General 6 spooktacular facts about Halloween in Canada By Jackie Davis Published: October 5, 2022 Updated: March 26, 2024 share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Copy Link Cancel View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 By Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock The dawn of costumes The first instance of dressing in disguise (“guising”) in North America occurred in Vancouver, in 1898. Locals were...confused? “The habit, if properly followed out and observed, is a harmless one,” reported a reassuring article in the Vancouver Daily Mail. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 By YanLev/Shutterstock A familiar phrase is born The first recorded use of the expression “trick or treat” was in Lethbridge, Alta., in 1927. No word on when and where the saying changed to include “Smell my feet; give me something good to eat.” View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 By Bangkok Click Studio/Shutterstock Not-so-sweet sixteen A bylaw in Bathurst, N.B., once banned anyone older than 14 from trick-or-treating. People weren’t too happy about that; it was later amended to ban the act by anyone older than 16. The fine if caught? $200. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 By STUDIO GRAND WEB/Shutterstock Before there were pumpkins, there were root vegetables It was Scottish and Irish immigrants who introduced Halloween celebrations, including pumpkin carving, to Canada in the mid-1800s. The original jack’-o-lanterns carved in Ireland and Britain weren’t pumpkins, they were turnips, beets, and potatoes. Eventually, pumpkins became the vessel of choice because they were easier to carve. (Have you ever tried to hollow out a turnip?) View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 By BUTENKOV ALEKSEI/Shutterstock And you thought carving on land was tough North America has been host to several Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contests, including one in 2021 in Ontario’s old Welland Canal. Knife-wielding scuba divers use weighted belts and bricks to help them sink to the bottom. The designs were...well, about what you'd expect for pumpkins carved in the dark. Underwater. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 By JeniFoto/Shutterstock Sorry, Canadian dentists In Canada, Halloween is the second-largest shopping season, after Christmas. It’s a billion-dollar industry; we spend the money on costumes, decorations, and, of course, lots and lots of candy–it makes up about a third of the cash. That’s a little scary. View in Fullscreen Related galleries Take a tour of the Canadian Canoe Museum’s new digs 10 cottage-country theatre companies to check out this summer Beloved Henry’s Fish Restaurant in Sans Souci now up for sale—with a new mainland location on the way 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 spooktacular facts about Halloween in Canada How much do you know about Halloween’s Canadian connections? Check out these surprising—and sometimes scary—spooky season facts. Related Story DIY Halloween decor for your cottage Related Story Fall candles to keep at the cottage Related Story Spend Halloween at these spooky cabin rentals in the woods