The White House

The White House is the official residence of the President of the United States, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. It has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name, engraving it on his stationery in 1901. Prior to that, the building was known variously as the “President's Palace,” the “President's House,” and the “Executive Mansion.”

Which State Is It Illegal to Dress Up as a Priest for Halloween?

In Alabama, it’s illegal to dress up as a priest or other religious clergy member for Halloween. According to Section 13A-14-4 of the Alabama Code, "Whoever, being in a public place, fraudulently pretends by garb or outward array to be a minister of any religion, or nun, priest, rabbi or other member of the clergy, is guilty of a misdemeanor." Breaking the law could earn you a $500 fine and up to a year in jail. If you live in Alabama, we hope that wasn’t your plan for today. If so, you may want to shelve the collar or consider heading to a different state to celebrate.

All About Pumpkins

Where do pumpkins come from? Pumpkins are native to Central America and have been in the Western Hemisphere for approximately 5,000 years. They have spread, and can now be found growing on six continents. What are the top pumpkin producing states? The Midwest is a big source of the orange orbs. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennyslvania produce the most pumpkins. As of 2013, Illinois grows the most pumpkins in the United States with an average of 427 million pounds yearly. Roughly 90 percent of these pumpkins grow within a radius of 90 miles of Peoria, Illinois.

Why Is Candy Passed Out on Halloween?

Where exactly the tradition of trick or treating started is a matter of some debate. But when the custom first came to America in the 1920s and 30s, it wasn't just kids going door to door for candy. The practice back then would yield all sorts of treats including toys and money. And let's be honest, if you're a kid, you love candy, but you probably wouldn't have minded if you got a few less bags of candy corn and a bit more cash. So why did we make the transition to virtually everyone just giving fun-sized candy? You guessed it, the candy companies. They saw an opportunity and started marketing tiny, individually wrapped candies to families who mostly adopted the idea because it was just easier.

Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926. The official cause of death was peritonitis, internal poisoning resulting from a ruptured appendix. For full ten years after Houdini's death, his wife Bess conducted a séance each Halloween. Houdini had told Bess that if it were possible, he would send a message to her "from beyond", in secret code. Though Bess eventually stopped participating in the séances after 1937, members of the magic fraternity have kept the tradition going. Each Halloween, there are numerous Houdini séances held around the world.

Halloween

Halloween began in Ireland as the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31st, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating.

Ahoy!

Saying “ahoy” was at one time the preferred way to answer the phone. The very brief popularity of this telephone greeting stemmed from the fact that “ahoy” was Alexander Graham Bell’s preferred way to answer the phone. The term ahoy was generally associated as a nautical term used for hailing ships. The dictionary says it was Thomas Edison who put hello into common usage. He urged people to instead say "hello" when answering. Because “hello” quickly usurped “ahoy”, by 1889 telephone operators became known as “hello-girls”.

Philatest

A philatelist is someone who studies or collects stamps. The first postage stamps were made available on May 1, 1840, in England, and it didn't take long for the hobby of stamp collecting to arise. Philatelic organizations sprang up soon after people started collecting and studying stamps. They include local, national and international clubs and societies where collectors come together to share their hobby. Philately is the collection and study of postage stamps.