconds. Do you think you can do it faster?
19. There's a reason why black and orange are associated with Halloween.
Orange signals the harvest of autumn, while black is a symbol of darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween once was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.
20. Scarecrows symbolize the ancient agricultural roots of the holiday.
That's right! Greek farmers created the first scarecrows that look like people to protect their crops. Crows being the primary culprit is how the name originated.
21. Pumpkins are classified as a fruit, not as a vegetable.
Basically, anything that originates from the likes of a flower is technically a fruit.
22. Halloween originated from an ancient Celtic festival.
The origins of Halloween date back 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on October 31 on the eve of their new year, according to the History Channel. The Celts believed that the dead returned to earth that night, and so they lit bonfires and donned costumes to ward off the ghosts.
23. Irish immigrants brought Halloween to the U.S.
During the mid-1800s, a flood of Irish immigrants fled from the potato famine to the U.S., bringing the tradition of Halloween with them.
24. Jack-o'-lanterns were inspired by an Irish legend.
According to the History Channel, the name jack-o'-lantern is rooted in an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack who fooled the devil and in turn was forced to walk the Earth with only a burning coal in a hollowed turnip to light his way. The Irish began to call him "Jack of the Lantern," and then just "Jack o'Lantern."
25. The most lit jack-o'-lanterns on display is 30,581.
The City of Keene, New Hampshire holds the Guinness World Record for the most lit jack-o'-lanterns on display (a whopping 30,581). Keene was the original record holder in this category and has broken the record eight times since then.
26. Trick-or-treating has existed since medieval times.
Trick-or-treating was inspired by the medieval English tradition of "souling," which involved children going door-to-door on All Souls Day, offering prayers for residents’ deceased loved ones in exchange for food.
27. Trick-or-treating was also inspired by a tradition called "mumming."
In the middle ages, people began practicing a tradition known as mumming, in which they dressed up as ghosts and demons, and went door-to-door performing songs and scenes from plays in exchange for food and drink. This custom is believed to be an antecedent of trick-or-treating, according to the History Channel.
28. Candy wasn't given out to trick-or-treaters until the 1950s.
Halloween simply wouldn't be the same without those fun (and king!) size candy bars to sweeten the day. But there was a time when trick-or-treaters didn't receive candy at all, but rather pieces of cake, fruit, nuts, coins, and little toys, according to the History Channel. It wasn't until the 1950s, when candy makers began to promote their goods for Halloween, that candy became a staple on the trick-or-treating circuit. These days, one quarter of all the candy sold in the U.S. each year is purchased for Halloween.
29. Pop-culture has a big influence on Halloween costumes
Halloween looks can be silly, funny, or cute, and according to the Visual Capitalist, in 2023, the top Halloween costumes for adults were:
1. Barbie
2. Princess
3. Spider-Man
4. Witch
5. Fairy
30. Reese's Cups are America's favorite candy.
There's no wrong way to eat a Reese's—especially on Halloween! According to CandyStore.com, Reese's Cups were the top candy last year, followed by M&Ms and Hot Tamales.
31. Circus Peanuts are America's least favorite candy.
Circus Peanuts have always been divisive, but according to CandyStore.com's top 10 worst Halloween candies lists, more people hate it than love it. Consumers voted Circus Peanuts the worst Halloween candy in the country in 2023, leading the charts for a second year in a row.
Tierney McAfee is a freelance writer and Country Living and The Pioneer Woman contributor who covers entertainment, holiday & entertaining, food & drinks, design ideas, DIY, and more.
