The Spooktacular History of Halloween for Kids + Halloween Facts

What we’ve learned so far is that Halloween didn’t always bear that name. It is a modernized version of many holidays that revolve around more or less the same idea and share the same core concept. So to shed more light on this topic and make the upcoming period of holidays even more unique, here are some Halloween facts for kids. They’ll surely broaden its meaning and give you bragging rights.

Jack-O’-Lantern Was a Turnip

When you think of the end of October, an image of pumpkins, candy, trick & treating, and fun family Halloween movies appears, right? Although carving pumpkins is our modernized way of celebrating this exciting holiday, it wasn’t always this way. 

The Celts used a different vegetable to carve a face in it and scare away the ghosts. Because they didn’t have pumpkins around, they used something more common to their parts. Wondering what it is? It’s a turnip, a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates. Carving on a substantially smaller plant than pumpkin wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. So naturally, when the tradition arrived in America, instead of turnips, people used pumpkins as they are larger and easier to work with. 

Why the Jack-O’-Lanterns Name? 

Ok, so we know how it came to be and what was used before pumpkins, but how about the name? The name is tied to an Irish legend of Stingy Jack but also to a phenomenon of strange light flickering over wetlands called jack-o’-lanterns or will-o’-the-wisp. 

The legend of Stingy Jack is about a mythical character that allegedly lived centuries ago somewhere in Ireland. Jack was known for his silver tongue skills, and drinking habits, and was labeled as a manipulator and a crook by society. One fateful day, the Devil himself overheard a conversation about Jack’s silver tongue skills and manipulative nature. Naturally, he wanted to find him, so he did. 

After presenting himself to Jack, Satan made it clear that he’s there for his soul. Jack, however, deceived the Devil by requesting one last wish before his departure. Jack asked for a drink or several, and being that drinking is sinful, the Devil approved. After drinking in the local bar, he insisted on paying by asking Satan to transform into a silver coin. Intrigued by this ingenious idea, he abided. Instead of paying for the drinks, he placed the coin ( transformed Devil) into his pocket, which contained a crucifix. The Devil was entrapped and had to give Jack ten years in exchange for freedom. 

After ten years have passed, and the Devil came for his due, Jack being manipulative as he was requested one final thing. He was hungry, so he persuaded the Devil to climb a tree and pick apples for him. The Devil was trapped again, as Jack placed crucifixes around the tree. For his freedom, Devil gave up on Jack’s soul but cursed him to wander the earth for eternity with only an ember inside a hollowed turnip. That’s how Jack-o’-lantern term came to be, and given the story’s ghastly details, it became associated with Halloween.  

The Purpose of Trick & Treating

If you ask any child what’s the purpose of trick and treating, the answer would be to get candy and Halloween toys, of course. But the real idea of trick and treating can be understood if we go back when Halloween costumes were invented. 

As Celts believed, Halloween represented a period in the year when supernatural beings roam the earth. So to honor them, they mimicked ghosts and otherworldly beings by wearing clothes, probably animal hides, that were supposed to represent them. They went door to door, and the inhabitants would say prayers to the dead and deceased. As the tradition evolved, instead of saying prayers, now we honor these “ghosts” by giving them candy and sweets. Being honored with these gifts, the kids dressed as ghosts and monsters continue to the next house that will provide offerings for them. 

The Romantic Nature of Halloween

Because connecting with the dead wasn’t such a fun thing to celebrate, Halloween games and rituals evolved into fun games and activities. The spirits always represented wandering souls that are trapped between worlds. As such, they have knowledge of past and future events. So in the 18th century during Halloween, women used to place apples in a bowl filled with water in front of them to determine who their suitor will be. The apples were supposed to represent all of their suitors, and whichever apple they were able to bite without using their hands would be their suitor. Another variation of the same custom is that the apples are tied to a string and the first girl to bite one will marry before others. 

Nowadays, apple boobing is a common game that’s played on Halloween. But knowing how it came to be sure gives you a few points in storytelling. Apple bobbing isn’t for girls only. There’s another version of the story that depicts young unmarried people biting apples on a string. The first one to bite an apple was the one that gets married first.