Halloween Around the World: How Different Cultures Mark the Same Seasonal Moment
Halloween as most people know it is a specifically American cultural product: the carved pumpkin, the trick or treat, the […]
Halloween
The Headless Horseman: Washington Irving’s Creation and the Folklore Roots He Drew On
The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow is one of the most enduring Halloween figures in American culture, a galloping supernatural
Soul Cakes: The Medieval Practice That Directly Became Trick or Treat
Soul cakes are small spiced biscuits or breads that were baked on All Souls’ Day, the 2nd of November, and
The Wild Hunt at Halloween: The Army of the Dead and the Night When the Boundary Fails
The Wild Hunt is one of the most widely distributed supernatural traditions in European folklore, a nocturnal procession of the
Black Cats in Folklore: The Real History of Why the World’s Most Unlucky Animal Is Also the Most Loved
The black cat is one of the most contradictory figures in world folklore. In Britain it is lucky. In America
Witches and Halloween: The Real History of Witch Belief and How the Broomstick Got Into the Picture
The witch is the defining visual symbol of Halloween. She appears on every seasonal decoration, every costume rack, every piece
The History of Trick or Treat: Where It Actually Came From and Why Almost Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong
Trick or treat is the most universally recognised Halloween custom in the English-speaking world, practised by hundreds of millions of
Día de los Muertos: The Mexican Festival of the Dead, Its Pre-Columbian Roots, and Why It Is Nothing Like Halloween
Día de los Muertos is celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November across Mexico and in Mexican communities worldwide,
Jack o’Lantern: The Irish Folk Legend of Stingy Jack, the Turnip That Became a Pumpkin, and the Light That Never Goes Out
The Jack o’Lantern is one of the most recognisable symbols in the world for approximately six weeks every autumn, a
The Origins of Samhain: The Celtic Festival That Became Halloween and What the Sources Actually Say
Samhain is the oldest ancestor of Halloween, and almost everything that most people believe about it is either oversimplified, invented,