10 Interesting Facts You Didn't Know About Halloween

Today is Halloween, one of the most celebrated holidays of the year! So, we thought it would be fitting to present to you: 10 Interesting Facts You Didn't Know About Halloween.

1) The first Jack O'Lanterns were actually made out of turnips, not pumpkins

2) The word 'witch' comes from the Old English word 'wicce', meaning 'wise woman'.

3) 'Samhainophobia' is the fear of Halloween

4) The owl is a popular Halloween image. In Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be witches, and to hear an owl's call meant somebody was about to die.

5) Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate the spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year. The Christian precussor to Halloween was called 'souling' - this was when the poor would dress up on 'Hallowmas' (November 1st) and go door-to-door, offering prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes.

6) Black and orange are the traditional colours assosciated with Halloween. This is because orange symbolises strength and endurance, as well as being the colour for the autumn harvest. Black symbolises death and darkness, and was used to serve as a reminder that Halloween was once the festival used to mark the boundaries between life and death.

7) Dressing up as ghouls and other spooks actually originates from Celtic tradition. It was believed that if the townspeople disguised themselves as demons and scary spooks, they would escape the  notice of the real spirits that roamed the streets during Samhain.

8) Halloween is thought to have originated around 4000 B.C., which means that Halloween has been around for over 6,000 years.

9) During the pre-Halloween celebration of Samhain, bonfires were lit to ensure that the Sun returned after a long, hard winter. Often, Druid priests would throw the bones of cattle on to the fire and so, 'bone fire' became 'bonfire'.

10) According to tradition, if a person puts his or her clothes on inside-out and walks backwards on Halloween, he or she will see a witch at midnight. Who wants to give this one a go?