Skull clamps, witches' dance, graying avengers - for Doreen Brasch there's something really sour at the Harz Halloween. The postmodern disguise festival is almost a bit neglected. Here are ten facts worth knowing about October 31st.
1. A lot helps a lot
According to the Guinness Book of Records, when it comes to pumpkin installations, Keene, New Hampshire, USA is the country with the thickest. In 2013, the Halloween officials installed a construction made up of a whopping 30,581 illuminated pumpkins. The city had set the first record in 1996, with a comparatively manageable 13,044 copies.
2. Even more records
Every year, the American Steve Clarke sets new personal bests related to pumpkins. In 2009, the teacher from Philadelphia carved a whopping 50 scary pumpkins in one hour, and he carved his fastest single piece in just 16 seconds in 2019.
3. Comprehensive
In 2021, pumpkins were cultivated on around 4,800 hectares in Germany, compared to around a quarter of that 15 years earlier.
4. Charlie Brown
The iconic "Peanuts" episode "The Great Pumpkin" premiered on CBS on October 27, 1966. The third special to date, following "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Charlie Brown's All Stars!", garnered the highest ratings of the week it aired and was nominated for an Emmy.
5. No carnival
Halloween only became popular in Germany in the mid-1990s. In 1991, due to the Gulf War, carnival was canceled in this country, which caused massive losses in the costume industry, among other things. In 1994, the "Carnival Section of the German Association of the Toy Industry" (DVSI) launched a campaign to introduce the American custom. A complete success, as it turned out, a good ten years later, almost 30 million euros had already been sold with Halloween items.
6. The day after
Rock fans know the Samhain holiday mentioned in "Burning Witches", i.e. November 1st, primarily as a band name. Singer Glenn Danzig formed the band in 1983 after the split of his predecessor combo, the legendary Misfits. Probably their biggest hit: a song called "Halloween", released on October 31, 1981.
7. Commander Pumpkin
In 1978 director John Carpenter brought one of the most legendary horror franchises ever to the screen with his first "Halloween" film. Michael Myers, the creepy protagonist of the pumpkin saga, is still one of the most iconic horror characters of all time. Bizarre detail: His terrifying visage comes from a carnival shop, the outfitters had taken a 2-dollar mask from Enterprise Captain Kirk as the starting material.
8. Bibber
The fear of Halloween is called Samhainophobia.
9. Bintje, party cook
Originally, no pumpkins were used on Halloween, but potatoes and turnips. That only changed with the erratic export of Halloween customs to the States.
10. Pumpkin Mystery
In its more than 50-year history, "Polizeiruf 110" has never been broadcast on October 31, while "Tatort" was broadcast five times, first in 1993 with Lena Odenthal in "Die Zärtlichkeit des Monsters", most recently in 2021 with Janneke and Brix in "Luna Eat or Die".
