Fun Facts About Halloween

Halloween has always been one of my very favorite holidays.  And I've written about it several times, comparing Halloween of MY day to the Halloween's of today.

When the kids were young and were still in a little country grade school...I didn't like them riding the school bus...so I took them every day...every year from kindergarten thru high school...all 3 of them.  And what ever holiday was coming up...we'd sing old timey songs from MY day...as I'd drive them to school every day. 

For Halloween it was the punkin carving song...."OOOOOHHH what is this I'm making do you KNOW?  Watch my busy fingers..see it grow....first we make the eyes...they look so big and bright...and this 3 cornered hole...is a nose....Aaaaaaaaaaaaa mouth we make right here...underneath...it has to have some big...shining teeth....It's plain to be seen...that this is Halloween...and this is Mr Jack O Lantern everybody knows...."   We'd also always sing that song as we carved our punkins....usually having to sing it several times until we all got done with our punkins.....

And then there was the old stand by....."There were witches and goblins...and punkins too....coming out...to frighten you....when ooooooooohhh went the wind...and out went the light...and away they all ran...on Halloween night"  and there were others....

I got to wondering this morning....what ARE some fun facts about Halloween...So I thought I'd just look that up....and here's what I found:

Halloween is the 2nd highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas.   

The first Jack O Lanterns were actually made from big turnips.

Jack O Lanterns originated in Ireland where people would put candles in hollowed out turnips to keep away the spirits and ghosts on Halloween night.

The owl is a popular Halloween image.  In Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be witches and to hear an owl's hoot meant someone was about to croak  :-0

Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire and share ghost stories...sing, dance and tell fortunes.

Trick or treating is said to have originated with the Celtic tradition of putting out treats for spirits who roamed the streets on a sacred festival that signified the end of a Celtic calendar year.

Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with Fall and black is associated with darkness and the grim reaper.

Halloween is thought by many to be of the devil...but the word Halloween is actually said to mean "Hallows Eve or Hallows Evening and was originally meant to celebrate a sacred holiday. 

Ireland is believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.

OOOOOOOOOOh and I found so SO much more about Halloween....but you're probably not NEARLY as interested in the fun facts about Halloween as "I" am....so we'll leave it at this.....

But wasn't this kind of neat?  While some people view Halloween as a time for fun and games and candy and costumes and jack o lanterns and this and that... Others view it as a time of witches and black cats and evil spirits and ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night....

I don't really care WHAT most folks think of Halloween....it always has and always will be...one of my very favorite holidays....
HAPPY HALLOWEEN from Grandpa Geezer and Granny Goose in Round Knob Canyon...we love you all gobs and thanks so much...for stopping by.....

There's much more to see, read and explore if you have time... Love, Favorite Home Remedies, Health, Recipes from the Kitchen in the Canyon, Gardening and Such