Halloween's American Reinvention: From Samhain Turnips to $Billions in Candy
The tradition of the jack-o'-lantern began in Ireland and Scotland, where it was originally a carved turnip, before transitioning to pumpkins in North America. The practice of trick-or-treating as we know it took shape in the 1930s in the United States and gained popularity after World War II. Created by George Renninger in the 1880s, candy corn was first sold as feed for chickens. Halloween's origins can be traced back to the Gaelic festival of Samhain, which is over 2,000 years old. All Saints' Day was established by Pope Gregory III on November 1 in the eighth century. In 1950, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF was launched. Illinois is the top producer of pumpkins in the U.S., contributing nearly 1.5 billion pounds nationally. Halloween is the second-largest holiday for decoration spending, and sociologist Joel Best reported no verified cases of candy tampering since the 1950s.
Key facts
- Jack-o'-lanterns originated as carved turnips in Ireland and Scotland before switching to North American pumpkins
- Trick-or-treating in its modern U.S. form dates to the 1930s and spread nationwide after World War II
- Candy corn was created in the 1880s, credited to George Renninger of the Wunderle Candy Company, and sold as 'chicken feed'
- Samhain was a Gaelic festival in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man roughly 2,000 years ago
- Pope Gregory III set All Saints' Day on November 1 in the eighth century
- Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF began in 1950 with a Pennsylvania church group and went national in 1951
- U.S. pumpkin production is near 1.5 billion pounds a year, with Illinois the leading state by volume
- A full moon falls on October 31 about once every 18 to 19 years; the 2020 occurrence was also a blue moon
- Joel Best of the University of Delaware found no substantiated case of a stranger poisoning candy
- The 1974 Texas death of 8-year-old Timothy O'Bryan was caused by his father, Ronald Clark O'Bryan
Entities
Artists
- George Renninger
- Joel Best
- Ronald Clark O'Bryan
- Timothy O'Bryan
- Pope Gregory III
- St. Martin of Tours
- Stingy Jack
- Guy Fawkes
- James I
- Charles M. Schulz
- Walt Disney
- Donald Duck
- Huey
- Dewey
- Louie
Institutions
- Wunderle Candy Company
- Goelitz Confectionery Company
- Jelly Belly Candy Company
- UNICEF
- UNICEF USA
- United Nations Children's Fund
- National Confectioners Association
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Great Pumpkin Commonwealth
- Ben Cooper Inc.
- Jaycees
- United States Junior Chamber
- Knott's Berry Farm
- Universal Studios
- Haunted Attraction Association
- University of Delaware
- Disney
- Quartz
- National Retail Federation
- Peanuts
- HISTORY.com
- Catholic Church
Locations
- Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Isle of Man
- United States
- North America
- Canada
- Europe
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Ohio
- California
- New York
- Wisconsin
- Texas
- Mexico
- Germany
- Japan
- Tokyo
- Shibuya
- South Korea
- Seoul
- Itaewon
- Hongdae
- United Kingdom
- Buena Park
- Florida
- Hollywood
- England
- Central Europe
- Western Europe