10) Halloween remains a living tradition with roots dating roughly two thousand years to the Celtic festival of the dead known as Samhain, pronounced Sow-en. This season defined the boundary between the living and the spirits of those who have passed on. Samhain ceremonies unfolded over two days, starting on November 1, and the meals, fires, and rites carried across the Atlantic to take root in North American autumn celebrations. Today, communities in Canada and the United States preserve that ancient mood with costumes, porch lights, and a shared feeling that something magical lingers as night falls.
9) The candy clock hits its peak on October 28, when more sweets are sold than on any other day of the year. Retailers plan promotions, neighbors fill streets with impulse purchases, and families stock up for Halloween thrills. In both Canada and the United States, this late-October surge turns the season into a candy countdown, guiding which treats fill bowls, bags, and party favors across homes.
8) Halloween’s characteristic colors are black and orange, chosen because black hints at darkness and orange recalls the harvest. Those shades saturate costumes, shop windows, and candy wrappers, giving every October night a distinctive mood. Shoppers reach for black capes, orange banners, and pumpkins on steps, while designers rely on the palette to evoke nostalgia and lighthearted fright.
7) In Mexico, Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a three-day celebration that honors cherished relatives. Families set up altars with photographs, favorite foods, and marigolds, and on Halloween it is believed that departed loved ones visit the living before returning to their graves on October 31. The tradition sits alongside Halloween in North American life, reminding revelers of memory, family ties, and the delicate boundary between worlds.
6) In Celtic times, Jack-O-Lanterns were carved from large turnips rather than pumpkins. When European settlers reached North America, pumpkins proved easier to carve and big enough to cradle a glowing candle. The result is the lanterns that brighten porches today, glinting at pranksters and giggling kids alike.
5) The name Jack-O-Lantern comes from the Irish tale of Stingy Jack. The wily trickster outwitted both heaven and hell, and his soul, said to wander the earth, carries a lantern carved to light his wandering path.
4) Fear of Halloween is known as Samhainophobia. For some, the holiday stirs anxiety about haunted attractions and crowded streets; for others, the season brings nostalgia and a sense of shared joy.
3) Watch out for Spider-Man as a reminder that Halloween has a playful, messy side. In Hollywood a rule bans silly string, with a potential $1,000 fine, underscoring the balance between mischief and safety.
2) Fans of Snickers will recognize it as the season’s favorite treat across Canada and the United States, prized for its crunchy peanuts, caramel, and chocolate coating.
1) The earliest known mention of trick-or-treating appears in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta, Canada. This initial reference marks a turning point, illustrating how a simple door-to-door ritual began in a rural town and gradually spread across North America, becoming a communal autumn custom.