A full moon takes over the October night sky. You sit with your friends around a campfire and listen to horrifying stories that send chills down your spine. With Halloween quickly approaching, be sure you don’t forget to share an iconic scary story or two to get them into the frightful spirit.  

1. La Llorona 

Also known as the wailing woman, this urban legend tells the story of a young woman with long black hair. She is said to be wearing a white dress and is mourning the death of her children. The story goes that she went hysterical after finding out that her husband was leaving her for a younger woman. Out of jealousy and anger, the woman drowned her children in Lake Texcoco, and after realizing what she had done, she became inconsolable and soon died of sadness. Legend says that the woman wanders near the Lake Texcoco, in what is now Mexico City, Mexico, in search of her children and taking any children that remind her of her own. 

2. The Hook

The hook is an urban legend that tells the meaning of a bloody hook on a car door handle. It is said that a couple decided to take a car ride through the countryside. They came to a stop on an isolated part of a road. The lights in the car were turned off and the radio played a random station. The couple’s intimate moment was interrupted by a radio report of an escaped killer who had a hook instead of a hand. It is said that when the boy went to drop off the girl, he went around to open the door for her and a bloody hook hung from the door handle. 

3. The Headless Horseman (Sleepy Hollow)

The headless horseman, or the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, tells the story of a man who was killed during battle. He was a soldier who suffered a tragic, bloody death and lost his head in the process. Legend says that the horseman would rise from the dead during the night in search of his head. They said that you could hear his horse in the distance and see the tip of his long blade glowing under the moonlight.  

4. Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary, more commonly known as Queen Mary the first, was the first queen of England and Ireland. Mary got the tile of Bloody Mary because of the amount of people killed during her reign. It was also rumored that Mary would bathe in the blood of young maidens. She did this because she believed that this was a way to keep her young. Others say that Mary was said to be a witch killed for her practice with the dark arts. Others say that she was just a normal woman who died in a terrible car accident. While nobody really knows what the real story of Mary was the one thing that is always the same is the way that she comes back to haunt you. It is said that if you go into a dark room with a single lit candle and chant her name three times while standing in front of a mirror that she will appear. People say that Mary is a young woman with long black hair who is covered in blood and out to get the people that have summoned her.  

5. Black Eyed Children 

It’s Halloween and parents are handing out candy to the children. When there’s a knock on the door and it opens up to reveal two children, but something seems unusual about them. They seem to have this overwhelming sense of dread and their eyes are completely pitch black. It is said that these children will come to your door and ask you to let them in, and will not leave until they are let in. They are described as ordinary looking children between the ages of 6 and 16 and are said to be wearing old fashion clothing. It is said that they travel in pairs, sometimes a boy and a girl, but other than their black eyes they appear to be ordinary children. Most of the time people will let them in because who wouldn’t want to help two children out? But one thing that is known for sure is that misfortune follows those who let them in. 

These stories are a few of the most iconic tales that have been passed on through time. If you ever find yourself wanting to get into the Halloween spirit, don’t be afraid to share these with your friends if you want to give them a good scare.