13 Tasty Facts about Halloween

With Halloween around the corner, I thought I'd hand out some fun facts about the best holiday ever. (If you disagree, you are wrong. 🤪)

1. Samhainophobia is the medical term for the irrational fear of Halloween. The root word is expressive of the ancient Celts who held a ceremony called Samhain in order to honor the harvest cycle.
2. Americans spend nearly $400 Million on Halloween pet costumes each year.
3. On Halloween in 1981, John Belushi got the hardcore punk band FEAR to play live on SNL, causing an estimated $200,000 in damages.
4. Many shelters won't allow black cats to be adopted around Halloween, for fear that they may be sacrificed or tortured.
5. All Hallows Eve, Witches Night, Lamswool, Snap-Apple Night, Samhain and Summer’s End are all names for Halloween.
6. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown aired in 1966 and is still a must watch Halloween show today.
7. The largest pumpkin on record weighed 2,625 pounds. The record was set in 2016.
8. Originally, you had to dance for treats.
9. Halloween has been recognized as the 3rd biggest party day following New Year’s Eve and Super Bowl Sunday.
10. In the USA, One-quarter of the candy sold annually is purchased over the Halloween.
11. The world’s fastest pumpkin carving time is 24.03 seconds that was created by Stephen Clarke.
12. Halloween is really old. It is believed that Halloween traditions began in the year 4,000 B.C., which means that humans have been celebrating Halloween for over 6,000 years.
13. The candy-drugging was a myth. In 1974 a young boy ate a piece of heroin laced candy which led to a mass fear of drug-laced candy being passed out during Halloween.  As it turns out, that young boy had gotten into his uncle’s drugs and it was never meant for the Halloween candy.

​Do you have any fun facts to share about Halloween? Will you be dressing up and trick-or-treating? What is your favorite candy? Did you know I have an annual book even at my other blog where authors hand out books like candy?