1

Paul Bunyan

Image: Abby Savage

Paul Bunyan , the colossal lumberjack of American folklore, is said to have cleared forests from the Northeast to the Pacific Northwest. With his blue ox, Babe , he performed incredible feats of strength, like carving out the Grand Canyon just by dragging his axe behind him, and creating the Great Lakes with his footprints.

Originating in oral traditions among lumberjacks, Bunyan’s exaggerated exploits gained momentum with the American westward expansion during the 19th century and soon became deeply ingrained in the popular imagination.

2

Johnny Appleseed

Image: Aarón Blanco Tejedor

Born John Chapman, Johnny Appleseed wandered the American frontier planting apple trees and spreading goodwill in the early 19th century. A devout Christian, he became a folk hero for his kindness, environmentalism, and pioneering spirit.

Contrary to the popular image of Johnny Appleseed randomly scattering apple seeds, he was a skilled nurseryman who meticulously planted apple tree nurseries. Each nursery was carefully fenced to shield the saplings from livestock and wildlife. After establishing these nurseries, he entrusted them to neighbors but revisited them periodically.

3

Pecos Bill

Image: JosephHershMedia

Pecos Bill , a fictional cowboy raised by coyotes in the wilds of Texas, became a larger-than-life figure known for taming cyclones and roping tornadoes. His adventures, first popularized in the early 20th century, embody the frontier spirit and Texas mythology, blending humor with tales of rugged individualism.

Among his many tales, one credits him with creating the Gulf of Mexico . According to legend, during a severe drought in Texas, Pecos Bill lassoed a storm cloud in California and brought it to Texas. The resulting deluge caused extensive flooding, ultimately forming the Gulf.

4

Davy Crockett

Image: Joseph Corl

Davy Crockett , known as the "King of the Wild Frontier," was a real-life frontiersman later turned politician whose exploits were mythologized even during his lifetime. Born in East Tennessee, he quickly gained fame for his sharp hunting skills and captivating storytelling.

During his time in the U.S. Congress, he staunchly opposed many of President Andrew Jackson’s policies, particularly the Indian Removal Act, and championed the rights of small landowners. Crockett’s life ended with valor at the Battle of the Alamo , solidifying his folk legend as a symbol of courage and patriotism. His legacy remains an enduring part of American history.

5

Calamity Jane

Image: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen

Martha Jane Canary, better known by her alias Calamity Jane, was a frontierswoman and scout famed for her sharpshooting skills and daredevil exploits. During her youth, she stepped up to provide for her large family, taking on various jobs, from ox team driver to scout for Fort Russell. Eventually, she embraced the rough and adventurous lifestyle that made her a legend.

Despite her fearsome reputation, Calamity Jane was compassionate and often helped those in need. Her adventures in the Wild West alongside figures like Wild Bill Hickok cemented her status as a legend of the American frontier.

6

Molly Pitcher

Image: Garry T

Molly Pitcher, the nickname given to Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, became famous for her bravery during the American Revolutionary War. Although several historical figures are known by this moniker for similar deeds, Mary Ludwig Hays distinguished herself during the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778, where she served as a water carrier for the soldiers.

When her husband, an artilleryman in the Continental Army, fell to enemy fire, she took his place, swabbing and loading the cannon with such bravery and determination that she earned a commendation from George Washington.

7

Daniel Boone

Image: Scott Longerbeam

Daniel Boone was a legendary frontiersman and explorer who blazed trails through the Appalachian Mountains and into Kentucky. Born in 1734, Boone became famous for his expert hunting and survival skills, as well as his role in establishing the Wilderness Road, a trail that facilitated westward migration through the Cumberland Gap.

After serving as a militia officer during the Revolutionary War, he was briefly taken in by the Shawnees in the Northeastern Woodlands. After a few years, he returned and continued to help protect the Kentucky settlements.

8

Buffalo Bill

Image: Judy Beth Morris

William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a legendary figure of the American West, known for his Wild West shows that toured the United States and Europe. Born in 1846, Cody was a skilled buffalo hunter, Army scout, and showman who brought cowboy skills and frontier life to audiences worldwide.

He earned his nickname after the Civil War by providing Kansas Pacific Railroad workers with buffalo meat, hunting record numbers of the animal. He even engaged in hunting competitions with his partner, Bill Comstock. His legendary figure has been frequently portrayed in film and television, especially during the height of the Western genre in the 1960s.

9

Wild Bill Hickok

Image: Pablò

James Butler Hickok, famously known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a legendary figure of the American Old West. Born in 1837, Hickok gained fame as a skilled marksman, gambler, and lawman.

Though his exploits were certainly exaggerated by the outlandish tales he told about himself, he was involved in several notorious gunfights during his life. Most notably, he dueled with Davis Tutt, a local gambler with whom he had various disagreements, particularly over their mutual affection for the same woman.

10

John Henry

Image: Lucio Patone

John Henry was a legendary steel-driving man whose man-against-machine tale epitomized the strength and resilience of the American worker. An African American freedman, his dangerous job involved hammering steel drills into rocks to create holes for explosives used to blast open railroad tunnels.

According to the legend, John Henry's prowess was tested in a race against a steam-powered drill. He won the race but tragically died after victory, hammer in hand when his heart gave out from the immense physical stress.

1

Choose a villain

Image: Paige Cody

If reason were to govern our thoughts on the matter, no one could deny that seeing people of all ages dressed up as their favorite villains is a weird thing. We’ll discuss the treating part later, but let’s get into the costumes first.

This tradition has deep roots, and it goes all the way back to the Middle Ages and the ancient festival of Samhain. Now what was the purpose of the costumes? People used to believe that spirits roamed the earth on this particular night so, dressing up in costumes was the way to ward off these phantoms. Quite original, don’t you think?

2

Apple bobbing

Image: Nathan Dumlao

Among the spooky traditions, there is also one that relates to romance and love: bobbing for apples, and we’ve got Great Britain to thank for it.

In this game, an apple represented a potential husband, and, faith for young women who wished to marry was settled by how many attempts it took her to retrieve an apple. One bite meant jolly matrimony. Two bites, a not-so-long-lasting courtship. And three… Well, that relationship was doomed altogether.

Samhain was celebrated at the end of the harvest, and when Irish immigrants brought their costumes to America, this game fit fall festivities to perfection becoming a beloved Halloween game.

3

Jack-o’-lanterns

Image: Szabó János

Who is Jack, and why was he immortalized in a Halloween lantern? Well, it is all, of course, part of a curious legend. As the story goes, Jack tricked the devil twice. The first time, he tricked the Devil into becoming a coin and then, by making him promise not to claim his soul. However, all these tricks only brought nasty consequences—neither hell nor heaven wanted him.

So what happened? He was left to wander the earth with only a burning coal inspiring a carved-out turnip to light his way.

Turnips were just the start for the Scottish and Irish, soon they turned to beets and potatoes, and the tradition took the shape of pumpkins for Americans.

4

Trick or treat yourself!

Image: Nick Fewings

We’ve discussed the costumes, so let’s dive into the sweets. What’s the origin of knocking on doors and asking for candy?

When the Catholic Church established All Souls’ Day, in the Middle Ages, the costume tradition remained and a new one was added: knocking on doors and offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food. This was a practice called "souling."

But souling also suffered some changes and, in modern times, it evolved into what we know as "trick-or-treating," an activity in which children go door-to-door promising mischief if they don’t receive candy. Now you know this, we bet you’ll always give treats away!

5

Black cats, good or bad?

Image: Adél Grőber

In some cultures, spotting a black cat is a one-way ticket to destruction. In others, a black cat is a good luck omen, a sign that you’ll even find love. However, in America, black cats are part of the first group and have become a key symbol in Halloween celebrations and decorations.

Why is that? Because, in the Middle Ages, these poor animals were associated with witches and witchcraft. They were believed to have powers and to be connected to the evil spirits roaming the earth. True or not, they certainly add to the eerie atmosphere of Halloween, don’t you think?

6

Black and orange

Image: Bee Felten-Leidel

Have you ever wondered why we use these particular colors during the Halloween season? Well, the choice was not random at all, it has to do with the meaning behind orange and black.

For one, orange is related to the autumn season, and the end of the harvest (the original time of the Celtic celebration).

Black, on the other hand, brings in the spookiness and the mystery that we all love about Halloween night. It represents the color of the night sky, the shadows, and all things that add to the eerie atmosphere of the evening.

7

Haunted houses

Image: Bee Felten-Leidel

This tradition reveals the true essence of the Halloween spirit: to get as many scares as one can in a single night. All across America, on October 31st, families get their houses ready to invite people over for a thrilling experience.

Haunted houses aim to evoke tension and fear through ghostly figures, spooky decorations, dimmed lights, and chilling sounds with special effects. Have you ever visited one?

8

Bonfires

Image: henry perks

Bonfires, another tradition inherited from the Celtic celebration, are less common but they are still a Halloween tradition. As you can imagine, the original intention of the bonfires was to ward off evil spirits and to honor the Gods.

In the more modern Irish and Scottish traditions, the bonfires were part of a protective and communal custom that later made its way to America. In turn, this tradition has only remained to add warmth and a sense of togetherness to the holiday.

9

Candy Frenzy

Image: Mary Jane Duford

If you ask any child, candy is the best reason to celebrate Halloween. And we can’t blame them— they get to dress up, knock on doors, and get dozens of candies they will later exchange and eat in the company of their loved ones.

In our country, it’s not just the children or the houses who get ready for Halloween—the Marketing industry does too! Every year, countless candy brands (any brand really) adapt their products to make them Halloween-themed. The season kicks off when your local supermarket hangs those spiderwebs up and you start spotting black and orange packaging all over!

10

Scary stories

Image: Nika Benedictova

After collecting all the candies that were rightfully theirs for dressing up, children and young adults all over the country get together to end the night devouring their treats and immersing themselves one last time in the eerie atmosphere: It’s time for the spine-tingling tales.

No Halloween celebration is complete without a good dose of scary stories, fables of ancient times with mysterious characters and details that send shivers down the listeners’ spines. Why? For the sake of fear, after all, Halloween night is all about the supernatural!

1

Roswell Incident

In June 1947, a rancher in Roswell, New Mexico, found strange metallic debris in a field. Soon after, military personnel from a neighboring air base gathered all the evidence and announced they had recovered a flying disc . The following day, however, they retracted their statement, claiming instead that the debris was part of a weather balloon — and suspicions of a conspiracy were born

Years later, government officials stated that the balloon story had been a cover, but there are still disputes about what actually happened. Military sources have since said the balloon was part of a program to detect Soviet nuclear weapons , but the contradicting stories have led many to believe that we don’t know the whole truth about the incident.

2

Washington, D.C. UFO Incident

In July 1952, a series of UFO sightings in Washington, D.C., was reported over two consecutive weekends near the White House and the Capitol. These objects were seen visually by pilots and air traffic controllers, and they were also tracked by radar.

Though the air force deployed jets to intercept the UFOs, the pilots reported that these objects had incredible speed and that they were easily outmaneuvered. The incident sparked attention from the media, which led President Truman to create the Robertson Panel, a scientific committee dedicated to investigating UFO sighting reports.

3

Cash–Landrum incident

In December 1980, Betty Cash and Vickie Landrum, alongside Landrum’s grandson, spotted what they initially thought was an airplane near Dayton, Texas, but was actually a diamond-shaped object, emitting a bright light and hovering near the ground . After getting out of their vehicle to inspect the object, they returned to the car to find it was extremely hot to the touch.

After the alleged UFO left, Cash and Landrum claimed to have seen a military aircraft following it. The three of them experienced burns, nausea, and other symptoms similar to those of radiation sickness , and Cash spent a month hospitalized. The government denied any involvement in the situation, but many investigators and researchers believe this could have been a secret military experiment.

4

The Westchester Boomerang

From 1983 to 1984, residents of Hudson Valley in New York and Fairfield County in Connecticut reported the appearance of large objects that emitted bright lights , flying in a circle or V-shaped formation.

The police later claimed that these were actually a group of Cessna 152s from a neighboring town , and the alleged pilots expressed their amusement at the confusion. However, witnesses claimed that the flying objects could not have been small aircraft, as they made no sound and were able to hover in one spot for extended periods of time.

5

Travis Walton incident

On November 5, 1975, Travis Walton, a logger working in Heber, Arizona, was reported missing by his crew. They claimed that, returning from work, they had stopped because they saw an unusual light. Walton had walked into the forest following it and had been struck by a beam . Afraid that he had died, his companions fled and alerted the police, but Walton was not found despite intense searches.

Five days later, Walton appeared in Heber, confused and disoriented. He claimed to have been abducted by humanoid aliens, who kept them in their aircraft . He and other witnesses passed the lie detector test, but many people believed the incident was an elaborate hoax.

6

Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting

In June 1947, Kenneth Arnold, a pilot flying near Mount Rainier in Washington State, reported sighting of several flying objects, which he believed were experimental military aircraft. After an investigation by military officials, they found several witnesses who reported sightings at a similar time and location to Arnold.

Arnold described these aircraft as round objects that moved as a "saucer would if you skipped it across the water". The popularity of the story, the first UFO sighting after World War II, first popularized the term "flying saucer."

7

Stephenville, Texas sighting

Residents of Stephenville, Texas, reported in January 2008 that they had seen a massive flying object, moving at high speed and emitting lights. The witnesses, including a pilot and a police officer, claimed the object was up to a mile long and made no sound.

Though the U.S. Air Force initially denied having planes in the area , they later explained that training maneuvers for 10 F-16 jets had been conducted; this contradiction sparked rumors of a classified military aircraft.

8

Marfa Lights, Texas

One of the oldest alleged sightings in America, the first record of the Marfa lights dates back to 1883. These light orbs appear sporadically on the horizon, and their color varies between blue, red, and white. Appearing around 30 times a year, the Marfa lights can still be seen to this day.

Scientists have tried to explain these appearances as an atmospheric phenomenon similar to a mirage, or the reflection of car lights from a highway, but they have failed to reach a definite conclusion. Marfa has become a popular destination for UFO aficionados , which has led the Texas Department of Transportation to build a dedicated viewing area.

9

Japan Airlines Cargo Flight 1628

On November 17, 1986, the crew of a Japanese cargo plane claimed to have been followed by three flying objects —one massive and two smaller ones— as they flew over Anchorage, Alaska. Media outlets reported that these objects had been captured on a military radar, but government officials later discredited the claims.

After landing in Anchorage, the crew was interviewed by the FBI and the CIA, who allegedly confirmed a radar sighting. However, the agencies have since denied that the meeting ever took place.

10

USS Nimitz "Tic Tac" incident

In November 2004, jet pilots from the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier reported encountering a ‘tic tac-shaped’ object with remarkable flying capabilities. Besides the eyewitnesses, the object was captured by the jets’ cameras and tracked by the radar of another aircraft carrier for two weeks.

The videos were classified until 2020, when they were released by the Pentagon after a series of reports by the New York Times . Though several theories have been postulated, there is no official explanation for this incident.