Hold onto your witch hats — Halloween is not what you think it is. We found some interesting facts about the holiday that totally shocked us. Learn about the history, treats, and weird superstitions that make up All Hallows' Eve.
Samhain, an ancient Celtic holiday, was a day used to establish the end of the harvest season and the beginning of wintertime. They believed the transition made a bridge to the world of the dead, so they wore costumes to keep the evil spirits away.
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3Bobbing for apples was originally a British courting ritual.
Each apple represented a potential suitor, and the bobber would try to bite the apple of the guy she liked. If it only took one try, it was fate, but the more tries it took, the more likely their love wouldn't last.
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4Halloween is the second-biggest commercial holiday in America.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Sheila Gim
Christmas comes in first, of course. Americans are expected to spend $9.1 billion on Halloween this year.
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5Kids originally had to dance in order to get their treat.
Trick-or-treaters in Scotland and Ireland used to do something called guising — it means they would sing a song, choreograph a dance, or tell a joke in order to get candy.
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6Halloween is not the only night that witches celebrate.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Sheila Gim
Other holidays include Beltane, which marks the first day of May, and Midsummer's Eve, which coincides with the Summer solstice.
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7Every Halloween, 600 million pounds of candy is sold in America.