Where the facts come from
Every factual claim on this site links to its source. This is the full list.
How we checked
Each fact was written in our own words alongside its source. Our build script stores the text of every source and, for each fact, checks that the key words and figures really appear in it. 107 of 107 checks passed when this site was last built (11 November 2026). Where we couldn’t find a named source saying something, we left it out. Where good sources disagree, we say so and give both.
Where sources differ
- Did the Church set All Saints’ Day to replace Samhain? Britannica’s Halloween article says Gregory III moved it to 1 November in the 8th century, perhaps in part to replace pagan holidays; Historic Environment Scotland says Samhainn was possibly deliberately absorbed; the Library of Congress says missionaries chose the dates to replace Samhain. Britannica’s Samhain article says the dates were set in the 9th century, entirely independently of Samhain. We give all of them.
- Are turnip lanterns a leftover from Samhain? Britannica’s Samhain article says they are sometimes said to be, but may instead come from All Saints’ Day or Guy Fawkes Day. The National Museum of Ireland and Culture Vannin describe the turnip tradition but not how old it is. We don’t say it is ancient.
- Was Jinny the Witch real? Culture Vannin says some people think she was Joney Lowney, who lived about 300 years ago, and tells her story. We present it as a story.
- Samhain bonfires. Historic Environment Scotland describes Samhainn bonfires in Scotland; Britannica says the evidence for Samhain fires in Ireland is thin. Both can be true.
All sources (9)
- Britannica: Halloween (24 facts)
- Culture Vannin: Hop tu Naa leaflet (2018) (18 facts)
- Britannica: Samhain (16 facts)
- National Museum of Ireland: Ghost turnips, the púca, fortune-telling and evil abductions (16 facts)
- Culture Vannin: Mheillea and Hop tu Naa teaching resource (13 facts)
- Historic Environment Scotland blog: Samhainn and the Scottish traditions of Hallowe’en (Lucy Rodger, 27 October 2023) (11 facts)
- English Heritage: No tricks, just treats: try a medieval soul cake (27 October 2023) (4 facts)
- National Museum of Ireland: Ghost turnip (Irish Folklife Collection, F1943.350) (4 facts)
- Library of Congress: Halloween and Día de Muertos research guide (1 fact)