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OTTAWA - The annual celebration of ghosts and witches will be in full swing Saturday, as kids make the rounds of their neighbourhoods in pursuit of holiday treats.
In honour of Halloween, Statistics Canada has rolled out some facts and figures on everything from pumpkins to zombies to give Canadians a better understanding of some familiar items and characteristics associated with the holiday.
Trick-or-Treaters:
3,807,039 - The number of children in Canada of prime trick-or-treating age, five to 14 years old, in 2008, down from the previous year. This is the lowest turnout since 1990.
The number of children aged five to 14 peaked in 2002 at 4,103,114.
12,435,520 - The number of private dwellings across Canada in 2006 where children might be able to receive treats.
Jack-o'-lanterns:
2,634 hectares - The estimated area of pumpkins harvested in Canada in 2009.
2,317 - The number of farms with pumpkin patches in Canada according to the 2006 Census.
65,840 tonnes - The amount of pumpkins and squash produced in Canada in 2008.
Halloween apples:
In some parts of Canada, children chant "Halloween apples!" in their quest for treats. Where the French-Canadian culture is dominant, trick-or-treaters must sing a song for their reward.
6.85 kg - The average amount of fresh apples eaten by each person in Canada in 2008.
393,435 tonnes - The marketed production of apples in Canada in 2008, with a farm gate value of $174.5 million.
A vampire's favourite hangout:
$117.1 million - The estimated value of wood coffins and caskets manufactured in Canada in 2006.
Quiet professionals:
Between 1996 and 2006, the number of female funeral directors and embalmers in Canada nearly doubled.
4,600 - The number of funeral directors and embalmers in Canada in 2006. Of this number, 3,235 were men and 1,365 were women.
3,735 - The number of funeral directors and embalmers in Canada 10 years earlier, in 1996. Of this number, 3,015 were men and 720 were women.
Halloween candy:
$317 million - The spike in monthly sales of candy, confectionery and snack food sales at large retailers in October 2008. December, however, was the month with the highest monthly sales in 2008, at $394 million.
$255 million - The average monthly sales of candy, confectionery and snack foods at large retailers in 2008.
Zombies:
These people are not really zombies a but close!
3.3 million - The estimated number of Canadians aged 15 or older who had problems going to sleep or staying asleep (insomnia) in 2002.
Tricksters:
We don't know if these delinquent acts were committed at Halloween ...
1 out of 5 - The proportion of middle-school students in Toronto who reported that they had committed at least one delinquent act in 2006.
Findings from the International Youth Survey also suggest that a relatively small proportion of the young people were responsible for a high number of repeated delinquent acts. Delinquency, as defined in this report, refers to all behaviours explicitly set out in the Criminal Code of Canada.
Devil's night:
There is a general increase in the number of criminal incidents reported to police at Halloween (compared with the previous week). Data are provided by 155 police services representing 98 per cent of the population of Canada.
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