Social Media & Texts

What better way to celebrate the festive Halloween season than with hilarious tweets all about the holiday? Thanks to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/WhitePeopleTwitter" target="_blank">WhitePeopleTwitter</a>&nbsp;subreddit, we actually laughed out loud reading these viral&nbsp;Halloween-edition takes.

23 Halloween Tweets From 'White People Twitter' That Actually Made Us Laugh

General

Erika Valverde

Halloween: The one night a year you can be anyone else!

Getting in the Spooky Spirit

Halloween

As Halloween approaches, there&#39;s no shortage of decorations for sale,&nbsp;usually covered with Halloween symbols that we all recognize, even if we don&#39;t know where they come from.

Along with ridiculous costumes and enough candy to make you vomit, there are some things that you find every single Halloween.&nbsp;Jack-o&#39;-lanterns, ghosts, bats, black cats -&nbsp;a lot of these symbols have their roots in the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-of-halloween/jon-skindzier?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">history of Halloween</a>. Many of them trace back to the pagan festival of <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain" target="_blank">Samhain</a>, which is thought to be the most direct ancestor of our modern celebration. This was a&nbsp;celebration of the departed at a&nbsp;time when the boundary between this world and the next was believed to be&nbsp;much thinner than normal.&nbsp;

These scary symbols might not look&nbsp;so intimidating&nbsp;as decals in your window or cardboard signs&nbsp;hung&nbsp;on classroom walls, but their history is downright creepy. Full of folklore and spirituality, there&#39;s a long tradition of Halloween and deadly symbolism&nbsp;that you might not be aware of. So, before you grab your costume and go trick-or-treating this year, you might want to look at why we dress up in the first place. These are the origins of all your favorite Halloween symbols (and you may never look at broomsticks the same way again).&nbsp;

12 Scary Halloween Symbols And Their Origins

12 Common Halloween Symbols and Their Surprisingly Creepy Origins

Lea Rose Emery

Halloween and candy go hand-in-hand, literally. People have their go-to treats, indulging in something of the chocolate variety or a fruity delight. (Tootsie Roll lovers, we&#39;re not sure what camp you fall into, but we see you, too.)

As trick-or-treaters and candy lovers of all ages sort through piles of goodies, bright wrappers with well-known names foreshadow sugar rushes and aching stomachs. But what about the names on those wrappers?&nbsp;Where did they come from?

Luckily, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/jjmu1k/i_made_a_guide_explaining_how_different_types_of/" target="_blank">Reddit has answers</a>. We found out how some&nbsp;of our preferred Halloween sweet treats&nbsp;got their names and were pretty impressed. Now it&#39;s your turn. Vote up the most interesting stories the names of your favorite Halloween candies.

How 14 Of Our Favorite Halloween Candies Actually Got Their Names

Melissa Sartore

Best Halloween songs, as voted on by people like you. This list contains some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/halloween-playlist-2019/ranker-music" target="_blank">best Halloween party music songs</a> - both modern and classic. While Halloween theme music can be found on compilation albums (I&#39;ve included a few), some of the best Halloween tunes are one-off singles. From &quot;Monster Mash&quot; to the &quot;Time Warp,&quot; check out this list for some great Halloween songs. Be sure to vote for your favorites and if you don&#39;t see your fave on the list, add it!

Halloween is a great time to crank up the music and have a spooky good time. Whether you&#39;re getting ready to go trick-or-treating, carving Halloween pumpkins or prepping for an epic Halloween party, the right music can certainly provide a creepy, fun ambiance&nbsp;for everyone. Some of the music on this list is well-suited for kids and adults, while some might be a bit over-the-top for youngsters. (Halloween songs for adults can be graphic.) I&#39;ve also added true classics from my own childhood, including Walt Disney&#39;s Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House album (a staple at any Halloween gathering).&nbsp;

What are the best Halloween songs? Take a look at this best Halloween music compilation and vote on your favorite scary songs.&nbsp;

For more Halloween tips, tricks and fun, check out these Ranker lists of the best Halloween party games, celebrity Halloween costume ideas and Halloween recipes!

The Best Halloween Songs

Best Halloween Songs | List of Halloween Music 

Coley Reed

'Tis the season for costumes, candy, and spooky movies to scare your pants off.

This Is Halloween

Halloween crimes are usually thought of as the thoughtless mayhem of demented strangers who enjoy poisoning candy or putting <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/real-halloween-candy-horror-stories/jacob-shelton?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">razor blades in apples</a>. But crimes committed on Halloween are much more serious - and more real - than those urban legends. There have been numerous murders, kidnappings, and assaults that have taken place on October 31, and many are directly related to the festivities of the holiday. While it remains debatable as to whether or not there&#39;s a spike in crime on Halloween, there&#39;s no debate that all that&nbsp;these particular assaults happened in connection with the holiday.

Many of these crimes have been carried out by people who took advantage of the occasion to wear a costume and fool their victims for just long enough to kill them. Others involve people out trick-or-treating, or returning from parties late at night. But as with most violent crime in general, crimes that happen&nbsp;on Halloween are usually committed either by someone known to the victim, or in a case of mistaken identity. In a few cases, the crime has never been solved, and years or decades have gone by with no closure for the loved ones of the victims.

Here are some true stories of the worst crimes ever committed in connection with Halloween.

The Most Horrifying Real Crimes Committed on Halloween

The Most Horrible Crimes Committed on Halloween

The 13 Worst Crimes Ever Committed on Halloween

Mike Rothschild

Entertainment

Isn&rsquo;t Halloween the best? Not only do you get to dress up and eat candy, but you don&#39;t look weird for watching spooky movies <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-songs-about-days-of-the-week/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">every day of the week</a>. Some of the most fun horror movies are those that actually take place on Halloween. There are lots, but many horror fans only think about John Carpenter&#39;s&nbsp;Halloween. Plenty of underrated horror movies also feature events that take place on or around Oct. 31, but you might not catch it unless you&#39;re really paying attention.

For instance, the gross-out horror&nbsp;Slugs has Halloween written all over it, but it&#39;s not necessarily regarded as a &quot;Halloween&quot; movie. <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/underrated-horror-movies-2010s/orrin-grey" target="_blank">There are so many movies like this</a>, you could make a&nbsp;film festival with just the ones on this list. Some of these underrated Halloween movies are spooky, others are fun for the whole family, and some are perfect for when you want to <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/netflix-and-chill-movies/ranker-streaming?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Netflix and chill</a>.

Vote up the most underrated Halloween films and comment with any other spooky Halloween movies&nbsp;you think deserve to be on the list.

Murder Party

Underrated Halloween Movies You Should Watch This Year

Film

Robert Dreadford

The 22 Most Underrated Horror Movies  of All Time

Jacob Shelton

Nostalgia

Hocus Pocus&nbsp;may be a Disney Halloween classic for children, but let&#39;s be real the movie was released in 1993. I&#39;m no mathematician, but it&#39;s safe to say that audiences who enjoyed the movie as children are now grown adults. That being said, we&#39;re noticing some not-so-kid-friendly moments from the movie that had us spitting out our pumpkin spice coffee. Enjoy.

14 'Hocus Pocus' Lines That Magically Became Funnier As An Adult

Zach Nading

Woo hoo! It&rsquo;s that time of year again when the leaves are starting to fall, everything&rsquo;s starting to taste like cinnamon, and candy is around every corner of the grocery store. Fall has arrived in all its cozy sweater weathered glory which means Halloween is just around the bend! As kids of all ages know, of course, nothing helps spook up the mood each October like a huge batch of spooky Halloween treats, a tasty collection of which we&rsquo;ve assembled below.

These Halloween treat ideas are sure to make you the coolest parent at your kid&rsquo;s Halloween party, even if you&rsquo;re used to being merely the sub-par cook in the corner glaring bitterly at the coolest mom at your kid&rsquo;s Halloween party. Here you&#39;ll find everything from Master Chef worthy masterpieces for the more experienced Halloween baker to easy Halloween treats that take less skill to prepare than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Whether you&rsquo;re a&nbsp;chocolate craving warrior or a health loving fruit nut, we&rsquo;ve got a whole slew of fun Halloween treats to make that both you and your loved ones are sure to love this Halloween.

Wanna get your kids in on the Halloween treat fun this fall? No problemo, because nestled in with the other recipes below, you&rsquo;ll find plenty of kid-friendly treats that you can decorate with everyone from your tots to your teens. So come on in and scroll through this tasty looking assortment of finished product photos, pick your desired treats, and get making.

Spooky & Delicious Treats That Are Perfect for Halloween

Creepy Treats You Should Serve This Halloween

14 Creepy Treat Ideas for Halloween That Are Easy to Make

Ashley Reign

Halloween can be a scary time for the little ones but&nbsp;the best family Halloween movies are great for both parents and kids. Family friendly Halloween movies can be hard to come by if you know where to look, so rest assured that you&#39;re in the right place. Some of these family Halloween movies take place on the holiday night itself while others are not Halloween specific but they are great treats for all year round. <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/halloween-movies-for-kids/randolph?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Kids Halloween movies</a> from the &#39;80s and &#39;90s tend to be rated PG-13&nbsp;but if you have tweens, they might be the best choice.&nbsp;You&#39;ll find both classic and new family Halloween movies below for your next scary family night, now all you have to do is pop some popcorn!

What are your favorite wholesome Halloween movies? You get to help decide with your votes. Vote up the family Halloween films that you can&#39;t wait to watch next.

Wholesome Halloween Movies For The Whole Family

26 Wholesome Halloween Movies For The Whole Family

Ranker Film

One of the best parts of Halloween&nbsp;is putting your favorite costume on and heading out for the night to fill your bag with as much candy as it can hold. Finding which houses are giving out your favorite&nbsp;candies, full-size&nbsp;candy bars, or even dollar bills becomes the pursuit of the evening. But every once in a while you will come across a house that decides to give out bizarre treats or items that you wouldn&#39;t want at any time of the year. These are the houses you&nbsp;try to remember so you don&#39;t waste your precious time there next year.

Trick-or-treaters of Reddit share stories of the&nbsp;most disappointing treats they&#39;ve been given on Halloween.&nbsp;

What Are The Worst Treats Trick-Or-Treaters Have Been Given?

Amanda Ashley

Strange True Stories

Being a police officer opens you up to seeing strange and disturbing things. Many police stories&nbsp;will reveal the kinds of bizarre situations they observe every day as part of their usual routine. When you add Halloween into the mix, events can get become even more outlandish. With everyone in high spirits as they enjoy the party atmosphere, often drinking and getting dressed up in costumes, infractions&nbsp;can take a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crimes-committed-on-halloween/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">weird turn on Halloween</a>, which makes it a unique time of year for law enforcement.

So when <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-stories-from-law-enforcement/christopher-shultz" target="_blank">cops took to&nbsp;Reddit</a> to discuss their personal Halloween stories, the results were spectacular. In some cases, the subjects appeared&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/funny-police-blotters/nathandavidson" target="_blank">too wacky to be true</a>, while in other instances, the tales proved incredibly sinister. What is clear, though: Halloween is not an enjoyable time to be a cop. The extra work and added scariness make&nbsp;it far more draining than you might have realized.

Cops Of Reddit Reveal Their Creepiest And Most Hallucinatory Halloween Stories

Police Halloween Horror Stories

Nathan Gibson

Snacks

The best Halloween candy includes classic chocolate delights, super sweet candy corns and several other just-for-Halloween treats. Let's face it: Halloween and candy are synonymous. Yes, it's a spooky holiday and it's really fun to get all dressed up in a fancy costume, but the whole point of that is to get free candy from the neighbors. It's all about the candy loot. What's the best candy for Halloween? That's up to you to decide, with your votes. This list includes some of the most popular Halloween candies, but if something is missing, feel free to add it.Each year, millions of kids dress up and go around begging for candy. They do not want crappy stuff, either, so forget trying to hand out raisins or packs of pencils or some such. Your yard will be TP'ed, fast. You'll become the pariah of the neighborhood. Go for the gold, and you'll be the most beloved person around. Choose from this list, and you really can't go wrong.This might come as a shock, but not everyone likes candy corn. Yes, candy corn is a Halloween candy staple, but honestly, if you want to hit a Halloween home run, stick with chocolate. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are pretty much a sure thing, but Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins are even better (and bigger)! Many of the choices for best Halloween candy on this list are also among the choices for <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-candy-ever-made" target="_blank">the best candy ever made</a>. Just keep in mind that candy makers often put out special seasonal candies, like Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses and Candy Corn M&Ms (they're great!). Search for those, stock up and get ready for big smiles from Halloween Trick-or-Treaters!

The Best Halloween Candy Ever

Food

Ranker Community

Halloween in America,&nbsp;pumpkin flavoring aside,&nbsp;is a weekslong&nbsp;celebration of all things spooky and&nbsp;terrifying. Leading up to Halloween, elaborate <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-halloween-haunted-houses-attractions/christopher-myers?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">haunted attractions</a> at&nbsp;theme parks,&nbsp;<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-horror-movie-sequels/ranker-horror?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">horror movie sequels</a>, and&nbsp;creepy or convoluted&nbsp;corn mazes&nbsp;all aim&nbsp;to&nbsp;scare us out of our wits. But some thrill-seekers crave more than the orchestrated frights of costumed actors and scripted stalking. Real-life haunted houses and attractions&nbsp;fulfill their desire for true terror.Although&nbsp;many real-life haunted places&nbsp;allow visitors year-round, on Halloween they&nbsp;step up their game for visitors interested in their ghostly residents or hair-raising history. The most haunted <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-beautiful-places-in-america/ranker-travel?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">places in America</a> - cemeteries, former prisons, and hospitals -&nbsp;even entire towns -&nbsp;are already notorious.&nbsp;Halloween gives them a chance to celebrate their&nbsp;infamous fear factor. Be afraid, very afraid - but have fun, too.

How Notoriously Spooky And Haunted Locations Celebrate Halloween Every Year

Here's How These 14 Famously Haunted Places Celebrate Halloween

Jodi Smith

History

The history of Halloween seems to invite misinformation - the entire holiday is fraught with it. Many urban legends&nbsp;suggest that <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-historical-halloween-photos/mallory-weiler" target="_blank">children</a> are in danger of receiving <a href="http://didyouknowfacts.com/was-anyone-ever-actually-hurt-by-halloween-candy/" target="_blank">apples full of razor blades</a>;&nbsp;a vile Satanist may lurk&nbsp;behind every mailbox;&nbsp;and&nbsp;all unfamiliar-looking candy is likely ecstasy, apparently handed out by some poor soul overburdened with too much MDMA lying around. In reality, of course, <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/12914/brief-history-sick-people-tampering-halloween-candy" target="_blank">reported cases of&nbsp;tainted Halloween candy</a> are next to nothing, and the chances you will become<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/modern-human-sacrifice/christopher-shultz" target="_blank"> a victim of&nbsp;human sacrifice</a> is roughly the same as being slain by a meteorite.

Halloween in history is just as murky; it has a few separate origin points that all tie together, and its celebration often cobbles together local customs from preexisting holidays. It undoubtedly owes something to the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/pagan-halloween-traditions/april-a-taylor" target="_blank">Celtic festival of Samhain</a>, but it&#39;s hard to say with certainty what traditions come from where, especially since many of&nbsp;the only written records derived from the Romans. We can at least be sure that the early Halloween was not, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-halloween/2014/10/24/b9b60800-5939-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html" target="_blank">was&nbsp;suggested</a>, a holiday when druids showed up to your house to&nbsp;kill your sheep unless you gave them money.

14 Weird Facts About The History Of Halloween Around The World

14 Weird Facts About the History of Halloween Around the World

Jon Skindzier

No October is complete without a viewing of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hocus-Pocus-Bette-Midler/dp/6305428042?&amp;tag=rankercom2622355-20" target="_blank">Hocus Pocus</a>. It&#39;s not only among the best <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/underrated-halloween-movies/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">Halloween movies</a> ever made, but&nbsp;the film&#39;s heady blend of capital-A acting, scary witchcraft, and adult subtext&nbsp;turns a pretty basic story into a cult classic.

Before it went into production, the Hocus Pocus movie was only meant to be a Disney Channel special that played in October. But according to the documentary&nbsp;Hocus Pocus: Begin the Magic, someone at Disney read the script and realized how good it was. Instead of falling through the cracks, it ended up being a showcase for Bette Midler, Thora Birch, and Sarah Jessica Parker &ndash; not to mention that cat.

Hocus Pocus wasn&#39;t a hit when it was released in 1993, but it&#39;s become a minor sensation since. Part of that is due to the movie&#39;s wickedly subversive streak. Hocus Pocus&nbsp;features a lot of sex, straight up child murder, and a very fresh take on witchcraft. It&#39;s an&nbsp;anomaly among Disney&rsquo;s filmography, and that&rsquo;s what makes it so good.

All The Ways 'Hocus Pocus' Is The Best Halloween Movie Ever Made

15 Reasons Why Hocus Pocus Is Super Edgy For a Disney Movie

Ranking the best, worst, most creative, and funniest Halloween costumes you'll ever see.

Who Will You Be for Halloween?

Funny

Counting down the days to Halloween? Let&#39;s face it, this holiday is hella fun, but it does come with a fair amount of bother and stress. There&#39;s lots to do, including putting together the finishing touches on your costume, arranging a designated driver for the evening&#39;s spook-tacular revelry, and preparing to shell out more money on candy to feed trick-or-treaters than you probably pay in taxes. It&#39;s important to keep a sense of humor alive while going through the motions, which is probably why many people decide to dress their pets in Halloween costumes. Who doesn&#39;t want to see a pug dressed like Yoda, or a cat that looks just like Walter White?

Most animals are good sports, even though it seems evident that many feel demoralized while wearing Halloween costumes. Vote up which of these unfortunately dressed pets is worthy of the most laughs. Keep in mind that no animals were harmed in any of these photos... unless you count the crushing of their souls.

30 Really Unfortunate Halloween Costumes for Pets

18 Unfortunate Pet Halloween Costumes

Funny Pet Halloween Costumes

Anabel Conner

Halloween lists at Ranker - The ultimate source for hundreds of halloween lists and rankings