6 Things You Didn't Know About Halloween
Halloween is a great day. It's something that is so different from other holidays throughout the year. The great thing is that it only lasts for 24-hours, which is great because you can enjoy the day and then move on and start thinking about Christmas (yes, I did just mention the 'C' word, haha).
But I was wondering what I could do by way of Halloween content that was different from anything else I've done on here over my blog's 13 year history. So I thought I'd do something a little more informative and interesting. So, here are six things you didn't know about Halloween that you might find quite intriguing.
1. Its origins date back 2,000 years
The day itself is over 2,000 years old. Despite common beliefs, it wasn't invented by the Americans. It was the Celts who first observed Halloween in its earliest form. They believed that the realm between the world of the living and the world of the dead crossed over, making it easier for a spirit to move from their world and into ours. It was the Celts who started to wear scary costumes, began bobbing for apples and started Trick-or-Treating.
2. 'Halloween' is the incorrect spelling
People have come to accept 'Halloween' as being the official spelling of the holiday. But did you know that it's officially spelt 'Hallowe'en'. Despite the difference only be slight, it's enough to make you rethink the way you're spelling the famous day. The reason for the apostrophe is because it's traditionally known as 'All Hallows Eve'.
3. It's actually rare to have a full moon on Halloween
A full moon on Halloween night only happens every 18-19 years. The last time we had a full moon on Halloween was 2020, and it's not expected to happen again until 2039, claims the same source. When a full moon glows on Halloween night, it's also a Blue Moon because it would be the second Blue Moon of the month.
4. Trick-or-Treating isn't a modern thing
The tradition, according to the BBC, started over 2,000 years ago. The Celts believed Samhain was the day in the year when the gap between our world and the spirit world blurred. This, therefore, made it easier for the spirits to return, so the Celts believed.
During the same time, people would go knocking on people's doors and sing or pray in exchange for food, usually fruit, such as apples. This is where the Halloween tradition of apple bobbing started. Fast-forward to the Victorian times, Trick-or-Treating was still something that children did.
Although instead of fruit being given at the door, pastries and cakes were provided. This marks the transition from fruit and nuts to sweet treats being handed out during Halloween night. So the next time your think Trick-or-Treating is a modern tradition, think again!
5. Pumpkins can also be grown to be white, green, red & even blue
Pumpkins are traditionally orange. But did you know that they can also be grown in different varieties? This means that the colour of them can change. In addition to classic orange, pumpkins can also be white, green, blue and red. This is ideal if you're looking to kick things up a notch and stand out from the crowd with either your Halloween content or your spooky parties this year.
6. Pumpkin carving started in Ireland, with turnips
Carving pumpkins originated in Ireland. But did you know that they used to carve turnips before they carved pumpkins? It's supposedly derived from a legend about a man called Stingy Jack. According to legend, Stingy Jack repeatedly trapped the Devil and only let him go if he promised that Jack would never go to hell in the event that he died.
However, when Stingy Jack did eventually pass away, Heaven didn't want his soul, so he was forced to wander the Earth forever as a ghost, never passing onto the other side. To help Jack along his travels, the Devil gave him a burning lump of coal which sat inside a carved out turnip, so as to light the way.
Instead of simply carving out small windows with a burning candle or lump of coal inside, the Irish would carve scary faces into the turnips, lit by a candle, to ward off evil spirits. Eventually, the carving of turnips evolved into the carving of pumpkins as early as 1915.
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it interesting? Let me know in the comments if you have any other fun facts about Halloween that people might not have known and I'll see you all again very soon with some brand new content!
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