Halloween Facts for Kids
Trick or treating, haunted houses, costumes, and pumpkin patches. Halloween on October 31st is one of the most fun and exciting holidays for young children, teenagers and even adults! But what do you really know about it? Here are some Halloween facts for kids that the young ones will love!
Did you know that jack-o’-lanterns were originally made from turnips? And that Frankenstein wasn’t the only creepy creature in Mary Shelley’s novel? Get ready to learn some fun and spooky facts about Halloween!
BONUS: Download a FREE Halloween Word Search printable and free Halloween Maze PDF packet when you are done learning about this holiday. Try these Would You Rather Halloween Questions too!
What is the Real Reason for Halloween?
The history of Halloween dates back to over 2,000 years ago and is also known as All Hallows’ Eve.
The tradition of trick-or-treating started during Medieval times when poor people would go around begging for food on Halloween night. Halloween originally was the ancient celtic festival of samhain.
Halloween began in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, when Irish immigrants arrived fleeing a potato famine. Tipping over outhouses and opening fence gates were popular pranks in New England at that time. People used to dress up in costumes and light bonfires on Halloween to scare away ghosts.
November 1st in the day after Halloween and is celebrated in the Catholic church and is recognized as a Christian holiday, All Saints Day. November 2nd is All Souls Day, or Día de los Muertos in Mexican tradition.
Soul cakes are small round cakes (though they resemble in form and texture a shortbread biscuit with sweet spices) that are traditionally produced on Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day to commemorate the deceased for Christians.
Halloween is one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. Let’s take a look at more interesting facts.
Halloween Sensory Motor Packet
Fun Halloween Facts for Kids
Halloween Books, Television, and Movies
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving is one of the most famous pieces of Halloween literature. “The Addams Family”, “The Munsters”, and “Bewitched” are all TV shows that became popular around Halloween time.
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is the most watched Halloween TV special of all time. Is watching this TV special part of your Halloween traditions or do you prefer scary movies. “Halloween” (1978) starring Michael Myers is the most successful independent horror movie ever made. I am sure you would recognize his mask since it is popular for halloween costumes.
Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” was released in 1993 but not around Halloween but it has become a Halloween classic.
Halloween Colors
The traditional colors of Halloween are black and orange. Black is associated with death and darkness, while orange is associated with pumpkins, fall, and harvest time.
How to See a Witch on Halloween
Some people believe that if you wore your clothes inside out and walked backward on Halloween night, you would be able to see a witch at midnight.
The Cost of Halloween
Every year, Americans spent an estimated $10 billion on Halloween in 2021 – that’s more than any other country in the world!
According to Investopedia, the average amount spent for Halloween on costumes, candy, decorations, and greeting cards per person is $102.74.
Halloween is the second most popular candy holiday in America, after Easter.
Every year, Americans consume about 400 million pounds of candy on Halloween! That’s enough to give every person in America about 1.3 pounds (0.6 kg) of candy each.
Costumes and Halloween
The National Retail Federation, reports that the most popular children’s costumes are superheroes and princesses.
One of the most popular adult costumes is a witch followed by vampire, ghost, cat, and pirate.
Guess The Costume
Black Cats and Halloween
It may come as a surprise to learn that black cats in the United States have only represented bad luck and spookiness since the 1600s. This all started with the Pilgrims in the Plymouth colony. The Puritan Pilgrims distrusted anything associated with witches and sorcery, including black cats.
Candy and Halloween
We all love to eat candy corn in North America on Hallows Eve. The factory makes 3500 pounds of candy corn every hour!
Halloween and Pumpkins
According to the Guinness World Record, the largest pumpkin weighs 2,702 lb 13.9 oz and it was grown by Stefano Cutrupi in Tuscany, Italy, in September 2021.
Did you know that Trevor Hunt once carved 109 pumpkins in just one hour?
Where Did the Jack O Lantern Originate?
Jack o’ lanterns are a popular Halloween decoration, but where did this tradition come from? The first jack-o’-lanterns were acutally made from turnips, not pumpkins! According to legend, the jack o lantern originated with a man named Jack.
Stingy Jack was a notorious trickster, and he spent his days playing pranks on anyone who crossed his path. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing a tree. Once the Devil was stuck at the top of the tree, Jack carved a cross into the bark, trapping the Devil. In exchange for his freedom, the Devil agreed never to claim Jack’s soul when he died. When Jack eventually passed away, he was denied entry into heaven because of his mischievous ways. Instead, he was sent to wander the earth for eternity.
The Devil gave him a burning coal to light his way, and Jack hollowed out a turnip to use as a lantern. Since then, people have been carving jack o laterns to commemorate Jack’s eternal wandering – and to ward off evil spirits on Halloween night!
Halloween is a great time to learn about some fun facts and traditions from other countries. It’s also a good opportunity for kids to dress up in costumes, eat lots of candy, and go trick or treating. Maybe try one of the old traditions such as carving jack o’ lanterns out of turnips or add walking backward to your list of Halloween activities. We hope you have a spook-tacular Halloween!
WANT MORE FUN FACTS FOR KIDS?
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