Halloween (n.):

also Hallow-e’en, c. 1745, Scottish shortening of Allhallow-even “Eve of All Saints, last night of October” (1550s), the last night of the year in the old Celtic calendar, where it was Old Year’s Night, a night for witches.

Today I Found Out has an excellent Halloween Facts Roundup, including why witches use broomsticks, trick or treating origins, and the relationship between Halloween candy and Daylight Saving Time.

The Strange Real-Life Origins of the Fiendish Werewolf.

Exploding Paint-filled Pumpkins with C4 and Det Cord, in slow motion. Related: elephants crushing pumpkins.

20 Houses That Are Clearly Winning At Halloween.

The Onion’s Timeline Of Halloween History.

The story behind The Monster Mash.

The Psychology of Scary Movies, 13 Forgotten Frankenstein Movies and a Horror Movie Plot Generator.

Vintage and Antique Halloween Ephemera, 11 Fun Historical Newspaper Clippings About Halloween, Vintage Halloween Photos to Give You Nightmares, and Vintage Halloween Costumes (1865 – 1955).

Pumpkin Land.

ICYMI, Dave Barry’s Halloween column from 1996: Night Of The Living Chocolate never gets old.

From 1931, NYC architects dressed as their buildings.

40,000 people’s votes determined this candy hierarchy.

Scary dog costumes, instructions for pet costumes, and 16 Clearly Miserable Dogs In Halloween Costumes.

No poisoned candy, no razor blades in apples: Free Range Kids’ archive of articles on ludicrous Halloween-related parental fears. Related: Has Anyone Ever Actually Poisoned Or Put Razor Blades or Needles in Halloween Candy?

From 2013: Obama Mask for Halloween? That’ll get you and the other 750 employees sent to re-education camp. Hillary and Trump masks are probably safe.

Is someone you know wearing a Star Trek costume? How to Read The Secret Language of Starfleet Uniforms.

ICYMI, Friday’s links are here, and include Cuba’s ration supermarkets, Victorian tapeworm diets, and the science of how long you can hold your breath.