Facts about Halloween

The telling of ghost stories and viewing of horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties.

The tradition has also spread to Britain, Ireland, and other European countries, where similar local traditions have been influenced by the American Halloween customs.

Halloween celebrations are common among Roman Catholic parochial schools throughout North America and in Ireland.

Haunted attractions are entertainment venues designed to thrill and scare patrons; most are seasonal Halloween businesses.

Mass-produced Halloween costumes did not appear in stores until the 1930s.

Halloween did not become a holiday in the United States until the nineteenth century, where lingering Puritan tradition restricted the observance of many holidays.

Dennison Manufacturing Company (which published its first Halloween catalog in 1909) and the Beistle Company were pioneers in commercially made Halloween decorations, particularly die-cut paper items.

The carved pumpkin was originally associated with harvest time in America, and did not become specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late nineteenth century.

Usually kids stop by at peoples' houses, knock on their door or the ring the bell and say "ЎNoche de Brujas, Halloween!"

American almanacs of the late-eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries do not include Halloween in their lists of holidays.

Older definitions of the Celsius scale once defined the boiling point of water under one standard atmosphere as being precisely 100 °C.

Anoka, Minnesota, the self-proclaimed "Halloween Capital of the World," celebrates the holiday with a large civic parade and several other city-wide events.

Halloween is a significant event in Ireland where it is widely celebrated.

Religions other than Christianity have varied views on Halloween.

Contemporary Protestant churches often view Halloween as a fun event for children, holding events in their churches where children and their parents can dress up, play games, and get candy.

Students and little children dress up on Halloween for parties and small parades.

Some games traditionally played at Halloween are forms of divination.

Other Christians, primarily of the Evangelical and Fundamentalist variety, are concerned about Halloween, and reject the holiday because they believe it trivializes (and celebrates) “the occult” and what they perceive as evil.

Halloween is now the United States' second-most popular holiday (after Christmas) for decorating; the sale of candy and costumes is also extremely common during the holiday, which is marketed to children and adults alike.

Another isolated reference to ritual begging on Halloween appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920.

Halloween imagery tends to involve death, evil, magic, or mythical monsters.

The second phrase is more commonly used among children, the afirmation of "We want Halloween" means "We want candy."

Such Halloween lanterns were made from a turnip with a candle lit in the hollow inside.

German manufacturers specialized in Halloween figurines that were exported to the United States in the period between the two World Wars.

Common motifs for Halloween are settings resembling a cemetery, a haunted house, a hospital, or a specific monster-driven theme built around famous creatures or characters.

Halloween is not celebrated in all countries and regions of the world.

Halloween costume parties provide an opportunity for adults to gather and socialize.

The carving of pumpkins became associated with Halloween in North America, where pumpkins were not only readily available but much larger, making them easier to carve than turnips.

Halloween has become increasingly popular in The Netherlands since the early 1990s.

Unmarried women were frequently told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror.

Commercialization of Halloween in the United States began perhaps with Halloween postcards (featuring hundreds of designs), which were most popular between 1905 and 1915.

Halloween (or Hallowe’en) is a holiday celebrated on October 31, particularly in the United States where it has been heavily commercialized.

Urban bars are frequented by people wearing Halloween masks and risquй costumes.

Salem, Massachusetts, also has laid claim to the "Halloween Capital" title, while trying to dissociate itself from its history of persecuting witchcraft.

From early October, stores are full of merchandising related to the popular Halloween themes.

Halloween has origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (Irish pronunciation: .

Unmarried women were frequently told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror.

Many Christians ascribe no negative significance to Halloween, treating it as a purely secular holiday devoted to celebrating “imaginary spooks” and handing out candy.

Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving pumpkins, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies.

On many college campuses, Halloween is a major celebration, with the Friday and Saturday nearest October 31 hosting many costume parties.

The traditional Halloween cake in Ireland is the barmbrack, which is a fruit bread.

Episodes of TV series and specials with Halloween themes are commonly aired on or before the holiday, while new horror films are often released in theaters before the holiday to take advantage of the atmosphere.