Did you Know? List of Interesting Facts about
Halloween Facts are statements which are held to be true and often
contrasted with opinions and beliefs. Our unusual and
interesting facts about Halloween, trivia and information, including
some useful statistics will fascinate everyone from kids and
children to adults.
Interesting Facts about Halloween
are as follows:
Halloween Fact 1 - Halloween is celebrated on
31 October
Fact 2 - Halloween (also referred
to as All Hallows Eve or Hallowe'en ) is the night, or evening
before All Hallows' Day which is a Christian feast day now
referred to as 'All Saints Day' which falls on 1st November
Halloween Fact 3 - All Souls' Day (also
called Feast of All Souls or Day of the Dead) commemorates the
dead on November 2
Halloween Fact 4 - The modern day customs and
traditions for celebrating Halloween are rooted in ancient times
and Pagan religions
Halloween Fact 5 - The Ancient Celts and
Druids had an important harvest festival called Samhain which
was held on October 31–November 1 in Gaelic cultures
Fact 6 - Samhain "summer's end" was
the name of a Celtic celebration. Their lord of death was
thought to gather together the souls of the year's dead at this
time of year
Halloween Fact 7 - Samhain was a day sacred
to the death of the sun, on which had been paid a sacrifice of
death to evil powers. Fires, or bonfires, were built as a
thanksgiving to their pagan god Baal for harvest
Halloween Fact 8 -
Romans also had a celebration for the dead called Feralia
which celebrated Roman spirits of the dead, particularly the
souls of deceased individuals
Halloween Fact 9 - In these old pagan
religions spirits were believed to roam and torches were carried
as protection
Halloween Fact 10 - The traditions of old
Pagan festivals were incorporated with Christian festivals so
bonfires, torches, ceremonies for the dead souls and and
feasting on apples and nuts and harvest fruits were remembered
on Halloween
Halloween Fact 11 - Trick or Treat: The
origin of Trick or Treat came from an ancient English custom of
children knocking at doors to beg for a "soul cake" (a form of
shortbread) in return for which a promise was made to pray
for the dead of the household
Halloween Fact 12 - These early
Trick or Treaters would say "a soul cake, a soul cake, have
mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake" which led to the
later rhyme:
Soul, soul, an apple or
two,
If you haven't an apple, a pear will do,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for the Man Who made us all.
Halloween Fact 13 - Jack-o'-lanterns: The use
of jack-o'-lanterns continued the tradition of carrying torches.
Carving vegetables such as Pumpkins and inserting candles to
frighten off eveil spirits
Halloween Fact 14 - Skulls and bones are
common in Christian art recalling those dead - symbols used at
Halloween.
Halloween Fact 15 - In early
religion vigils were kept by the
graves and lights, fruit and bread left for the dead
Halloween Fact 16 - The custom, or tradition,
of masquerading on Halloween dates back to the Middle Ages when
Mummers and "guisers" (performers in disguise) performed mystery
plays. In mummers’ plays, the central event the killing and
restoring to life of a main character
Halloween Fact 17 - Witches: Goblins and
witches with cats (ancient symbols of the devil) were remnants
of pagan times when Christians believed that spirits were loosed
from hell to keep track of their own and herd them back at
cockcrow
Fact 18 - To Witches, Halloween is
still one of the four High Holidays and referred to as 'THE
Great Sabbat'
