Why do they not know "Nightmare moon" but "Nightmare night"

[crysal 30]

if no one knew who nightmare moon was in the first two episodes, then why do they know what nightmare night is.

 

is it just like our halloween? we all know what halloween is but not everybody knows who the hallows are?

 

so what do you think are nightmare night the same as halloween or what is it?

 

[Rainbow Dash Loyalty 1,275]

I just did a quick check on the first episode ;P It sounded like no one knew who Nightmare Moon was until Twilight said her name, my guess is either that no one knew her appearance or that everyone just suddenly forgot who she was xP Twilight was the only one studying about her after all, and she was the only one who saw it coming.

Nightmare Night is just an annual event, so yeah it's basically like their universe's version of Halloween xP 

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

Seeing as most people in our culture have never heard the word 'Samhain', it is entirely possible that the ponies celebrate the holiday without remembering Nightmare Moon. Supposedly, the term Halloween was first used in the 16th century, roughly 460 years ago. Luna was locked away for 1000 years. They may have kept the holiday, but allowed the origin to fade away, which also explains why nobody, except Twilight Sparkle, knew what the heck was going on when Nightmare Moon returned.

[~StatesTheOblivious~ 1,795]

Hm, you're right, it's strange.

 

That the origin of the tradition of Nightmare Night might have simply been forgotten would make sense. But there is still the thing with the legend of Nightmare Night and the candy offering. It's obviously something every pony knows about, so also about Nightmare Moon, but the first episode indicated the opposite.

 

I guess we have to see it as a simple inconsistency like it happens in several shows when they expand their universe.

[HOi i'm tEMMIE 178]

Maybe they didn't start celebrating Nightmare Night until after the Nightmare Moon incident?

 

Or maybe the candy offering wasn't until after the Nightmare Moon incident.

[Fhaolan 4,484]

Because it's a fairy tale from a thousand years ago. One that has many different names 'Nightmare Moon', 'The Mare in the Moon', etc.

 

I'll give you a real-life example. A Halloween one, even...

 

How many of you here can tell me the tale of Stingy Jack and the Devil?

 

Jack was a nasty piece of work. He tricked the Devil into climbing a tree, and trapped him up there by carving crosses in the trunk of the tree. In return for not taking his soul into Hell, Jack let the Devil back down.

 

Eventually Jack died, and because he was a nasty person he couldn't get into Heaven. But the Devil wouldn't let him into Hell either. Instead, the Devil tossed Jack a piece of burning brimstone to light his way in the world.

 

Jack hollowed out a turnip, and put the burning brand into it so he could carry it without burning himself.

 

And thus; Jack o' the Lantern.

 

Bet you never heard that one, it's one variation of the same story about Stingy Jack becoming Jack of the Lantern. And those are only from about three hundred years ago, not even a thousand.

[Fluttershutter 2,544]

Well they must have known that there was a character called Nightmare Moon since they sacrifice candy to her but they might not have actually known what she looked like until she popped up on that Solstice. The statue on Nightmare Night could have been put up since then.

[Planty 1,053]

I just did a quick check on the first episode ;P It sounded like no one knew who Nightmare Moon was until Twilight said her name, my guess is either that no one knew her appearance or that everyone just suddenly forgot who she was xP Twilight was the only one studying about her after all, and she was the only one who saw it coming.

Nightmare Night is just an annual event, so yeah it's basically like their universe's version of Halloween xP

 

Well it had been 1000years so it's quite possible as it had faded from living memory, that the ponies forgot what she looked light.

 

The problem with this is that there is a statue where they supposedly take candy offerings every year? (Unless this was build somewhere between s1e1 and Luna Eclipsed