- Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.
- The tradition of going door-to-door on All Hallow’s Eve goes back to the Middle Ages, but did you know that folk used to do more than plea for candy? At one time, it was customary to perform dances, songs, prayers, and plays, a practice called “mumming,” in order receive their treats.
- Since its invention in 1898 by the Jelly Belly Candy Company, candy corn has been wildly popular so much so that today, nearly 35 million pounds of candy corn are produced each year.
- Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday in America — only Christmas surpasses it in sales.
- The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.
- In 1950, Philadelphia based trick-or-treaters traded in a sweet tooth for a sweet action. In lieu of candy, residents collected change for children overseas and sent it to UNICEF. Subsequently, the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF program was born.
- Harry Houdini became America’s favorite magician and a world-renowned legend for his daring escapes. It was only fitting, then, for this master trickster to die on October 31, 1026 — from a ruptured appendix.
- It was just tricks — no treats — for Charlie Brown in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. In the 1966 TV special, he utters, “I got a rock,” while trick-or-treating. The phrase went on to become one of the most famous lines in Peanuts history.