Samhainophobia is an intense fear of Halloween.

Halloween fun fact

A pumpkin is a berry in the cucurbitaceae family, which also includes melons, cucumbers, squash and gourds. All these plants are native to the Americas.

Halloween fun fact

Mexico celebrates 'The Day of the Dead' instead of Halloween.

Halloween coloring page

Enjoy a Troy Truck Halloween
coloring page!

Halloween

With its roots in Celtic cultures, Halloween is not celebrated in all countries and regions of the world, and among those that do the traditions and importance of the celebration vary significantly. Celebration in the United States has had a significant impact on how the holiday is observed in other nations. The history of Halloween traditions in a given country also lends context to how it is presently celebrated.

Halloween fun fact

Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.

'Halloween" the movie was made in only 21 days in 1978 on a very limited budget.

Halloween fun fact

The current world record for giant pumpkins is 1446 pounds.

First reading

Today the author of Troy Truck Explores Maui, Julyn Watkins, and I had our first reading with an audience. It went very well, the children really enjoyed the story and the illustrations. It was so much fun to see their eyes light up and to hear all their thoughts on the book! They had so much fun taking the adventure with Troy Truck and us. We took them coloring pages and stickers, and of course they loved those also. It was so much fun sharing all our hard work, I just cannot wait to have another reading! If you would like to schedule a event with us click here.

Halloween fun fact

Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers.

Halloween fun fact

Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.

Halloween fun fact

Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

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

Halloween fun fact

Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green. Great for unique monster carvings!

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The official Orange and Black colors of Halloween came from orange being associated with fall harvest and black symbolizing darkness and death.

Halloween fun fact

There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with “orange”

Halloween fun fact

Of the pumpkins marketed domestically, 99% of them are used as Jack-o-lanterns at Halloween

Halloween fun fact

Approximately 82% of children and 67% of adults take part in Halloween festivities every year

Halloween fun fact

Halloween is the 8th largest card sending holiday. The first Halloween greeting is dated back to early 1900 and today consumers spend around $50 million dollars on Halloween cards each year.

Halloween fun fact

86% of Americans decorate their homes at Halloween

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The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts wondered the streets on all Hallows Eve so they began wearing masks and costumes in order to not be recognized as human.

Halloween fun fact

Halloween, referred to as All Hallows Eve, was originally a pagan holiday in which they honored the dead. It was celebrated on October 31 since this was the last day of the Celtic calendar. The celebration dates back some 2,000 years.

Halloween fun fact

Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America

Halloween fun fact

On Halloween, Irish peasants would beg the rich for food. For those that refused, they would play a practical joke. So, in an effort to avoid being tricked, the rich would hand out cookies, candy, and fruit – a practice that morphed into trick-or-treating today.

Halloween fun fact

The number one candy of choice for Halloween is Snickers

Halloween fun fact

Halloween is the third biggest party day of the year behind New Year’s and Super Bowl Sunday, respectively

Halloween fun fact

86% of Americans decorate their homes at Halloween

Halloween fun fact 4

Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday, beat out only by Christmas.

Halloween fun fact 3

The U.S. consumer spends upwards of $1.5 billion on Halloween costumes annually and more than $2.5 billion on other Halloween paraphernalia, such as decorations, crafts, etc. More than $100,000 of that is said to be spent online.

Halloween fun facts 2

The jack-o-lantern tradition comes from an old Irish folk tale about a man named Stingy Jack. It was said that he was unable to get into heaven and was turned away from the devil because of his tricky ways. So he set off to wander the world looking for a resting place. For light, Stingy Jack used a burning coal ember in a hollowed out turnip. When the Irish immigrated to the U.S. during the Great Potato Famine of 1845-1850, they found that turnips were not as readily available like they were in the homeland. So they started carving pumpkins as a replacement for their tradition.