18 Interesting Things About Halloween In Missouri

It's getting to be that time of year when the Halloween decorations go up, and the kids start trying to figure out what they want to be for Halloween, and Spirit Halloween stores pop up in big box stores that have gone out of business sometime in the previous years.

According to Wikipedia it's generally accepted that Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which are believed to have pagan roots. Some also suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallow's Day, along with it's eve by the early church.

Celebrated in Ireland and Scotland for centuries, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought many Halloween customs to North American in the 19th century, and through American influence various Halloween customs spread to other countries by the the late 20th Century.

Interestingly, some of Missouri's oldest Halloween traditions, like small town festivals and bonfrie parties come out of the celebrations from Ireland and Scotland. Some also say, the tradition of trick or treaters being asked to share a joke while trick or treating in St. Louis were brought to the City by the Irish.

One Halloween tradition, bobbing for apples, doesn't so much come from the Irish, but can be traced back to anciet Roman Festivals.

One thing is for certain, the tradition of celebrating the harvest, has turned into one of the biggest celebrations of the year across Missouri and America. Halloween is big business, with Americans spending $3 billion on candy alone, and $10 billion on Halloween items nationwide.

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Keep scrolling to check out 18 interesting things about Halloween in Missouri. It's a little bit of history, some interesting facts, and part travel guide. So buckle in and have some fun, I promise it won't be scary!