Season 2 Issue 5: 5 facts about Halloween

Teaching overview

Learning points

Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
Jack-o’-lanterns used to be carved from rutabaga, not pumpkins!
In the past, people who couldn't afford a coffin were buried in a white sheet instead—which is why ghosts are often shown with sheets over them.

Curriculum keywords

History
Phobias
Parasitism

5 things you didn't know

Print the facts

Scared of Halloween

1. If someone has samhainophobia (SAH-win-uh-FO-bee-uh), it means that they have a crippling fear of Halloween.

Jack-o'-lantern

2. Jack-o’-lanterns used to be carved from rutabaga, not pumpkins! People in Ireland and Scotland would place rutabaga jack-o’-lanterns in windows and doorways, believing this would scare off evil spirits. Immigrants to North America brought the tradition with them, but started using the more commonly available pumpkin.

Day of the Dead

3. Instead of Halloween, people in Mexico and other parts of Latin America celebrate the Days of the Dead (Día de Muertos) on November 1 and November 2. During the festival, people remember friends and family members who have died. Popular symbols of Día de Muertos include colorful skulls and skeletons.

Ghosts and sheets

4. A wooden coffin used to be too expensive for most people to buy, so the dead were wrapped in white cloth instead—and this is why ghosts are often shown as human shapes with a sheet draped over them!

Parasites can cause zombies

5. Some parasites create zombie-like animals—the Cordyceps parasite causes its victims to drag themselves to die in a place surrounded by lots of other animals so that the infection can spread!

Spark a discussion

Why did people start carving jack-o’-lanterns from pumpkins instead of rutabaga?
Do you think ghosts exist? Why or why not?
If you could design the ultimate Halloween costume, what would it be like?

Five Spooktacular Facts About Halloween!