Halloween Archives

Snopes-tionary: What is ‘Scarelore’?

5 October 2022

There are many names for urban legends on the internet.

Article

From the Snopes Archives: Spooky Legends, Halloween Candy Rumors — and More Here's a peek into our archive of stories about goblins, ghosts, black cats, tainted candy,...

Collection
25 Articles

Did Terrorists Purchase Large Quantities of Halloween Candy in 2001?

31 October 2009

In the wake of 9/11, rumors spread that large quantities of candy were purchased just...

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Halloween Gang Initiation

17 October 2009

Were gang initiates really planning to kill 30 or more women on Halloween 2008?

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Did Psychic Predict Campus Halloween Murders?

31 October 1998

This Halloween urban legend dates back to the late 1970s.

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‘Clown Purge’ on Halloween?

14 October 2016

The social media clown panic has inevitably merged with "purge" rumors, just in time for...

Fact Check

Was the 666th Halloween Celebrated in October 2015?

8 September 2015

A rumor raised an interesting question: When did we begin celebrating Halloween, anyway?

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Why Do We Wear Costumes on Halloween?

30 September 2022

The history behind why you endure “sexy Freddy Krueger” outfits each October.

Article

Did ‘Killer Clown’ Leave Warning Note to Cancel Halloween or ‘Kids Will Die’?

6 October 2016

The story of a "killer clown" leaving a threatening note at a school was published...

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Is It Really Possible To Book the ‘Scream’ House on Halloween?

3 October 2022

The bookings were advertised in 2021 as a promotion for a new "Scream" sequel.

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Rainbow fentanyl scare spreads just in time for Halloween.

‘Rainbow Fentanyl Candy’ Scare Erupts Just in Time for Halloween

28 September 2022

So far, it appears to be a 2022 twist on an old type of scarelore.

News

Is Halloween the second-biggest U.S. holiday in terms of retail sales?

Is Halloween the Second-Biggest US Holiday For Consumer Spending?

27 September 2022

Between costumes for pets and candy for trick-or-treaters, the cost of the annual holiday can...

Fact Check