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The History of Halloween
How an ancient Celtic harvest festival became ‘Spooky Season.’
Pocket Collections
Explore the ancient (and not-so-ancient) origins of Halloween traditions, including the surprisingly sultry history of bobbing for apples, the devilish legend behind the Jack-o-Lantern, and why everybody loves rewatching Hocus Pocus.
Image by ImagePatch/Getty Images
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What Is Samhain? What to Know About the Ancient Pagan Festival That Came Before Halloween
Cady Lang
Time
Dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating are popular Halloween activities, but few probably associate these lighthearted fall traditions with their origins in Samhain, a three-day ancient Celtic pagan festival.
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Why Black Cats Are Associated With Halloween and Bad Luck
Elizabeth Yuko
History.com
As early as the 13th century, the Catholic Church linked cats to Satan.
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The Story of Jack-O’-Lantern: ‘If You Knew the Sufferings of That Forsaken Craythur'
Jessica Traynor
The Irish Times
How Irish immigrants brought the Halloween tradition of carving pumpkins (originally turnips) to America.
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The Secret, Steamy History Of Halloween Apples
Alison Richards
NPR
A Halloween apple was once a powerful symbol of fertility and immortality. In Europe and the early years of America, girls used apples and apple peels to divine their romantic destiny.
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When ‘Dumb Suppers’ Were a Halloween Love Ritual
Anne Ewbank
Atlas Obscura
To see into the future, young women held mystical meals.
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How British Colonialism Determined Whether Your Country Celebrates Halloween
Max Fisher
The Washington Post
Why is it that the United States and so many other countries celebrate the holiday, but Australia does not?
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When Halloween Mischief Turned to Mayhem
Lesley Bannatyne
Zocalo Public Square
Halloween in early 19th-century America was a night for pranks, tricks, illusions, and anarchy.
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From Pagan Spirits to Wonder Woman: A Brief History of the Halloween Costume
Marianna Cerini
CNN
Halloween costumes from the first half of the 20th century were terrifying. Here's how Halloween became more family-friendly.
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A Brief History of the Haunted House
Chris Heller
Smithsonian Magazine
How Walt Disney inspired the world’s scariest Halloween tradition.
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How Candy and Halloween Became Best Friends
Samira Kawash
The Atlantic
The origins of trick-or-treating, a relatively recent phenomenon.
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How Hocus Pocus Became an Enduring Halloween Hit
Josef Adalian
Vulture
It’s hard to overstate just how much the movie critics of the day loathed Hocus Pocus.
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A Brief Halloween History of Pets in Costumes
Jen A. Miller
Vox
Instagram helps, but we’ve been dressing up dogs and cats for a long time.
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When Did This Time of Year Become “Spooky Season”?
Heather Schwedel
Slate
The elusive history of a cursed phrase.
The History of Halloween
How an ancient Celtic harvest festival became ‘Spooky Season.’getpocket.com
The Curse of Playing the Wicked Witch of the West
After nearly dying while filming “The Wizard of Oz,” Margaret Hamilton spent the rest of her career trying to escape her evil character’s long shadow.getpocket.com