10 fascinating facts about Halloween you didn’t know!

If you hadn’t already guessed, I rather like Halloween. I find it such a fun holiday and I love all the cosy and spooky feels around it. It’s definitely one of my favourite times of the year. I just wish we celebrated Halloween in the U.K. the same as it’s done in America! If you love the spooky season then here are 10 Halloween facts you didn’t already know!

1. Halloween originates from a Celtic festival

Samhain or summers end was an ancient Celtic festival dating back over 2,000 years. It was traditionally held around 1st November and celebrated the end of the harvest and gathering resources ready for winter. However it’s also believed the Samhain was a day for communing with the dead too. It was the day when spirits would cross over into another world.

When Christianity became more widespread, November 1st became All Saints’ Day and did incorporate some Samhain traditions. All Saints’ Day was also known and All Hallows Eve and it’s believed that both this day and Samhain influenced each other Halloween on the 31st October!

2. The Jack o’ lantern comes from an Irish legend

According to an Irish myth, a man named Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. Living up to his name Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for the drink so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin so he could pay. However once the Devil changed into a coin Stingy Jack kept the money in his pocket next to a silver cross which stopped the Devil from turning back into his true form.

Jack eventually freed the Devil but on the condition that he wouldn’t bother him again for one year and that should Jack die the Devil wouldn’t claim his soul. The next year, Jack tricked the Devil again and this time said he couldn’t bother him for ten years.

Shortly after this, Jack died and God decided he couldn’t have such a sneaky person as Jack in heaven and the Devil, still upset at Jack’s trickery, wouldn’t allow him into hell. Jack was sent off into a dark night with just a burning coal. Jack put the coal in a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth since.

The ghostly figure was known as Jack of the lantern which then shortened to Jack o’ lantern. Turnips were used to carve out spooky figures and were then placed in a window to scare off wandering spirits. When immigrants took this tradition over to America, pumpkins were soon used to carve out Jack o’lanterns as they were the native fruit.

3. Black cats have a deep rooted Halloween history

Having a black cat of my own, I of course had to include this.

During the Middle Ages when people began fearing witches there was a strong belief that witches could shapeshift into black cats. This is where black cats began to fall out of favour with people.

When immigrants settled in America they took these beliefs with them and by the time the Salem witch trails were underway legends were floating around about how witches could transform into black cats and then back into a human. There was even a belief that witches could reincarnate into black cats when they’d died. It’s safe to say that these legends did nothing to make people like black cats.

Fast forward to modern day Halloween celebrations and the witch and her black cat are still a popular and commercialised symbol of Halloween. The belief that black cats are scary and unlucky is, unfortunately, still strong.

I feel like have to end this fact with a reminder that all this talk of black cats is just superstition. Black cats make wonderful pets and are super loving. Unfortunately though they are often overlooked in shelters and are the ones left waiting for a home for the longest time. Also because of their link to Halloween black cats are actually very vulnerable at this time of year, even in modern society. So if you have a black cat be extra vigilant around Halloween.

4. Mumming and souling formed the modern day trick or treat

Back to the Samhain festival and it’s believed that people would disguise themselves in animal skins and food offerings were made to please the spirits. Later on in the Middle Ages people would continue this tradition but with a twist. Dressing as ghosts and demons people would perform tricks in exchange for food and drinks. This was known as mumming.

When Christianity spread to Celtic lands it became a tradition for poor people to visit the homes of richer families and receive pastries called soul cakes in exchange for a prayer for the souls of the homeowners dead relatives. This was called souling and was later adopted by children who would go door to door asking for food and drink or money.

In Scotland and Ireland instead of a prayer children would dress up and perform a trick. Typically a song, poem or joke before receiving a treat.

In the early 20th century, Scottish and Irish immigrants revived these old traditions in America but things quickly got out of hand with the Great Depression meaning these tricks often led to antisocial behaviour and the treats became a form of bribery. With sugar rationing during WW2 this all came to a halt and by the time things started returning to normal candy companies capitalised on the lift of the sugar ration and began mass producing sweet treats again. This led to the calmer more civilised children’s activity that we know today as trick or treating.

5. Día de los Muertos is a true celebration of the dead

While Samhain did honour the spirits of the dead, there’s no hard evidence that it was as spooky as Halloween. In fact it probably was more about being thankful for the harvest and the resources provided to see them through winter.

The Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos on the other hand is a celebration purely for the dead. The Mexican holiday spans over a few days from October 31st – November 2nd and families welcome back the souls of dead relatives for a reunion and celebration.

Día de los Muertos however is not a Mexican version of Halloween though there are some shared traditions. During the holiday it’s believed that the border between the real world and the spirit world dissolves. During this time the souls of the dead can return to the living world to celebrate with their loved ones through feasts and music. The living family member welcome these returns by leaving out food and offerings at gravesites or ofrendas, a home alter brightly decorated with candles, objects and photos as well as food.

Día de los Muertos not only celebrates the dead but paints death in a more positive light. Rather than something to be feared it’s seen as a natural part of the human experience that can be celebrated for years after.

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6. Halloween used to have a romantic side

These days you’d associate Halloween with the dead and the past but there were actually some rituals that focused on the living and the future. A lot of these now obsolete traditions revolved around finding women a husband. There were actually many traditions that used to take place on Halloween to help women identify their suitors.

In Ireland during the 18th century one way of finding true love was to have a cook bury a ring in the mashed potatoes. Whoever found the ring on Halloween night would find true love.

Up in Scotland young women were told to name a hazelnut for each of her suitors then throw them into the fire. The hazelnut that burnt rather than popping represented the woman’s future husband.

Another foodie tradition was for women to eat a sweet mix of walnuts, nutmeg and hazelnuts before bed on Halloween night then she would dream about her future husband.

Finally other crazy traditions included throwing apple peels over your shoulder so they could reveal the initials of your future husband. Or if food based activities weren’t your thing then you could stand in front of a mirror in a dark room and hold up a candle and wait for the face of your future husband to appear.

7. The Halloween fear is real

I’m not just taking about ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night. I’m talking about an actual phobia of Halloween. Samhainophobia is the phobic fear of Halloween. Samhainophobia can cause anxiety and terror about anything associated with Halloween.

Most phobias are caused by real events so a fear of Halloween could be triggered by games such as telling ghost stories in the dark, or experiencing a gruesome costume you were too young to handle.

Like with any phobia it can be cured through various techniques. Psychotherapy, hyponotherapy and anxiety medication can all help with Samhainophobia as well as mindfulness and educating yourself on the origins and history of Halloween to desensitise you.

8. You’ve been spelling Halloween wrong

Don’t worry I have too, repeatedly throughout this post. Although Halloween is now the accepted spelling the correct way is actually Hallowe’en. As we’ve already covered, Halloween derives from All Hallows Eve which is why the correct spelling has an apostrophe in it. All Saints’ Day didn’t get it’s name until the 16th century. Up until then, in Christian areas is was All Hallows Eve. By the 16th century All Hallows Eve was already being shortened to Hallowe’en. However by the 18th century it began to lose its apostrophe and just became Halloween.

9. A full moon on Halloween is actually rare

Movies, artwork and stories often depict a full moon on Halloween but it’s actually really rare for there to be a full moon on Halloween. In fact 2020 is an extra special year as not only will there be a full moon on Halloween (for the first time since 2001) but it’s also a blue moon!

This October will see two full moons, one on the 1st October and one on 31st October. It’s a blue moon because it’s the second full moon of the month! A full moon on Halloween actually only occurs around every 19 years and a blue moon during any month only happen around every 2.5 years so to get both a full moon and a blue moon on Halloween 2020 is a very rare phenomenon.

10. Animals play a big part in Halloween and it’s mostly thanks to witches

Bats, cats and spiders are all popular Halloween animals. We’ve already covered black cats and there witchy origins but bats and spiders are also tied to Wiccans. In the m=Middle Ages it was believed that all these animals were witches companions so their spooky beginnings have carried on throughout history and now make up a large part of Halloween decor.

Owls also have a bit of history with Halloween too. Even though you’re more likely to see them perched on a tree in a Halloween picture, owls don’t have a big role in commercialised Halloween. However going back to the Middle Ages again and an owls screech was often linked to witches. Given that people believed witches could shape shift it makes sense that on a dark and quiet night with these superstitions about wise women floating around that an owls screech would soon have spooky links.

Even now there is a belief that the sight or sound of an owl is foretelling that something bad is about to happen.

So they were my 10 interesting Halloween facts that you might not have known. I hope you enjoyed delving a little deeper into spooky season.

Do you have any interesting Halloween facts? Let me know in the comments!

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