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Did You Know?
The holiday of Halloween dates back to the Dark Ages. Once truly spooky traditions have morphed over the years into much more light-hearted (but still mischevious) celebrations. Here is a fun look at some of the facts and figures that describe how Americans will be enjoying All Hallows Eve this October 31st.
Did you know that the origins of Halloween are rooted in an ancient festival honoring the dead, known as Samhain (pronounced "Sow-ween")? The Celtic people, who lived 2,000 years ago in the United Kingdom and northern France, believed that during Samhain, the veil between this world and the spirit world was at its thinnest. Samhain was a two festival, starting on November 1st.
Did you know that Halloween is also linked to the Catholic Church's celebration of All Saints Day? When the Church began sending out missionaries to the Celtic region, it adopted many traditional rituals and sanctioned them as Catholic activities. In the 7th century, for example, the Church's celebration of All Saints Day was moved to coincide with Samhain. A special mass called Allhallowmas was recited during All Saints Day, to honor any saints who did not already have a day of their own. The night before -- October 31st -- quickly became to be known as All Hallows Eve.
Did you know that the origins of "Trick'O'Treating" can be traced back to early celebrations of All Souls' Day in Britain? The poor would go from door-to-door, begging for so-called "soul cakes". Over time, the custom changed and children became the beggars, receiving apples, sweet buns and money. The tradition migrated over the Atlantic Ocean and quickly became entrenched in American celebrations of Halloween.
Did you know that more than 36 million children are expected to go trick-or-treating this Halloween? That's how many 5-13 year olds there are in the United States. Of course, age is no limit for Halloween fun, so those numbers might be a bit of an understatement.
Did you know that there are 106 million households in the United States? That's a lot of trick-or-treating ground to cover in just one night.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL OF YOU!
