Halloween Facts

1. Black and orange are typically associated with Halloween. Orange is a symbol of strength and endurance and, along with brown and gold, stands for the harvest and autumn. Black is typically a symbol of death and darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween once was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.
2.  Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.
3.  Halloween has variously been called All Hallows’ Eve, Witches Night, Lamswool, Snap-Apple Night, Samhaim, and Summer’s End.
4.  Scottish girls believed they could see images of their future husband if they hung wet sheets in front of the fire on Halloween. Other girls believed they would see their boyfriend’s faces if they looked into mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween. I will definitely try this :D
5.  They say that if you see a spider on Halloween, it is the spirit of a loved on watching over you.
6.  According to tradition, if a person wears his or her clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween, he or she will see a witch at midnight.
7.  Thousands of people suffer from Samhainophobia which is an irrational fear of Halloween.
8.  It's believed that Halloween has been around for 6000 years. 
9.  Owls were once believed to be witches. An owl's call was thought to mean someone was going to die. This was a popular belief in Medieval Europe. 
10.  When the movie Halloween was made in 1978, the mask that Michael Meyers wore was actually a Star Trek mask of William Shatner. The producers of the movie were on a tight budget. 
11.  Legendary magician Harry Houdini died in Detroit from a ruptured appendix on Halloween in 1926. Coincidence?
12. Jack o' Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to dismiss haunted spirits.
13. Black cats were originally believed to protect witches' powers from negative forces. 
14. Ringing a bell scares evil spirits away.
15. More than a third of Americans say they believe in ghost, twenty-three percent claimed to have seen a ghost or sensed one's presence and about one in five people believe that spells or witchcraft are real
16. Trick or treating had its roots in Europe. The custom known as "souling" dates back to the 9th century. On All Soul's Day which is November 2nd, the poor would walk through the villages and go door to door begging for food. They would be given "soul cakes" which is a type of pastry made from bread and currants. They would promise to pray for dead relatives in return for receiving the "soul cakes".
17. On Halloween more people prefer Snickers to any other candy; of course, chocolate is a favorite for every holiday throughout the year.
18. Nearly 5,000 people in the U.S. died in crashes during the Halloween time period from 1996-2005, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 
19. Ten Most Popular Adults' Halloween 2013 Costumes: Witch, Batman character, Vampire, Zombie, Pirate, Action/super hero, Superman, Dracula, Cat, Scary costume/mask
20. Ten Most Popular Children's Halloween 2013 Costumes: Princess, Animal, Batman character, Action/super hero, Spider-Man, Witch, Zombie, Disney princess, Superman, Fairy.
21. Though a common trope in horror movies and Halloween decorations with witches flying across the full moon, the next full moon on Halloween won't occur until 2020. The most recent Halloween full moon was back in 2001, and before that it was in 1955.
    
    Love,
                 Sarah