Halloween is celebrated on the evening of October 31st, which precedes November Ist, known as the festival of All Saints. On this evening witches and all sorts of mischievous spirits are supposed to be abroad. It was considered formerly quite as safe not to be caught out alone on Hallowe’en; and even now it is considered good manners, at least, for elderly people to stay in doors. The belief in spirits abroad has faded out, yet the many pranks still played on this evening indicate that unusual agencies are at work.
Halloween facts
- Halloween is also know by other names: Samhain, All Hallows Eve, The Feast of the Dead, All Hallowtide, and The Day of the Dead.
- Halloween is correctly spelt as Hallowe’en.
- Orange and black became Halloween colours because orange is associated with harvests (Halloween marks the end of harvest) and black is associated with death.
- The biggest pumpkin in the world tipped the scales at a whopping 1,446 pounds (655 kg).
- About 99 percent of pumpkins sold are used as Jack O' Lanterns at Halloween.
