Halloween 2022: 6 exciting and surprising facts your should know

Over centuries, the spooky celebration has evolved from different religious origins dedicated to mischief and mayhem. It is also one of the most commercialized celebrations of the year. The haunted celebration remains a mystery even after all these years, so we've rounded up some fun Halloween facts for you.  

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Halloween is a celebration of all things scary, and in the United States, it is surrounded by odd traditions such as pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating. Here are some interesting facts about how some of today's practices started and other fun tidbits about the unique holiday.

Jack o'lantern" comes from Stingy Jack, an Irish legend: According to folklore, it is that Stingy Jack had invited the devil to go and have a drink with him, but Jack did not want to pay for the glass, so jack convinced the devil to turn himself into money. Instead of buying the drink, he stole the cash, kept it near a silver cross in his house, and prevented the devil from taking shape. He promised the devil he would let go as long as he would leave him alone for a year. People in Ireland and Scotland create their creations of Jack's lanterns with turnips, beets and potatoes. The tradition travelled to the United States with the immigrants, and people started to use pumpkins. 

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Candy corn was initially called Chicken Feed: Many people would argue that candy corn tastes like chicken feed, but this is not the reason it got its name. Candy corn was created during the 1880s by George Renninger and was sold in masses by Goelitz Confectionery Company, now called Jelly Belly Co. Corn is used to feed chickens. The creation was called "Chicken Feed".

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Trick-or-treating comes from "souling": Children dressing up in different costumes and going door-to-door like little beggars demanding treats is weird. Many other Halloween activities and traditions are traced back to the Middle Ages and Samhain rituals. It is believed that phantoms walked on the earth on the night of Samhain. Hence people would dress up in different costumes to scare away the spirits.

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Halloween folklore is full of magic and fortune-telling:  Old English legend about Halloween is filled with fortune-telling and superstition, which is still doing rounds today, such as bobbing for apples and avoiding black cats. One folklore says that if young unmarried people walk down the stairs backwards at midnight while holding a mirror, the face that appears in the mirror will be their next lover.

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Day of the Dead should be known as Days of the Dead: The Day of the Dead, also called  Dia de Los Muertos, starts on October 31 and continues until November 2 in Mexico and some Hispanic countries. November 1, Dia de Los Inocentes, honours the children that have died. Family members decorate the graves with baby's breath and white orchids on this day. On November 2, Dia de Los Muertos, families celebrate adults who have been killed and place orange marigolds on grave sites.

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Michael Myers' mask is a William Shatner mask: We're pretty sure that Michael Myers never asked to be beamed up. The classic 1978 horror film "Halloween" can be recognized with just one image of the psychotic Michael Myers in his iconic pale-faced mask. Undoubtedly, one chilling look has struck terror into the hearts of partying teens in slasher flicks. The movie was filmed on such a tight budget that the crew used the cheapest mask they could find: a $2 Star Trek Captain James Kirk mask and spray-painted it and reshaped the eye holes, making William Shatner look incredibly scary.