Trick-or-treating is about to commence. Here are some fun facts to share while you’re handing out candy:

The jack o’lantern is one of the most popular and enduring symbols of Halloween, that night when children of all ages dress up and go door to door in search of treats. But where did “jack” come from?

Wherever you live, chances are that on Oct. 31 you’ll be visited by pirates, ghosts, princesses, and monsters crying, “Trick or treat!” at your front door. Costumes and going door-to-door for treats can be traced back to pagan and Christian rituals from the Middle Ages.