16 things you never knew about Halloween, from how it got its name to why we give out candy

Melina GlusacOct 14, 2020, 23:26 IST

Children have been dressing up in costumes for decades.Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images

Even though trick-or-treating will look different this year, do you ever wonder why kids usually take to the streets to collect candy on Halloween?
Halloween's origins can be traced back to a 2,000-year-old Celtic festival called Samhain.
Halloween is rooted in many traditions, and Insider decided to investigate all of the spooky celebrations.

While Halloween will look a little different this year, the spooky decorations and delicious fall treats will surely make an appearance. Much of Halloween's most iconic traditions are deeply rooted in history, dating back to ancient Ireland.

Ever wondered why jack-o'-lanterns exist? Or why people eat apples in October? And why black cats are so mysterious?

Keep scrolling to learn 16 unusual things you probably didn't know about Halloween.

The name "Halloween" is an ultra-condensed version of "All Hallows' Eve."

All Saint's Day — originally called All Hallows' Eve — being celebrated in Krakow, Poland. Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

A 2,000-year-old Celtic festival called Samhain is the origin of Halloween, and Wiccans still celebrate it today.

Samhain being celebrated in Glastonbury, Ireland, in 2017. Matt Cardy/Getty Images

If it weren't for the wave of immigrants fleeing the Irish Potato Famine, we might not have Halloween in America.

Depiction of Father Mathew comforting a family stricken by the famine in Ireland, circa 1845. Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images

Women used to play games on Halloween to find out what their future husband would be like.

Men and women playing Snap Apple in 1943. AP

Bobbing for apples dates back to an ancient Roman festival called "Ponoma."

Women bobbing for apples in the 1950s. Bettmann/Getty Images

Halloween was "tamed" in the beginning of the 20th century because it was getting too dangerous.

A teacher in 1956 explains the "dos and don'ts" of a Halloween party. Bettmann/Getty Images

The holiday became increasingly youth-oriented thanks to the 1950s baby boom.

Kids setting up for their Halloween dance at Flintridge Preparatory School, 1951. Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis/Getty Images

The popularity of lighting fires on Devil's Night can be traced to 1980s Detroit.

Detroiter Bubba Helms is pictured next to the infamous October fires. Robert Kozloff/AP

We eat candy on Halloween because of "soul cakes," a sweet treat used to distract ghosts in the Middle Ages.

Halloween candy. Leena Robinson/Shutterstock

Americans spent upwards of $8.8 billion on Halloween last year — making it the second-largest holiday industry after Christmas.

A wall of masks in a Halloween store. Scott Olson/Getty

Plymouth colony settlers brought medieval superstitions surrounding black cats to America.

A black cat. Shutterstock

Owls are also creatures associated with Halloween — in medieval times, hearing a single hoot meant death was nigh.

Owls are another animal associated with Halloween. Ilya Naymushin/Reuters

Original jack-o'-lanterns were actually carved turnips, beets, and potatoes.

An intricate pumpkin carving. Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

"Sexy" Halloween costumes date back to the 1970s.

The third annual Halloween party at Studio 54 in 1979. Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images

You can have a very real fear of Halloween — it's called samhainophobia.

A boy contemplates pumpkins. AP

Harry Houdini, the famous illusionist and escape artist, died on Halloween night ... in very strange circumstances.

Harry Houdini. John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images

Intimate photos of ghost-town dwellers and modern-day hermits show what a life lived in solitude is really like

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