Halloween is officially here, and that means candy, candy and more candy!
Aside from sweet treats and costumes, though, Halloween is actually a day steeped in tradition, dating back centuries. Many believe that the holiday, also known as All Hallows’ Eve, originated from Celtic harvest festivals and has roots in pagan tradition, as well as the Gaelic festival of Samhain.
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The Christian church eventually took the pagan tradition for itself, deeming Nov. 1 All Saints’ Day or All Hallows Day, which was used to honor Catholic saints.
Keep scrolling for some more facts you may not know about the holiday.
Trick or treat!
History.com shares that the practice of trick-or-treating may date back to the ninth century, after Christianity had spread to the Celtic lands. Inย 1000 A.D., the church had deemed Nov. 2 All Souls’ Day, and the poor would visit the homes of the wealthyย where they would receive pastries called soul cakes inย return for a promise to pray for the souls of the residents’ dead relatives.
In Scotland and Ireland, youths would arrive at homes and perform a “trick” such as singing or telling jokes in exchange for a “treat.” The British tradition of Guy Fawkes Night could also be a predecessor to today’s tradition, as children would wear masks while begging for coins.
American colonists and immigrants eventually brought these traditions to the United States, and modern trick or treating was born.
Some candy facts
According to Today I Found Out, Snickers candy bars were named after a favorite horse of Mars, Inc. founder Frank Mars, and Baby Ruth candy bars were named after baseball great Babe Ruth.
Chocolate candy bars are still the most popular option for trick-or-treaters, although there are dozens of candies that riff on the classic flavor. Another popular options, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, were invented byย a man named Harry Burnett (H.B.) Reese, who began workingย on a dairy farm owned by Milton S. Hershey, owner of the Hershey Chocolate Company. Reese began working on his own candy concoctions, and the rest was history.
And finally, in answer to the age-old question, engineering students from Purdue University determined that it takes around 252 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
By the numbers
– About $3 billion per year is spent on Halloween costumes.
– About $2 billion is spent on Halloween candy in the United States.
– According to theย U.S. Census Bureau, around 41.1 million children will hit the streets on Halloween to trick or treat.
– Around 35 million pounds of candy corn are produced each year.
– About $12.4 million worth of pumpkins were imported into the U.S. in 2016, proving that the pastime of pumpkin carving is alive and well.
– Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday, coming in behind Christmas.
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