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8 Halloween Trivia

Halloween Trivia

Only 6 states produce a majority of the
holiday's pumpkins.
Halloween wouldn't be the same without
pumpkins, and thankfully, there are plenty of
gourds to go around. According to the United
States Department of Agriculture's National
Agricultural Statistics Service, in 2014 the top
pumpkin-producing states — Illinois,
California, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and
Michigan — produced 1.31 billion pounds of
pumpkins.

An Irish folktale inspired the Jack-O-
Lantern phrase.
The name Jack-O-Lantern first
originated from an Irish folktale about a man
named Stingy Jack who tricked the Devil over wax coke bottles, Necco Waffers, Mary Janes, estimated $1 billion on children's costumes
and over again. When Jack died, he was forced Tootsie Rolls, Smarties, black licorice, and combined. By 2014, that number nearly tripled.
to walk the Earth with only a carved-out turnip Good & Plenty. And according to the National Retail Federation,
and burning coal to help light his way. Halloween party-goers spent an estimated $2.8
But Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are billion on costumes overall.
People didn't always carve pumpkins.
another story.
Because Stringy Jack walked with a Candy corn is one of the holiday's
It's no surprise that Reese's Peanut
carved-out turnip, at first people in Ireland and most-produced candies.
Butter Cups were 2017's most popular
Scotland grabbed turnips, beets, and potatoes to
Halloween candy — nobody can get enough of Since its invention in 1898 by the
carve his scary "face." When the Irish brought
that chocolate and peanut butter goodness! Herman Goelitz Confectionary Company of
the tradition to America, pumpkins were carved
Other favorites include Snickers, Twix, Kit Kat, Fairfield, California (now known as the Jelly
more often as they were more abundant.
Nerds, Sour Patch Kids, and Skittles. Belly Candy Company), candy corn has become
wildly popular — so much so that today, nearly
Jack-O-Lantern could also have come
Trick-or-treating began with "soul 35 million pounds of the stuff is produced each
from, well, lanterns. year.
cakes."
For those who don't believe the Stringy
During early All Souls' Day parades in
Jack folktale, let us present an alternative: Some
England, the Church encouraged wealthier
people believe that the term Jack-O-Lantern The night before Halloween is
families to give out "soul cakes" to the beggars
comes from the idea of a night watchman, who "Cabbage Night" to New Englanders.
of the lower class in exchange for prayers for
would light the street lanterns every evening,
dead relatives. It was a tradition known as According to Live Science, some
reports CNN.
"going a-souling," and later children were the pranksters in the northeastern U.S. keep up with
ones who went to houses to ask for food, ale, the stinky tradition of collecting rotten
Pilgrims started the black cat and money. vegetables and leaving them near their
superstition. neighbors' doors in honor of "Cabbage Night"
It's been said that it's bad luck for a black People used to dance and sing for on October 30th.
cat to cross your path, especially on Halloween treats.
night. In the U.S., this superstition stems from Halloween is the second-largest
At one time, it was customary to
the Protestant beliefs of the Puritan Pilgrims of consumer holiday in the U.S.
perform dances, songs, prayers, and plays, a
Plymouth Colony. They disapproved of practice called "mumming," in order to receive From its vampy costumes and sweet
anything associated with witchcraft, and some
their treats, according to E.J.W. Barber's The treats to spooky outdoor decor, Halloween is a
believed the legend that witches could
Dancing Goddesses: Folklore, Archaeology, big business. So big, in fact, that it's the second-
transform into black cats and back — hence the
and the Origins of European Dance. largest commercial holiday in America, with
inspiration for pop culture characters like Salem Christmas being the only one to surpass it in
on Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Binx in
Hocus Pocus almost had a different sales. According to the National Retail
Hocus Pocus. Federation, consumers spent $5.8 billion on
title.
Halloween in 2010, and by 2015, that figure
Women used to involve matchmaking. If you're a fan of this classic Disney jumped to nearly $7 billion.
film, you might be surprised to learn that it was
While couples costumes are about as
supposed to be a much darker, scarier movie
romantic as Halloween gets these days, women Ohio is home to the world's longest
with the title Halloween House.
used to perform "rituals" to help them find their
haunted house.
future husbands. One crazy ritual? Women
Silly string is banned in Hollywood on No matter how scary your local haunted
tossed apple peels over their shoulders in the house is, it probably can't top the Haunted Cave
hopes that they'd see the shape of their future October 31. in Lewisburg, Ohio. Measuring 3,564 feet long,
hubby's initials on the ground. Another involved Silly string fans should stay far away the Guinness World Records has named it the
women standing in front of a mirror in a dark from Hollywood on Halloween. A ban on the world's longest haunted house. Even spookier:
room and holding up a candle to see their future toy, created in 2004, is enforced on October 31, It's located 80 feet below ground in an
husband's face. according to the The New York Times. If you're abandoned mine.
caught with sticky hands, expect to pay a $1,000
Kids weren't fans of Tootsie Rolls in fine.
(Continued on Page 9)
2017.
Parents spend a lot on Halloween. Join GWILDA WIYAKA as she takes an
When buying Halloween candy for
indepth look into New Age Topics on
trick-or-treaters, stay away from the most-hated In 2013, the U.S. Census Bureau “Mission: Evolution” o The ‘X’ Zone
candies of 2017: Circus Peanuts, candy corn, estimated there were 41 million trick-or-treaters
ages 5 to 14 in America. Parents spent an Broadcast Network. Visit www.xzbn.net