26 Not-So-Scary Facts About Halloween - mental_floss List Show (Ep.228) | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Halloween is a Christian term that means "hallowed evening" or "holy evening." Trick-or-treating evolved from an Old English tradition, pumpkins are commonly used for Jack-o-lanterns, and candy corn used to be called chicken feed.

Key Insights

• 🍉 Halloween is a Christian term that means "hallowed evening" or "holy evening."
• 🥞 Trick-or-treating originated from an Old English tradition of giving Soul cakes.
• 🌎 Pumpkins are commonly used for Jack-o-lanterns instead of turnips in America.
• 🌥️ The largest pumpkin weighed 2,323 pounds, the largest Jack-o-lantern weighed 1,469 pounds, and the largest display of lit Jack-o-lanterns had 3,581.
• ❓ Native Americans used pumpkins for medicinal purposes, such as treating bladder, digestive, and kidney problems.
• 🥳 Candy corn used to be called chicken feed and has a specific day to celebrate it, National Candy Corn day.
• 🙂 Daylight savings time was influenced by the candy industry to have more light on Halloween.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: Where did the tradition of trick-or-treating come from?

Trick-or-treating originated from an Old English tradition where children would go door-to-door with Soul cakes to sing and receive treats. It evolved into children taking candy instead of cakes.

Q: Why are pumpkins commonly used for Jack-o-lanterns?

In America, pumpkins are more common than turnips, which were originally used in Europe. European immigrants brought the tradition and used pumpkins instead.

Q: What are some medicinal uses of pumpkins?

Native Americans used pumpkins to treat bladder, digestive, and kidney problems. From 1863 to 1936, pumpkin seeds were considered an effective treatment for intestinal parasites in the United States.

Q: How did candy corn get its name?

Candy corn used to be called chicken feed and was advertised as "something worth crowing for" by the Golet's Confectionery Company.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Halloween translates to "hallowed evening" and is also known as All Hallows Eve. Trick-or-treating evolved from an Old English tradition of giving Soul cakes. Pumpkins are now commonly used for Jack-o-lanterns instead of turnips.

• The largest pumpkin ever weighed 2,323 pounds, the largest Jack-o-lantern weighed 1,469 pounds, and the largest display of lit Jack-o-lanterns had 3,581 in New Hampshire. Native Americans used pumpkins for medicinal purposes.

• Candy corn used to be called chicken feed, and the candy industry played a role in moving daylight savings time to have more light on Halloween. Orange and black symbolize Harvest and death, and there are various legends and superstitions associated with Halloween traditions.