The Halloween King & A Few Halloween Fun Facts

Life is in constant motion. Sometimes it pushes us forward, and we're filled with encouragement. Other times it assaults us, forcing us backwards and stripping us of our confidence. Either way, there is growth to be had. 
One lesson I've learned over and over again through both the above types of life elements is that humor and letting go can be therapeutic. Here's some Halloween therapy to lighten your day and feed you a bit of useless knowledge - you know, in case you end up on Family Feud or something.

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Did you know that the turnip can claim victory as the first official Jack-O-Lantern?      - Yup. Weird, and I bet it stunk, too.
In the olden days (apply phrase to self as it applies), owls were thought to be witches. Guess what it meant when they hooted?       - Someone was going to die. Mmwwhaaaa...
Any idea what Souling means?       - Poor people would visit homes and instead of receiving treats they offered prayers for the household's dead in exchange for a soul cake.
Yeah. So what's a soul cake?      - Soul cakes are small round cakes that kind of     look like biscuits. 
What's the deal with all the orange and black for the Halloween season?       - Orange was always thought to represent the harvest during the Fall season, where the gruesome side to the holiday is felt through the color black representing death. 
Other titles for Halloween have been...?      - Witches Night, All Hallows Eve, Samhain Eve, Summer's End, All Saints Eve, Snap Apple Night, to name a few.

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Have you ever heard of Samhain Eve? (I've heard of Samhain, but not with the eve.) Want to know why the eve is added here?       - Samhain is the Irish word for November, so technically adding Eve makes the phrase say October 31st. 
And why Snap Apple Night? Kind of a weird way to refer to Halloween, right?       - Snap Apple Night is the title of a painting (1833) by Daniel Maclise depicting a Halloween party. No, really. It is. Google it. 
Now, for my personal fun fact....
We live in a fairly large neighborhood of cul-du-secs and horseshoe streets. It would be safe to say that this area is one of the busiest on Halloween night. Families come by the van-full and park their vehicles along the streets. Kids pile out and are allowed to roam freely, usually in groups or bunches. Most adults walk the streets, too, carrying flashlights. And yes, we as the adults who resided in the neighborhood would have fun too.
When my four children where younger, they'd come home at the night's end with enough candy to literally fill a kitchen garbage bag if not half another one, too. It was crazy. Of course, my mother's radar would go off, thinking their teeth would be rotten within a few weeks if I let them eat all that. 
This is where the Halloween King came into existence, at least in our home anyway. I'd collect all my kids' candy, allowing them each to choose a few favorite pieces to set aside. They'd stack their individual stashes of Halloween pride near the fireplace and head off to bed. Once they were asleep, I'd collect all the candy and replace it with a wrapped present for each child. And just like Christmas morning, the kids would rush downstairs to see what special new gadget, toy, book, or whatever they'd received. Not once did they rush downstairs in the morning and complain about having to give up their candy. 
But the REAL winner was my husband. He got to take all the candy to work with him and become the hero to all his employees - The REAL Halloween King. 
It worked for our family. Maybe it could work for yours. AND btw - this is one of the picture books I'm writing. 
Do you have any Halloween traditions in your family?