Geography
In this southern US state, it is illegal to wear a nun or priest costume for Halloween.
Alabama
Love 'em or hate 'em, this flying mammal (an popular Halloween symbol) plays an important role in the ecosystem by eating up insects. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, they save billions of dollars annually in pest control by preventing the pests from destroying crops.
Bats
This Academy Award-winning director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy was born on Halloween.
Peter Jackson
Halloween is the second most commercial holiday in the United States, after this holiday. Americans spend about $6.9 billion on Halloween, with most of that money going towards candy, costumes, and parties
Christmas
A town in this New England state holds the record for most lit jack-o-lanterns on display. During the city's annual Pumpkin Fest held on Oct. 19, 2013, a dazzling 30,581 jack-o'-lanterns were lit, breaking the world record.
New Hampshire
The vast majority of canned pumpkin is produced in this midwest US state at the Libby's Pumpkin canning plant, which accounts for roughly 75% of the country's canned pumpkin.
Illinois
There are several theories about the origin of the word “Halloween.” According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "Halloween" stems from this. However, in 1773, the Scottish began calling it, “Hallow-e’-en.”
Then, a few years later, poet Robert Burns put the words together in the poem titled “Halloween” and we’ve been writing it that way ever since.
All Hallow's Eve
Netflix's “The Movies That Made Us” revealed the connection between “Halloween” and “Star Trek.” The Michael Myers mask in the movie was actually reconstructed from an old mask of this popular character. Tommy Wallace, the film’s production designer, shaved off the eyebrows and sideburns, then dyed the hair brown to give it its signature Michael Myers look.
Captain Kirk
On average, U.S. pet owners spend around $700 million on pet costumes, according to a NRF survey, with the most popular pet costume being this.
Pumpkin
Some shelters used to suspend adoptions of this specific breed of animal for Halloween.
They feared that the animals were in danger from Satanic cults that wanted them for nefarious purposes in the days leading up to Halloween. Now though, shelters have gone in the opposite direction. Many even promote adoptions in October, using the pre-adoption screening and interview process to weed out anyone with less-than-snuggly intentions.
Black cat
Halloween originated around 4,000 B.C. as the ancient festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season. The Gaels believed that the boundaries between the living and the dead were especially thin on October 31, and that the dead would try to cause trouble
Ireland
According to the Library of Congress, black and orange are the colors of Halloween because the ancient Celts believed black symbolized the (blank) of summer and orange symbolized the fall harvest.
Death
The White House was first decorated for Halloween in 1958, under this U.S. President.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
According to research by YouGov, the most popular Halloween candy is this! Reese's Peanut Butter Cups come in a close second. Interestingly enough, their findings show kids ages 8 to 14 prefer the two in reverse order. Go figure!
M&M's
Initially, the Europeans carved this vegetbale as a way to remember deceased souls. When they immigrated to the U.S., they realized that pumpkins were much easier to carve and the rest, as they say, is history.
Turnips
The origins of trick-or-treating are still up for debate. Although some believe trick-or-treating dates back to medieval times, Henry Ansgar Kelly, a research professor specializing in medieval and renaissance studies at UCLA, said it may have started in this North American country during the early 1900s as a way to deter pranksters from wreaking havoc.
Canada
Samhainophobia
The night before Halloween is called this.
For those who've lived on the East Coast and the Midwest, it's probably not news to you that lots of teens and tweens pull pranks on October 30. But from toilet papering the trees outside someone's house, to egging cars and more dangerous capers, the tradition never really made its way to the West Coast. At least, not yet.
Mischief Night or Goosey Night
In 2023, the most popular children's Halloween costume purchased was this, a popular Marvel character.
Spiderman
This beloved Halloween treat is said to have been invented by William W. Kolb, a New Jersey confectioner, in 1908. The candy maker supposedly dipped an apple into a cinnamon glaze as an experiment and discovered that patrons loved them.
Candied apple
If you love vampires and want to visit Transylvania, you need only book a trip to this southeastern US state. Known as the “Land of Waterfalls,” (not vampires, who knew?), Transylvania County is home to roughly 34,000 residents. The official Bram Stoker version is in Romania.
North Carolina
Mumming
Celts worried about bumping into the ghosts they believed came back to the earth on Halloween. To avoid being recognized, people would don these when they left their homes after dark — in hopes the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.
Masks
In 2023, the most popular adult Halloween costume purchased was this.
Witch
Originally dubbed “Chicken Feed,” this candy became popular once the Goelitz Company took over production in the late 1800s. Love it or hate it, he sugary-sweet treat become a Halloween staple in the 1950s.
Candy corn