Want everyone at the next Halloween party you go to to think that you’re scary smart? Then you’ll definitely want to commit these fun holiday facts to memory. Some of these are so strange, they’ll seem like more of a trick than a treat for your brain. Take a look!
1. The world record for most Jack-O-Lanterns carved simultaneously is 30,919, which was accomplished by the town of Highwood, Illinois.
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2. Halloween has been around for over 6,000 years and is one of the oldest celebrations in the world.
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3. Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest celebration around a bonfire, sharing ghost stories, singing, dancing and telling fortunes.
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4. The world record for fastest time to carve a face into a pumpkin is 20.1 seconds, achieved by David Finkle of the United Kingdom.
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5. For the majority of the world, Halloween is either not something that is celebrated or done so because of an American influence.
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6. Halloween is second only to Christmas as America’s most commercially successful holiday.
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7. In Great Britain, Jack-O-Lanterns are traditionally made from turnips instead of pumpkins.
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8. Many Halloween traditions began as Celtic traditions–including wearing masks to avoid being recognized.
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9. Trick-or-treating came from a Celtic tradition of leaving food and other treats out to placate the spirits who were believed to roam the streets.
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10. Before there was trick-or-treating, some Christians would go “souling” and offer to pray for the souls of the dead in exchange for cake.
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11. Children are two times more likely to die on Halloween than any other night of the year.
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12. Legendary magician Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926.
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13. The biggest pumpkin ever weighed in at 836 lbs.
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14. Black cats were once believed to be the underlings of witches.
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15. With 17,777 costumed guests, the largest Halloween party of all time took place in the city of New Orleans, LA.
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16. The citizens of Belleville, Illinois voted in 2012 to ban trick-or-treating for people who are older than 12 years of age.
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17. The term “witch” comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman.”
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18. Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
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(via list25)
If, for some strange reason, these fail to impress whatever party guest you tell them to, just remember that anything can be redeemed by locating a bag of free candy.
