Halloween Fun Facts: Trick-or-Treating, Pumpkins and More

The scariest (and the sweetest) night of the year will soon be upon us. Check out these Halloween fun facts to get in the spooky spirit.

Hope you have enough candy!

In 2010 there were an estmated 41 million trick-or-treaters between the ages of 5 and 14.

That's a lot of pies.

More than 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins were grown last year in major pumpkin-producing states. Illinois led the way with an estimated 427 million pounds of jack-o-lanterns.

It's great to be a dentist.

The per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2010 was 24.7 pounds.

That's the spirit!

According to a recent survey, in 2011, 43.9 percent of Americans plan to dress in costume, 34.3 percent will throw or attend a party and nearly 23 percent plan to visit a haunted house. Another 49.5 percent will decorate their home or yard, 47.8 percent will decorate a pumpkin, and 73.5 percent will hand out candy.  

How did they carve that?

Believe it or not, the first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips.

Poor Thanksgiving.

Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas. According to the National Retail Federation, the average person will shell out $72.31 on decorations, costumes and candy in 2011, up from $66.28 last year.

Boo! 

Samhainophobia is the intense fear of Halloween.

Chocolate rocks! 

Duh...50 percent of kids prefer to receive chocolate candy for Halloween, compared with 24 percent who prefer non-chocolate candy and 10 percent who preferred gum.

Ghosts like candy, too!

Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year.

Talk about your wet blanket.

Scottish girls believed they could see images of their future husband if they hung wet sheets in front of the fire on Halloween. Other girls believed they would see their boyfriend’s faces if they looked into mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween.  

Want to see a witch? 

According to an old tradition, if you want to see a witch on Hallloween, put your clothes on inside out and then walk backwards.