The Origin of Halloween
The
origin of Halloween can be traced back to the Celts, a tribe that resided in
Ireland and Northern France. The Celts’ lives were dependent upon farming and
thus, they worshipped nature. The Celts were superstitious. They believed that
the winter season brought death. The last day of October marked the end of
summer because November was the beginning of winter. The Celts celebrated the
last day of October and believed the dead would visit them, so they left food
and drink outside their homes for the spirits of the dead. Halloween is thought
to have originated around 4000 B.C., which means Halloween has been around for
over 6,000 years!
 |
| Samhain |
Halloween
Facts
Halloween,
like any other time of celebration that has been around for a while, has many
fun facts associated with it. Read through our list to become familiar with all
the fun Halloween trivia.
The Origin of the Word “Witch”
The word
“witch” comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman.” The plural for
wicce is wiccan. Wiccan were highly respected people at one time. According to
popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings, or sabbats, on
Halloween night.
Owls and Halloween
Owls are
associated with Halloween because, in Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be
witches. To hear an owl’s call meant someone was about to die.
Jack O’ Lanterns
Jack O’
Lanterns are pumpkins with a lighted candle inside. According to Irish legend, Jack
O’ Lanterns are named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the
devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell.
Therefore, he was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead
people away from their paths.
The Origin of Bonfires
During
the celebration of Samhain, bonfires were lit to ensure the sun would return
after the long, hard winter. Often Druid priests would throw the bones of
cattle into the flames – “bone fire” became “bonfire.”
The History of Candy Corn
Candy
Corn was invented by George Renninger, a candy maker at the Wunderle Candy
Company of Philadelphia in the 1880s. Candy Corn was originally called “butter
cream candies” and “chicken feed” because corn was commonly used as food for
livestock. They even had a rooster on the candy boxes. Candy Corn had no
association with Halloween or fall, and was sold seasonally from March to
November. After World War II, advertisers began marketing it as a special
Halloween treat due to its colors that match those of the fall harvest.
The History of Trick-or-Treating
Trick-or-treating
has been around for a long time, with versions existing since medieval times.
Originally, it was called “guising” and children and poor adults wore costumes
and begged for food or money in exchange for songs or prayers during Hallowmas.
This practice was also called “souling.”
Halloween Superstitions
·
Scottish
girls believed they could see images of their future husband if they hung wet
sheets in front of the fire on Halloween.
·
Some
girls believed they would see their boyfriend’s faces if they looked into
mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween.
·
If
a person wears their clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween,
they will see a witch at midnight.
·
Girls
who place the apple they bobbed for under their pillows are said to dream of
their future love.
 |
| Apple bobbing |
Halloween Fun Facts
- Agatha
Christie’s mystery novel Halloween Party is about a girl who is drowned in an
apple-bobbing tub.
- In the
United States, the first citywide celebration of Halloween was in Anoka,
Minnesota in 1921.
- More
than 93% of children under the age of 12 go trick-or-treating.
- Orange
and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with fall harvest
and black is associated with darkness and death.
- Over
$1.5 billion is spent on costumes each year and more than $2.5 billion on other
Halloween paraphernalia
- Halloween
is the second most commercially successful holiday; Christmas is the first.
- Tootsie
Rolls was the first individually wrapped penny candy in the US.
- Halloween
candy sales average about $2 billion annually in the United States and it is
the largest candy-purchasing holiday.
- Chocolate
candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with
Snickers first.
- Pumpkins
are not only orange, but also white, blue, and green.
- Black
cats were once evil omens thought to be spirits of witches, or a witch’s
familiar who protected their powers.
- Apple
bobbing is believed to have originated from a Roman harvest festival held in
honor of Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees.
- Vampires
are mythical creatures who defy death by sucking the blood of humans.
- Vampire
bats do exist, but they are not from Transylvania. They live in South and
Central America, and thrive on the blood of cattle, horses, and birds.
- The
common little brown bat of North America has the longest life span for a mammal
its size – an average of 32 years.
- If you
see a spider on Halloween, it is considered a good luck, as it means the spirit
of a loved one is guarding you.
- The 1978
blockbuster, Halloween, was only made in 21 days on a very limited budget.
- Hundreds
of vampire clubs and societies exist and claim to have real vampires as their
members.
- In 1962,
the Count Dracula Society was founded.
- About 50% of adults dress up for Halloween
- Sixty-seven
percent of adults take part in Halloween activities, such as parties,
decorating the house, and trick-or-treating with their children.
- 86% of
Americans decorate their house for Halloween.
- Over 10%
of pet owners dress their pets in Halloween costumes.
- The
Ouija Board ended up outselling the game of Monopoly in its first full year at
Salem. Over two million copies of the Ouija Board were shipped.
- The
first Halloween card was made in the early 1920’s.
- More
than 35 million pounds of candy corn will be for Halloween. That equates to
nearly 9 billion pieces – enough to circle the moon nearly 4 times if laid
end-to-end.
- The
tradition of making Jack O’ Lanterns to ward off evil spirits is thousands of
years old. Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles
in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.
- Halloween
was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe, who celebrated the
harvest around a bonfire, shared ghost stories, sang, danced, and told
fortunes.
- The ancient
Celts, who thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween
night, began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.
- The fear
of Halloween is known as Samhainopobia.
QUESTIONS
Set
1
1.
In
which country did Halloween originate?
2.
Which
Catholic Church holiday is Halloween linked to?
3.
What
was the name of Dracula’s sidekick?
4.
From
which words did ‘bonfire’ originate?
5.
What
does the name Dracula mean?
6.
What
was Dracula’s real name?
7.
Who
was the first actor to play Wolf Man?
8.
Which
phobia means you have an intense fear of Halloween?
9.
Out
of which vegetable were Jack O’ Lanterns originally made?
10.
Every
Halloween, Charlie Brown helps his friend Linus wait for what character to
appear?
Set 2
1.
According
to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, what will
you see?
2.
From
which region in the world do pumpkins originate?
3.
Who
wrote the novel Frankenstein?
4.
Transylvania
is a region in which country?
5.
Halloween
has its origins in which ancient Celtic festival?
6.
Which
actor played Dr. Frank-n-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show?
7.
Is
a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?
8.
What
is the significance of seeing a spider on Halloween?
9.
Which
country celebrates the Day of the Dead starting at midnight on Oct. 31?
10.
According
to superstition, a person born on Halloween has what particular ability?
Set 3
1.
Who
directed The Nightmare before Christmas?
2.
Which
vampire said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m going to give you the choice I never had.”
3.
How
many people were hanged during the Salem Witch Trials?
4.
Who
is said to haunt the White House Rose Garden?
5.
Pumpkins
can be orange, white, green, or what other color?
6.
In
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, how many people are killed with a chainsaw?
7.
What’s
the body count for the film Halloween?
8.
Which
year was the movie Freaks made?
9.
In
the original Alien film, how many alien eggs were made for the egg chamber
inside the downed spacecraft?
10.
How
many Oscars was Psycho nominated for?
Adapted from http://icebreakerideas.com
ANSWERS
