Apart from the regular fanfare of playing dressing up before hitting popular night joints, Singapore is now embracing the widely celebrated festival Halloween.

We have seen hikes in the number of people partaking in races where limbs and gore strewn upon to embarking on "haunted" spine-tingling trails.

Before you decide on your pick for your ghouly night(s) of fun, here are 5 facts of Halloween you probably did not know.

1. What’s Halloween?

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Generally celebrated on October 31st, Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows’ Evening. It falls on the eve of All Saints Day and is first day of the Hallowmas, Triduum of All Hallows (Triduum of All Saints).

It is believed that Irish immigrants brought the tradition to the Americas in the mid-1800s.

2. What are Soul Cakes?

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Trick-or-Treat is believed to have stemmed from its origins as Souling from the medieval times.

Soul cakes were traditionally baked as a gift for the spirits of the dead and were made by drawing a cross shape into the dough before baking, signifying as Alms for the dead. It was generally believed that each cake eaten would represent one soul saved. Soul cakes were often given to children and poor people (or otherwise known as  soulers) who would say prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Eve.

3. What is Samhainophobia?

It is the fear of Halloween.

4. Hallowe’en is the second highest grossing festival in the United States.

Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the nation's second-largest commercial holiday after Christmas.

5. Halloween Events in Singapore.

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In Singapore, celebrations of the Western festival begins all the way from the first of October and last all the way till the end of Hallowmas this year.

Top photo from here.

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