Origin
Halloween has its roots in an old Celtic tradition. Where did the Celts live?
Great Britain and Ireland
How far back do the origins of the holiday go?
Over 2000 years.
How many pounds of candy corn are eaten every year around Halloween?
20 million pounds (9.071.847,4 kg)
In America, what has been the most popular trick-or-treat candy for many years?
The Snickers bar.
The old Celtic feast was not called Halloween. What was the original name of the feast?
Samhain (pronounced saow’in)
What was Halloween called after the Catholic Church adopted the holiday?
All Hallows' Eve
Name five things people do to celebrate Halloween.
Eg. dress up, go trick-or-treating, carve pumpkins, decorate their homes, watch scary movies...
In the cartoon "Donald Duck - Trick or Treat?" what are Huey, Duey and Louie dressed up as?
Ghost, devil and witch.
From sunset on 31 October to sunrise on 1 November.
Why is the European holiday so widely celebrated in USA?
Many Irish and Scottish people immigrated tp America and brought their traditions with them.
In the US, how do people show that they welcome trick-or-treaters?
Homes with candy for the trick-or-treaters usually show this by decorating their front yards, porches, windows and/or front doors and leaving their porch lights on.
What did the soul cakes symbolize?
The souls being freed from Purgatory.
The veil between the living world and the Otherworld gets thin, and spirits and other creatures can cross over.
In 1950, a minister’s wife called Mary Emma Allison decided to take her children trick-or-treating for pennies. She wanted to donate the money to UNICEF to help children affected by World War II. The first year she collected $17. Her idea quickly grew and became a huge success. How much money has been collected trick-or-treating for UNICED to date?
More than $170 million has been collected trick-or-treating for UNICEF.
Churches hold All Hallows’ Eve services. Why are they held?
To remember the saints, the martyrs and the faithful.
When was the term "trick-or-treat" first used?
1934
Name the two items the Celts would leave on their doorstep AND the thing they would do to honor their deceased loved ones at dinner.
Salt and a jack-o-lantern
Set a place at the table for their deceased loved one.
Jack-o'-lanterns are made of pumpkins today. Which two vegetables were they made of originally?
Beets and turnips.
What do jack-o'-lanterns symbolize?
The souls of those caught in Purgatory.
What was trick-or-treating called before?
What was trick-or-treating called before?