As the spooky season draws to an end, Halloween celebrations are in full swing. From dressing up and collecting candy to getting scared at haunted houses, Halloween is tons of fun. Here are a few interesting facts about the holiday that you may not have known.

Irish immigrants brought Halloween to the united states. It was previously a Celtic celebration that was in celebration of their new year. They believed that the dead could return on Halloween night, so they wore costumes to keep them away. When they traveled to the US, they brought the ancient tradition with them.

Trick or treating has been around since medieval times. Kids used to go door to door offering prayers in exchange for food on “Souls day.”

The top 5 Halloween costumes last year were:
Witch
Vampire
Cat
Batman
Ghost

Halloween is the second-largest consumer holiday, following Christmas, of course. Even during covid in 2020, over 8 billion dollars was spent in celebration. Numbers usually top 9 billion.

Irish immigrants also brought us the Jack o lantern! They used to be carved from root vegetables like potatoes, which were abundant in Ireland.

Illinois is the largest producer of pumpkins in the US. They produce more than 5x the amount of pumpkins than any other state.

We hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween! Happy Haunting!