Halloween is like a witch’s cauldron – it’s got lots of strange ingredients that add up to something magical. There are macabre decorations and friendly jack o’ lanterns, people wearing terrifying masks and dogs dressed in adorable lion costumes, bloody horror movie marathons and cartoon classics like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” It seems everyone adds something different to this strange cultural brew that begins to simmer every October.
The most famous quotes about Halloween only confirm this. In this list of the best Halloween quotes ever, we’ve divided the sayings according to their disparate types. Whether you’re looking for a cutesy quote or a sinister saying, you’re sure to find something to like in this monstrous mishmash.
Short
First into the brew are some short Halloween quotes, the kind that are perfect for sharing with friends.
- “Witch and ghost make merry on this last of dear October’s days.”Unknown
- “Something wicked this way comes.”William Shakespeare
- “The farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we’ve come to need Halloween.”Paula Guran
- “It’s Halloween; everyone’s entitled to one good scare.”Halloween
- “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”L.M. Montgomery
- “It’s all just a bunch of hocus pocus!”Hocus Pocus
- “They that are born on Halloween shall see more than other folk.”Unknown
- “For some of us, Halloween is everyday.”Tim Burton
- “A mask tells us more than a face.”Oscar Wilde
- “I got a rock.”It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Cute
Next to go into our cauldron are some cute Halloween quotes. These are great for kids, or really for anyone who appreciates the whimsical side of the holiday.
- “A grandmother pretends she doesn’t know who you are on Halloween.”Erma Bombeck
- “When witches go riding,
And black cats are seen,
The moon laughs and whispers
‘Tis near Halloween.”Unknown - “On Halloween, what bothers some
About these witches, is how come
In sailing, through the air, like bats
They never seem, to lose their hats?”David McCord - “On Hallowe’en the thing you must do
Is pretend that nothing can frighten you
And if somethin’ scares you and you want to run
Just let on like it’s Hallowe’en fun.”Unknown - “From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!”Traditional Scottish Poem
Funny
Now it’s time to add a pinch of humor to the pot. For more on the funny side of All Hallows’ Eve, see this collection of ghastly Halloween puns.
- “Halloween was confusing. All my life my parents said, ‘Never take candy from strangers.’ And then they dressed me up and said, ‘Go beg for it.'”Rita Rudner
- “All of the candy corn that was ever made was made in 1911. And so, since nobody eats that stuff, every year there’s a ton of it left over.”Lewis Black
- “Who made the rule that everybody has to dress like sheep 364 days of the year? Think of all the people you’d meet if they were in costume every day. People would be so much easier to talk to – like talking to dogs.”Douglas Coupland
- “Whoever thought a tiny candy bar should be called fun size was a moron.”Glenn Beck
Spooky
Finally, we add something creepy to this witches’ brew. If you want to spice things up further, see this list of the scariest quotes of all time.
- “There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow by moonlight.”Unknown
- “Pixie, kobold, elf, and sprite,
All are on their rounds tonight;
In the wan moon’s silver ray,
Thrives their helter-skelter play.”Joel Benton - “Bring forth the raisins and the nuts-
Tonight All-Hallows’ Spectre struts
Along the moonlit way.”John Kendrick Bangs - “At first cock-crow the ghosts must go
Back to their quiet graves below.”Theodosia Garrison - “Tis the night – the night
Of the grave’s delight,
And the warlocks are at their play;
Ye think that without,
The wild winds shout,
But no, it is they – it is they!”Cleveland Coxe - “Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, Tonight is Halloween!”Dexter Kozen
In the mood for more Halloween wording ideas? Check out these bewitching Halloween greetings.