Tomorrow is Halloween! To celebrate, keep reading to learn some fun facts about the history and current celebration of the holiday:
- Halloween did not reach mainstream consciousness in the U.S.A until the 1800s when the mass immigration of Scottish and Irish people allowed their traditions to flourish here – traditions that helped form the modern celebration of Halloween as we know it.
- The largest Halloween Parade in the world is held by New York’s Greenwich Village; over 50,000 participants in costume make up the parade while millions of spectators visit Manhattan to observe the fun.
- Trick-or-treating is a product of the medieval practice of mumming. Mumming refers to the practice of costumed actors parading streets and performing at homes for feast days such as Hallows Eve, Christmas, Shrove Tuesday, and Twelfth Night.
- Trunk-or-treating was created as a safer, easier alternative to trick-or-treating for rural communities who live farther apart.