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Hallowe'en... by the numbers
Friday, October 13, 2006
On the evening of October 31 each year, children dress up, often as witches or ghosts or other fantastical characters, and go door to door collecting candy and declaring "trick or treat"-or "Hallowe'en apples"-depending upon where you live.
The occasion is also marked by the lighting of the Jack-o'-lantern, a hollowed-out and carved pumpkin that, when placed in a window or on a front porch, indicates to the trick-or-treaters that there is candy to be gathered at that residence.
Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallow Even), the eve of All Saints' Day, was originally celebrated by Celtic peoples, but is now popular in Canada and across North America.
Trick or treat!
3,987,068 - The number of children in Canada in the prime trick-or-treating demographic of 5 to 14 year olds in 2005, down from 4,038,669 in 2004 and down from 4,092,387 in 2000. The last year in which this demographic numbered fewer than 4 million was 1995.
Source: CANSIM, table 051-0001 (Estimates of population).
11,562,975 - The number of private dwellings across Canada in 2001 where children could grab a treat or play a trick.
Source: Summary tables, Census of population, Housing, Type of dwelling and population by type of dwelling (1961-2001 Censuses).
All that candy
57 - The number of establishments in Canada that shipped sugar candy in 2003.
21 - The number of establishments in Canada that produced seasonal novelties made of chocolate in 2003.
13,022 - The total number of employees in the chocolate and confectionery manufacturing industry in 2004.
Please note that this employment figure includes only the following categories from the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS): NAICS 31132 - Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans; NAICS 31133 - Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate; NAICS 31134 - Non-Chocolate Confectionery Manufacturing.
Source: "Annual survey of manufactures: Products shipped by Canadian manufacturers", The Daily, Thursday, May 4, 2006.
Hallowe'en apples!
7.6 kg - The average amount of fresh appleseaten by each person in Canada in 2005.
Source: Food Statistics, vol. 5, no. 2, October 25, 2006.
38 % - The percentage share of national apple production in Ontario in 2005.
30 % - The percentage share of national apple production in British Columbia in 2005.
394,115 tonnes - The marketed production of apples in Canada in 2005, with a farm gate value of a little less than $130 million.
Source: Fruit and Vegetable Production, vol. 75 no. 1, June 23, 2006.
The pumpkin patch
Some farm operations have come up with a wide variety of enjoyable and educational activities, such as haunted barns, giant corn mazes, petting zoos, pumpkin carving demonstrations, scarecrow building contests and, of course, a hay ride to the pumpkin patch to "pick your own."
These ventures are not only a benefit to the small farm operation; they also serve to bring rural and urban people together. They provide an opportunity to educate the Canadian public-nearly 80% of whom live in urban areas-by increasing awareness of agricultural issues as well as sharing the challenges and rewards of a rural lifestyle.
2,850 - The number of farms with pumpkin patches in 2001, led by Ontario (1,238), British Columbia (536) and Quebec (474).
5,742 hectares - The land area devoted to pumpkin, squash and zucchini in 2001. (For the sake of simplicity, the term "pumpkins" here refers to these three vegetables.) Although grown in every province in Canada, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces are the major gourd-producing areas.
$22 million - The amount of pumpkin sales in 2001. Of this, $20 million came from the sale of fresh pumpkins while well under $2 million came from canned or processed pumpkins.
92% - The percentage of sales of fresh pumpkins in 2001.
8% - The percentage of sales of pumpkins in 2001 destined for processing into canned pumpkin pie mixes and similar products.
Source: "Study: Pumpkin crop on the rise", The Daily, Thursday, October 28, 2004; "The Pumpkin-A Growing Vegetable", Analysis in Brief, Thursday, October 28, 2004.
1.59 kg - The per capita amount of pumpkin and squash consumed as food in Canada in 2005, up from only 0.21 kg in 1981.
Source: Food Statistics, vol. 5, no. 2, October 25, 2006.
Large retailers make a killing
$206.4 million - The average monthly sales of candy, confectionery and snack foods at large retailers in 2005.
$259.3 million - The spike in monthly sales of candy, confectionery and snack foods sales at large retailers in October 2005. December, however, was the month with the highest monthly sales in 2005, at $347.6 million.
Source: CANSIM, table 080-0009, (Survey of large retailers, monthly).
Frightening statistics
. You thought only werewolves, vampires, goblins and ghosts were scary?
226,169 - The number of deaths in Canada in 2003. The number of deaths has been on an upward trend for several years, the result of a growing and aging population.
6 out of 10 - The proportion of deaths caused by diseases of the circulatory system and cancer combined in 2003.
Source: "Deaths", The Daily, Wednesday, December 21, 2005.
26% - The percentage of Canadian children and adolescents aged 2 to 17 who were overweight or obese in 2004.
8% - The percentage that was strictly obese.
Over the past 25 years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity combined has more than doubled among youth aged 12 to 17, while the prevalence of obesity alone has tripled. Children and youth who ate fruit and vegetables at least five times a day were substantially less likely to be overweight or obese than were those who ate these foods less often. The likelihood of being overweight/obese rose as time spent watching TV, playing video games or using a computer increased.
Source: "Overweight and obesity among children and youth", Health Reports, Vol. 17, no. 3, August 22, 2006.
63% - The percentage of people aged 15 and older whowent to the dentist according to a 2003 survey, an improvement over the 47% who did so in 1978/1979.
Among people who had not visited a dentist, only 5% gave "pain or embarrassment" as a reason for not going. Nearly a third said they did not think it was necessary, and almost the same amount reported wearing dentures. One in ten respondents had simply "not gotten around to it", and 18% cited cost.
Source: "Dental consultations", Health Reports, Vol. 16, no. 1, October 19, 2004.
18,105 - The number of dentists in Canada in 2001.
Source: 2001 Census, Topic-based Tabulations, Canada's Workforce: Paid Work, Occupation.
Devil's night
Note: Data are provided from a non-representative subset of 120 police services accounting for approximately 58% of the national volume of reported actual (substantiated) Criminal Code crimes.
36% - During Hallowe'en 2004, the increase from the previous week (i.e. October 24, 2004) in the number of criminal incidents.
55% - The proportion of all criminal incidents reported during Hallowe'en that were Violations against Property.
20% - The proportion of all criminal incidents reported during Hallowe'en that were Violations against the Person.
102% - The percentage increase in Other Criminal Code Violations, such as Offences against Public Order and Bail Violations, reported during Hallowe'en compared to a week earlier (i.e. October 24, 2004).
44% - The percentage increase in Criminal Code Traffic Violations reported during Hallowe'en compared to a week earlier (i.e. October 24, 2004).
34% - The percentage increase in Violent Violations, such as Robbery, Common Assaults, Assaults causing Bodily Harm and Assaults against Police Officers, reported during Hallowe'en compared to a week earlier (i.e. October 24, 2004).
28% - The percentage increase in Property Violations, including General Mischief, Mischief under $5000 and Arson, reported to police during Hallowe'en compared to a week earlier (i.e. October 24, 2004).
-18% - The percentage decrease in Drug Violations reported to police during Hallowe'en compared to a week earlier (i.e. October 24, 2004).
Source: Incident-based Uniformed Crime Reporting (UCR2) Survey, October 2006, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.
A macabre occupation?
4,455 - The number of funeral directors and embalmers in Canada in 2001.
Source: 2001 Census, Topic-based Tabulations, Canada's Workforce: Paid Work, Occupation.
Vampires' choice
37 - The number of establishments producing coffins and caskets made of wood in Canada in 2003. In 2000, there were 73 such establishments.
5 - The number of establishments producing burial caskets made of iron or steel in Canada in 2003. In 2000, there were 2 such establishments in Canada.
Source: "Annual survey of manufactures: Products shipped by Canadian manufacturers", The Daily, Thursday, May 4, 2006.
Costume ideas
In addition to Hallowe'en costumes and costumes intended for theatrical, masquerade and lodge use, the "all other cut and sew clothing manufacturing" sector includes the production of academic caps and gowns, team athletic uniforms, baseball and basketball uniforms, waterproof capes and clothing, clerical vestments, hospital gowns, and so on.
834 - The total number of employees across Canada in 2004 in the "all other cut and sew clothing manufacturing" sector, which includes Hallowe'en costume making.
$116,224,000 - The total revenue of the "all other cut and sew clothing manufacturing" sector in 2004.
Source: "Annual survey of manufactures: Products shipped by Canadian manufacturers", The Daily, Thursday, May 4, 2006.
Happy Hallowe'en!
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