5. Halloween also is recognized as the 3rd biggest party day after New Year's and Super Bowl Sunday. 6. In many countries, such as France and Australia, Halloween is seen as an unwanted and overly commercial American influence. 7. Halloween is one of the oldest celebrations in the world, dating back over 2000 years to the time of the Celts. 8. Ireland is believed to be the birthplace of Halloween, the tradition is still celebrated as much as it is in the United States. In rural areas, bonfires are lit as they were in the days of the Celts and children dress up in costumes to spend the evening "trick-or-treating" in their neighborhoods. 12. Trick or treating comes from the Middle-Age practice of the poor dressing up in costumes and going around door to door during Hallowmas begging for food or money in exchange for prayers. The food given was often a Soul Cake, which was a small round cake which represented a soul being freed from Purgatory when the cake was eaten. 13. There's a $1,000 fine for using or selling Silly String in Hollywood on Halloween. The prank product has been banned in Hollywood since 2004 after thousands of bored people would buy it on the streets of Hollywood from illegal vendors and "vandalize" the streets. 14. Candy Corn was originally known as "chicken feed." Invented by George Renninger, a candy maker at the Wunderle Candy Company of Philadelphia in the 1880s, Candy Corn was originally called "butter cream candies" and "chicken feed" since back then, corn was commonly used as food for livestock (they even had a rooster on the candy boxes). | 1. 65% of Americans decorate their homes and offices for Halloween. 2. The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips. 3. In 2010, 72.2% of those surveyed by the National Retail Federation will hand out candy, 46.3% will carve a pumpkin, 20.8% will visit a haunted house, and 11.5% will dress up their pets. 4. Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas. 9. In many countries, such as France and Australia, Halloween is seen as an unwanted and overly commercial American influence. 10. Halloween is one of the oldest celebrations in the world, dating back over 2000 years to the time of the Celts. 11. Ireland is believed to be the birthplace of Halloween, the tradition is still celebrated as much as it is in the United States. In rural areas, bonfires are lit as they were in the days of the Celts and children dress up in costumes to spend the evening "trick-or-treating" in their neighborhoods. 15. Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death. 16. Fifty percent of kids prefer to receive chocolate candy for Halloween, compared with 24% who prefer non-chocolate candy and 10% who preferred gum. 17. 72% of Parents admit to secretly eating their child's candy. 18. 2 Billion pounds of Pumpkins are produced in the U.S. each year. |