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Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween
Every year, children and adults alike take to the streets dressed as witches, demons, animals, celebrities, and more. They carve pumpkins and play pranks, and the braver ones watch scary movies and go on ghost tours. There are parades, fireworks displays, cornfield mazes, and haunted houses—and, most important, copious amounts of bite-sized candy. The popularity of Halloween has spread around the globe to places as diverse as Russia, China, and Japan, but its association with death and the supernatural and its inevitable commercialization has made it one of our most misunderstood holidays. How did it become what it is today?
In Trick or Treat , Halloween aficionado Lisa Morton provides a thorough history of this spooky day. She begins by looking at how holidays like the Celtic Samhain, a Gaelic harvest festival, have blended with the British Guy Fawkes Day and the Catholic All Souls’ Day to produce the modern Halloween, and she explains how the holiday was reborn in America, where costumes and trick-or-treat rituals have become new customs. Morton takes into account the influence of related but independent holidays, especially the Mexican Day of the Dead, as well as the explosion in popularity of haunted attractions and the impact of such events as 9/11 and the economic recession on the celebration today. Trick or Treat also examines the effect Halloween has had on popular culture through the literary works of Washington Irving and Ray Bradbury, films like Halloween and The Nightmare Before Christmas , and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Simpsons .
Considering the holiday in the context of its worldwide popularity for the first time, this book will be a treat for any Halloween lover.
In Trick or Treat , Halloween aficionado Lisa Morton provides a thorough history of this spooky day. She begins by looking at how holidays like the Celtic Samhain, a Gaelic harvest festival, have blended with the British Guy Fawkes Day and the Catholic All Souls’ Day to produce the modern Halloween, and she explains how the holiday was reborn in America, where costumes and trick-or-treat rituals have become new customs. Morton takes into account the influence of related but independent holidays, especially the Mexican Day of the Dead, as well as the explosion in popularity of haunted attractions and the impact of such events as 9/11 and the economic recession on the celebration today. Trick or Treat also examines the effect Halloween has had on popular culture through the literary works of Washington Irving and Ray Bradbury, films like Halloween and The Nightmare Before Christmas , and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Simpsons .
Considering the holiday in the context of its worldwide popularity for the first time, this book will be a treat for any Halloween lover.
229 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2012
167 people are currently reading
3830 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Morton
274 books252 followersLisa Morton is a screenwriter, author of horror fiction, and Halloween expert. She is a winner of both the Black Quill and Bram Stoker Awards, and her short stories have appeared in more than 50 books and magazines. Her first novel, THE CASTLE OF LOS ANGELES, was released by Gray Friar Press in 2010, and her first collection, MONSTERS OF L.A., was published by Bad Moon Books in October 2011. She is a native and lifelong resident of Southern California, and currently resides in the San Fernando Valley.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
October 27, 2021
If there was ever a book I was destined to fall deeply in love with it’s this one right here. I mean, a book ALL about Halloween?! Sign me up times ten! Learning about the origins and the history of my very favourite holiday was so interesting and entertaining, I just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I wanted to soak it all up as quickly as I could, greedy for more! Obviously some of the information presented wasn’t completely new to me but that didn’t bother me, I enjoyed going more in depth into the things I already knew. And I still learned SO many new things about Halloween so it was a win all around. Halloween really has such a fascinating history and I could read about it forever. I cannot stress how strongly I recommend this book for my fellow Halloween obsessed, spooky season lovers!
September 30, 2024
Exceedingly well and thoroughly researched (and thankfully always seemingly with more than adequate source acknowledgments included, although personally, I would definitely prefer to have both endnotes and yes, indeed, also a separate bibliographical list of works cited and used), Lisa Morton's Trick of Treat: A History of Halloween provides not only a detailed, intensive examination and analysis of the origins of Halloween but also how the latter, how Halloween has especially recently spread out to become a truly globally loved and joyfully celebrated late autumn festival.
Now while of course Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween primarily focusses on specifically Halloween (its background, its history as well as how it is celebrated worldwide), for me personally (as well as intellectually and academically), an absolutely essential and added bonus with this book are the sections in which author Lisa Morton presents and examines a number of holidays that while not specifically Halloween, are nevertheless not only akin and alike to Halloween but also take place at roughly the same time of year (celebrations such as All Saints and All Souls, the Dias de los Muertos celebrations of Central and South America, as well as some of the main components of Saint Martin's Day, which although celebrated eleven days post Halloween, often includes many of the same attributes and components, such as costumed children parading through neighbourhoods begging for treats, not to mention an emphasis on light, fireworks, occasional bonfires and hand furnished lanterns carved from gourds or large turnips).
Engagingly penned, always readable (and at least to and for me exquisitely informative and therefore also never ever boring or tedious), I have certainly and indeed found Lisa Morton's printed words, her featured narrative a truly both enlightening and enjoyable reading experience (and while personally, my favourite chapters of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween have of course and naturally been the ones depicting and describing the historic, cultural and religious backgrounds, the multiple genesisses of Halloween and its related and associated celebrations and festivals, indeed the section on Halloween and its role in popular culture, from literature, hollywood movies, art and crafts to modern music is probably, is likely for many readers, the absolutely delicious icing on the cake so to speak).
Now while of course Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween primarily focusses on specifically Halloween (its background, its history as well as how it is celebrated worldwide), for me personally (as well as intellectually and academically), an absolutely essential and added bonus with this book are the sections in which author Lisa Morton presents and examines a number of holidays that while not specifically Halloween, are nevertheless not only akin and alike to Halloween but also take place at roughly the same time of year (celebrations such as All Saints and All Souls, the Dias de los Muertos celebrations of Central and South America, as well as some of the main components of Saint Martin's Day, which although celebrated eleven days post Halloween, often includes many of the same attributes and components, such as costumed children parading through neighbourhoods begging for treats, not to mention an emphasis on light, fireworks, occasional bonfires and hand furnished lanterns carved from gourds or large turnips).
Engagingly penned, always readable (and at least to and for me exquisitely informative and therefore also never ever boring or tedious), I have certainly and indeed found Lisa Morton's printed words, her featured narrative a truly both enlightening and enjoyable reading experience (and while personally, my favourite chapters of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween have of course and naturally been the ones depicting and describing the historic, cultural and religious backgrounds, the multiple genesisses of Halloween and its related and associated celebrations and festivals, indeed the section on Halloween and its role in popular culture, from literature, hollywood movies, art and crafts to modern music is probably, is likely for many readers, the absolutely delicious icing on the cake so to speak).
October 7, 2023
As a work of history, this wasn't all that great. It's super light (despite being touted as exhaustive), and feels more like a long introduction to the subject. But I tend to love any non-fiction about Halloween and horror, so this was still fun to read.
October 18, 2020
i'm not sure how a book about Halloween could be so dull?
June 7, 2022
Some really interesting facts and history, but I just wish the delivery weren't so dry.
June 11, 2018
I think my favorite part was the indepth exploration of the time a century ago where Halloween was more about fortune-telling and divination than monsters. Lots of neat ads from that time are reproduced.
November 12, 2014
Informative, Interesting, Fun Read!
November 1, 2018
I read this book on Halloween, looking for a better sense of what it all (the tricks, the treats, the costumes, the scary music, etc.) means. There was very little of what it all means in this book. It is a reasonably good history of the facts. It shows how Halloween emerged from a tangled mass of pagan ceremonies and Christian celebrations that all ended up focusing on memories of the dead. It does some good demythologizing of contemporary urban legends about the Celtic festival of Samhain--which, apparently, was not a form of demon worship, though it is possible that human sacrifice was a part of it. And it untangles the knot of Samhain, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Guy Fawkes Day, and Dia de Los Muertos, all of which occur around the same time and draw from a common stock of iconography.
But what does it all mean? Why do we like being scared? Why do we spend so much time and money on a totally unofficial holiday? What are the human concerns that are addressed by these celebrations, and how have cultural forces tamed and exploited them? There are some fascinating questions here that I wanted the book to tackle, but, mainly, the author played it safe and stuck to the facts--which strikes me as a very unHalloweeny thing to do.
But what does it all mean? Why do we like being scared? Why do we spend so much time and money on a totally unofficial holiday? What are the human concerns that are addressed by these celebrations, and how have cultural forces tamed and exploited them? There are some fascinating questions here that I wanted the book to tackle, but, mainly, the author played it safe and stuck to the facts--which strikes me as a very unHalloweeny thing to do.
October 14, 2018
I love Halloween. Always have, always will.
Turns out, however, I don’t particularly love reading about the in-depth history of it.
First, the cover of this book is perfect and drew me in immediately. Second, that’s about where my enjoyment for this book ended.
I believe the author conducted thorough research, but the way she presented it didn’t keep me hooked. It read more like a research paper, but one that wasn’t well organized as certain dates and information would constantly jump back and forth.
It wasn’t my favorite, but I’ll let you decide for yourself as to whether or not the title is truly telling for this book.
A trick? Or a treat?
Turns out, however, I don’t particularly love reading about the in-depth history of it.
First, the cover of this book is perfect and drew me in immediately. Second, that’s about where my enjoyment for this book ended.
I believe the author conducted thorough research, but the way she presented it didn’t keep me hooked. It read more like a research paper, but one that wasn’t well organized as certain dates and information would constantly jump back and forth.
It wasn’t my favorite, but I’ll let you decide for yourself as to whether or not the title is truly telling for this book.
A trick? Or a treat?
October 28, 2020
If for you (like me), Halloween is the reason for the season, this book is a must-read.
From its hazy origins to its modern celebrations, Morton takes readers on a tour of how Halloween came to be. I had such a fun time reading this book—I never really understood how the holiday developed and its wide range of influences. I always took trick-or-treating for granted as a child, but it was interesting to learn that it really hasn't been around that long!
Morton's writing is concise and informative while still maintaining a friendly style. The book manages to touch on a huge variety of topics: straight-up history, offshoots of spookiness like the haunted house industry, philosophic ponderings about why we love Halloween so much, investigations of the holiday in literature, and a look at other global celebrations.
The book's more modern chapters are fairly US-centric, looking at how Halloween made it's way to America and just lightly touching on its influence and change in other countries around the world (but mostly in how those celebrations relate to or differ from American Halloween). I think the book is missing some important information about Canada and the development of Halloween there—that alone could be a whole chapter.
At just 200 pages, this book is definitely more of a fun overview than an in-depth, ultimate, one-book-to-rule-them-all history tome. That isn't a knock on the book, just more a note of caution as far as expectations. Additionally, the latter half of the book felt dated to me (though it was only published in 2012). Halloween has grown and changed a lot just in the last decade, and I would love to see an expanded 10th-anniversary edition of this book in a few years.
From its hazy origins to its modern celebrations, Morton takes readers on a tour of how Halloween came to be. I had such a fun time reading this book—I never really understood how the holiday developed and its wide range of influences. I always took trick-or-treating for granted as a child, but it was interesting to learn that it really hasn't been around that long!
Morton's writing is concise and informative while still maintaining a friendly style. The book manages to touch on a huge variety of topics: straight-up history, offshoots of spookiness like the haunted house industry, philosophic ponderings about why we love Halloween so much, investigations of the holiday in literature, and a look at other global celebrations.
The book's more modern chapters are fairly US-centric, looking at how Halloween made it's way to America and just lightly touching on its influence and change in other countries around the world (but mostly in how those celebrations relate to or differ from American Halloween). I think the book is missing some important information about Canada and the development of Halloween there—that alone could be a whole chapter.
At just 200 pages, this book is definitely more of a fun overview than an in-depth, ultimate, one-book-to-rule-them-all history tome. That isn't a knock on the book, just more a note of caution as far as expectations. Additionally, the latter half of the book felt dated to me (though it was only published in 2012). Halloween has grown and changed a lot just in the last decade, and I would love to see an expanded 10th-anniversary edition of this book in a few years.
September 11, 2025
I like to re-read this book every October.....as Halloween is perhaps my favorite time of year....
Morton does a good job of discussing the antecedents of Halloween...from its beginnings as a pagan celebration to its current incarnation as a multi-billion dollar celebration of all things spooky. Morton does differ with other writers...specifically Bannatyne (Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History) who has written that Samhain was not a time of celebration, but an actual Celtic god...and Halloween was additionally influenced by the Roman feast of the goddess Ponoma (neither of which, according to Morton, is correct).
Book does a good job of discussing how Halloween has changed and evolved over the years, and how its celebrated as an American export across the world.
It would be interesting to see an update....
Jeff Mc
Morton does a good job of discussing the antecedents of Halloween...from its beginnings as a pagan celebration to its current incarnation as a multi-billion dollar celebration of all things spooky. Morton does differ with other writers...specifically Bannatyne (Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History) who has written that Samhain was not a time of celebration, but an actual Celtic god...and Halloween was additionally influenced by the Roman feast of the goddess Ponoma (neither of which, according to Morton, is correct).
Book does a good job of discussing how Halloween has changed and evolved over the years, and how its celebrated as an American export across the world.
It would be interesting to see an update....
Jeff Mc
November 5, 2014
A very good read. Unfortunately though the author didn't mention how in the 20th century Halloween dropped out of sight completely in England, Britain, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Isle of Man and only resurrected in the 21st century. There was a fair part of detail into the History of Halloween in North America, primarily the U.S. Which is essentially the biggest exporter of Halloween back to its original home base and other countries. When my family lived in Pakistan the American school had a sort of Halloween event and when I lived in Qatar with my family as a child I went trick or treating in one of the expat areas. The author does say that there isn't much written history of the holiday, this since The Book of Hallowe'en by Ruth Edna Kelley is best so far. I would very much like to read Lisa Morton's other books on the subject, as well as read Ruth Kelley's book. Also I hope that in the future because of this book more will be written about Halloween and its history in particular.
March 19, 2013
Both fascinating and a bit tedious, this book covers the history of the cultures and practices that led to our modern (read American) Halloween and how it has spread around the world, but is not everywhere equally accepted or appreciated. There are some illustrations, most in color.
Sections covered include Robert Burns, Celtic harvest practices, Day of the Dead in Mexico and other Latin American countries, Halloween pranks and parties.
It got boring in places but I persevered and finished it.
There are copious end notes which give sources, but no extra information. There's an index.
The author is British but lives in Los Angeles. Apparently she's an expert on Halloween and has written other books on the subject. Given her writing style I feel no compulsion to seek them out.
I'm glad I got this book from the library.
Sections covered include Robert Burns, Celtic harvest practices, Day of the Dead in Mexico and other Latin American countries, Halloween pranks and parties.
It got boring in places but I persevered and finished it.
There are copious end notes which give sources, but no extra information. There's an index.
The author is British but lives in Los Angeles. Apparently she's an expert on Halloween and has written other books on the subject. Given her writing style I feel no compulsion to seek them out.
I'm glad I got this book from the library.
November 3, 2016
Super well-researched, informative, and illuminating. There are tons of misconceptions about Halloween's origins. I was, perhaps, most surprised by how recent many of the essential tenets of the Holiday are, and by many of the archaic practices from its European origins that have been forgotten.
This is an essential for all Samhain familiars.
This is an essential for all Samhain familiars.
January 17, 2021
The Veil has been opened and slightly destroyed in this book.
I was very much looking forward to this book, learning about the culture and history of Halloween.
I had read a book that demonstrated how to beautifuly link history, facts and folk lore together. This was not like that at all...
The author had research so much stuff on folk lore, history, religion and Halloween and just meshed it together in more of an article fashion, in attempt to come off well versed and intelligent book. And In some ways it was but the way it was put together just made it confusing. Too keen on proving a hypnosis rather then presenting interesting information.
This in turn took away the real mystery of how the history of Halloween was seen and perseved.
One good thing I did like about the book was the cover and the pictures inside the book. Sorry, but as a lover of history and culture and horrors, this book just didn't cut it.
I was very much looking forward to this book, learning about the culture and history of Halloween.
I had read a book that demonstrated how to beautifuly link history, facts and folk lore together. This was not like that at all...
The author had research so much stuff on folk lore, history, religion and Halloween and just meshed it together in more of an article fashion, in attempt to come off well versed and intelligent book. And In some ways it was but the way it was put together just made it confusing. Too keen on proving a hypnosis rather then presenting interesting information.
This in turn took away the real mystery of how the history of Halloween was seen and perseved.
One good thing I did like about the book was the cover and the pictures inside the book. Sorry, but as a lover of history and culture and horrors, this book just didn't cut it.
November 3, 2022
Really good Halloween read! A history of how the traditions came to be, from Ireland into North America - and more - and how Halloween and its related holidays are celebrated around the world. Lisa Morton also has such an engaging writing style that it was a really enjoyable read in addition to being informative, and the illustrations and images were great to flesh out the book! It was nice to finish the chapter on Dia de Los Muertos on the day itself.
Now I just need to find a similar well-researched, informative, entertaining history & present book on Christmas too!
Now I just need to find a similar well-researched, informative, entertaining history & present book on Christmas too!
September 20, 2022
Greatly researched and in-depth look at the history and popular adaptation of Halloween across the world. Really enjoyed this. However, it did lose a star solely on the fact that there were 50+ spelling and grammatical errors.
September 23, 2022
Good book! Very entertaining even thou it’s written in a textbook form ahahah. Enjoyed a lot. Easy writing
September 30, 2022
4.5 ⭐️ Fun history lesson.
October 10, 2023
My review of this book was originally published on The Folklore Podcast website and is still available there. You can also find my interview with Lisa Morton about the history of seances here.
Ask many in America what their favorite holiday is and they will eagerly answer Halloween. The holiday, once believed to have been a Christianization of an early Celtic harvest festival and now more widely regarded as having liturgical roots, has come to be emblematic of the sheer joy of living. How did a holiday, once reserved for the remembrance of the dead and feasting before the coming of winter, come to be synonymous with fun frights, candy, and the begging practice of trick-or-treating?
Lisa Morton, in her book Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween, published in 2012 by Reaktion, casts light onto these questions and more. Morton’s enthusiasm for the holiday comes through in her vivid literary style, as does the depth of her research. From the outset she seeks to disabuse readers of the misconceptions that surround the history of the holiday, while also acknowledging how much previous scholarship did to make such misconceptions pervasive. Through detailing the scholarship, Morton shows just how much is yet to be done. Thankfully, the extensive notes and bibliography give anyone eager to begin work in the field a great deal of ideas to build upon.
This book is a delightful microcosm of history. Throughout the book there are pictures of various bits of artwork depicting the holiday, as well as an extensive array of memorabilia. Morton dives into nuances of Halloween such as why cats and pumpkins are so associated with the holiday, when fortune telling fell out of favor as a common Halloween party pastime, and just when and how the holiday came to be associated with frights rather than mischievous (and sometimes vandalous) pranks.
There are many interesting surprises in store for the reader. Who would have guessed that the omnipresent candy corn predates the practice of trick-or-treating by nearly a century? There are also many bits of speculation that are begging for more research to be done in the future. The history of Halloween and its failure to take off in Asian and South and Central American countries, for instance, is something that would be interesting to explore and was only lightly done within this text due to its relatively recent introduction to such countries. While only briefly touched upon in Trick or Treat, an entire book could be written on the history of haunted mazes, and books have been written about the collection of Halloween postcards and other assorted memorabilia.
Coming away from this book, it is clear what a joy Halloween has been to those who practice it. In the coming decades it is safe to say that Halloween will only continue to spread and grow throughout the world. It will be interesting to see what future writers have to say about the holiday as more research is done, and this book makes an excellent starting point for just that.
Ask many in America what their favorite holiday is and they will eagerly answer Halloween. The holiday, once believed to have been a Christianization of an early Celtic harvest festival and now more widely regarded as having liturgical roots, has come to be emblematic of the sheer joy of living. How did a holiday, once reserved for the remembrance of the dead and feasting before the coming of winter, come to be synonymous with fun frights, candy, and the begging practice of trick-or-treating?
Lisa Morton, in her book Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween, published in 2012 by Reaktion, casts light onto these questions and more. Morton’s enthusiasm for the holiday comes through in her vivid literary style, as does the depth of her research. From the outset she seeks to disabuse readers of the misconceptions that surround the history of the holiday, while also acknowledging how much previous scholarship did to make such misconceptions pervasive. Through detailing the scholarship, Morton shows just how much is yet to be done. Thankfully, the extensive notes and bibliography give anyone eager to begin work in the field a great deal of ideas to build upon.
This book is a delightful microcosm of history. Throughout the book there are pictures of various bits of artwork depicting the holiday, as well as an extensive array of memorabilia. Morton dives into nuances of Halloween such as why cats and pumpkins are so associated with the holiday, when fortune telling fell out of favor as a common Halloween party pastime, and just when and how the holiday came to be associated with frights rather than mischievous (and sometimes vandalous) pranks.
There are many interesting surprises in store for the reader. Who would have guessed that the omnipresent candy corn predates the practice of trick-or-treating by nearly a century? There are also many bits of speculation that are begging for more research to be done in the future. The history of Halloween and its failure to take off in Asian and South and Central American countries, for instance, is something that would be interesting to explore and was only lightly done within this text due to its relatively recent introduction to such countries. While only briefly touched upon in Trick or Treat, an entire book could be written on the history of haunted mazes, and books have been written about the collection of Halloween postcards and other assorted memorabilia.
Coming away from this book, it is clear what a joy Halloween has been to those who practice it. In the coming decades it is safe to say that Halloween will only continue to spread and grow throughout the world. It will be interesting to see what future writers have to say about the holiday as more research is done, and this book makes an excellent starting point for just that.
August 27, 2018
Well done and very informative. For a holiday with not as much history to cover... there sure is a lot in play with Halloween, especially now. It was really interesting to see how it has developed and changed over time. In the future, I'm looking for even more history about the beginnings of Halloween.
September 21, 2013
Halloween is my favorite holiday (next is Christmas) and it has been for as long as I can remember. Trick or treating was my absolute favorite thing and as a child, I couldn't wait for it every year. And quite honestly, I was very sad when I got to an age where I was considered too old to trick or treat and I'm still sad about that.
Dressing up is another thing I've always loved about Halloween and even though my trick or treating days may be over, I still dress up for Halloween.
And every year for October I watch scary/Halloween related movies and read books, of course. This book has been on my to-read list since last year. I believe a few copies of it were being given away through the goodreads giveaway program and that's how I found it. I didn't win a copy, but still kept it on my list to read one day. And I am very happy to have found my library had this book.
I love Halloween and read whatever I can about it. While I did already know a lot of the history, it was still nice to read again and it was well-written and researched. The author definitely knows a lot about Halloween and made sure what she wrote was accurate. As she said, Halloween is a very misunderstood holiday and I am glad there are people out there who want its real history to be known. And Halloween has quite a history. I think the author does a very good job of covering Halloween's history throughout the centuries and how different cultures celebrated it. I also liked that she wrote about modern Halloween and how it is still gaining popularity in different countries.
I honestly think this is a really good book on the history of Halloween and recommend it to others who love Halloween.
Dressing up is another thing I've always loved about Halloween and even though my trick or treating days may be over, I still dress up for Halloween.
And every year for October I watch scary/Halloween related movies and read books, of course. This book has been on my to-read list since last year. I believe a few copies of it were being given away through the goodreads giveaway program and that's how I found it. I didn't win a copy, but still kept it on my list to read one day. And I am very happy to have found my library had this book.
I love Halloween and read whatever I can about it. While I did already know a lot of the history, it was still nice to read again and it was well-written and researched. The author definitely knows a lot about Halloween and made sure what she wrote was accurate. As she said, Halloween is a very misunderstood holiday and I am glad there are people out there who want its real history to be known. And Halloween has quite a history. I think the author does a very good job of covering Halloween's history throughout the centuries and how different cultures celebrated it. I also liked that she wrote about modern Halloween and how it is still gaining popularity in different countries.
I honestly think this is a really good book on the history of Halloween and recommend it to others who love Halloween.
October 30, 2016
I've read several books on the history of Halloween and this was among the best. One of the things I've noticed about such books, however, is that each author seems to have some kind of special fascination outside the holiday itself that sometimes distracts from how I like to read history. Morton has such an interest in old postcards, which are used to illustrate her account. That aside, this is a relatively full history of the holiday. She doesn't spend as much time on the early period as I'd like, but then again, that is a period of history for which we don't have written sources. The Celts live on in mystery because they didn't leave much history.
Morton ties in nicely some information on Day of the Dead celebrations and other more recent connections for Halloween. Informative, readable, and entertaining, this is a good starter book for the holiday season.
I made further remarks on my blog for those who are interested: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
Morton ties in nicely some information on Day of the Dead celebrations and other more recent connections for Halloween. Informative, readable, and entertaining, this is a good starter book for the holiday season.
I made further remarks on my blog for those who are interested: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
November 19, 2017
I love Halloween, I love easy reads about the history of things, and I love funny little books where the authors opinion sneaks in just a couple of times. This is all of those. It's also very well-researched for what is the kind of book people are likely to pick up because, eh, it's there and it's festive. The illustrations are lovely, it's a quick but surprisingly comprehensive read, and it's an unabashed celebration of all things Halloween. Highly recommended.
October 18, 2020
I don't know why this one won a Stoker. The information is solid enough, yet probably nothing new to anyone interested in Halloween. It reads as dry as a Wikipedia article and the narration is a bit muddled temporal, spatial and contentwise.
October 30, 2019
3.5 stars
Learned a lot, expanded my reading list, and mostly I thought the content didn't drag. It's not terribly casual in tone but neither is it discouragingly dense and stuffy. I'd love an updated edition: the pop culture section could reference the Halloween traditions depicted in Boardwalk Empire (season 1 I believe... Though that would have aired before this publication date, though maybe not enough lead time). I never really thought about the Catholic roots to the holiday before, nor that if e.g. South Africa were to celebrate, they should properly be doing it in the other half of the year to be seasonally correct. Alas, too, the fun nicknames: say with me, Snap-Apple Night. Crack-nut night.
The chapters are organized by subject matter, not overall chronology, which occasionally introduced some repetition when Morton had to revisit something to discuss it in a new way. This was often accompanied by a fresh introduction of that thing with no apparent awareness that yes, we already brought this up once or twice before.
My biggest peeve is the citations. I know, different standards for different places, and it's nice there were any footnotes at all. But she only cites where she has quoted content! This is specious at best, and (by my college's standards) plagiarism at worst. So frustrating, especially when I would have loved to have followed up on some choice tidbits, e.g. horror scholars noting that horror gets more popular under conservative political administrations. Or the mention in the section discussing Halloween's presence in Russia, and how supposedly some American English teacher staged a mock hanging of "the class dunce" (Morton's phrasing) which stirred some displeasure among parents. No quote, no citation, even though to me that tale smacks of urban legend, as presented in text. My 2 minutes of Googling on my phone for such an incident got me 0 matches for a news story. (How would that even be Halloweeny?? Witch trials, maybe.)
Time to get an advanced degree in Halloweenology. (Why IS Halloween such an invisible holiday in terms of songs, art, fiction, scholarly analysis? A phantom holiday, seen and felt, but no direct, lasting trace across the culture. What could one study exactly? That's some uphill research!) Maybe if I ever get another history degree... History of Halloween could be a starting point for a thesis, right?
Learned a lot, expanded my reading list, and mostly I thought the content didn't drag. It's not terribly casual in tone but neither is it discouragingly dense and stuffy. I'd love an updated edition: the pop culture section could reference the Halloween traditions depicted in Boardwalk Empire (season 1 I believe... Though that would have aired before this publication date, though maybe not enough lead time). I never really thought about the Catholic roots to the holiday before, nor that if e.g. South Africa were to celebrate, they should properly be doing it in the other half of the year to be seasonally correct. Alas, too, the fun nicknames: say with me, Snap-Apple Night. Crack-nut night.
The chapters are organized by subject matter, not overall chronology, which occasionally introduced some repetition when Morton had to revisit something to discuss it in a new way. This was often accompanied by a fresh introduction of that thing with no apparent awareness that yes, we already brought this up once or twice before.
My biggest peeve is the citations. I know, different standards for different places, and it's nice there were any footnotes at all. But she only cites where she has quoted content! This is specious at best, and (by my college's standards) plagiarism at worst. So frustrating, especially when I would have loved to have followed up on some choice tidbits, e.g. horror scholars noting that horror gets more popular under conservative political administrations. Or the mention in the section discussing Halloween's presence in Russia, and how supposedly some American English teacher staged a mock hanging of "the class dunce" (Morton's phrasing) which stirred some displeasure among parents. No quote, no citation, even though to me that tale smacks of urban legend, as presented in text. My 2 minutes of Googling on my phone for such an incident got me 0 matches for a news story. (How would that even be Halloweeny?? Witch trials, maybe.)
Time to get an advanced degree in Halloweenology. (Why IS Halloween such an invisible holiday in terms of songs, art, fiction, scholarly analysis? A phantom holiday, seen and felt, but no direct, lasting trace across the culture. What could one study exactly? That's some uphill research!) Maybe if I ever get another history degree... History of Halloween could be a starting point for a thesis, right?
October 10, 2024
I wouldn't say this is an exhaustive resource on the subject, but it is certainly well-researched and engaging and covers a lot of ground. I've always been curious about how many other countries and cultures embrace Hallowe'en (or something similar), and now I know. A few things to quibble about: the author constantly refers to Hallowe'en as a "holiday" (it's not), and insists that the word is now universally spelled without the apostrophe (also incorrect); also, a few of her modern-day citations are, more than ten years after publication, a bit passé, and the book could stand an update. I would have appreciated more in-depth details about the ancient origins of the celebration, but overall this book is approachable, informative and entertaining.
October 20, 2024
4.25
this book has nearly anything and everything you’ve ever wondered or needed to know about halloween. it was so interesting to learn about where the holiday started and how it has evolved over the centuries. this book is like a condensed, textbook-level anthology-inspired project that does a great job of summarizing the extensive history of halloween into a 200 page book. I do wish that it was a little bit easier to consume because there are so many names of authors and titles of work that are referenced. reading this has also helped provide background to some themes used in the fictional halloween books that I’ve read like the history of the cailleach. would definitely recommend if you’re interested in learning about the origins of halloween 🎃
this book has nearly anything and everything you’ve ever wondered or needed to know about halloween. it was so interesting to learn about where the holiday started and how it has evolved over the centuries. this book is like a condensed, textbook-level anthology-inspired project that does a great job of summarizing the extensive history of halloween into a 200 page book. I do wish that it was a little bit easier to consume because there are so many names of authors and titles of work that are referenced. reading this has also helped provide background to some themes used in the fictional halloween books that I’ve read like the history of the cailleach. would definitely recommend if you’re interested in learning about the origins of halloween 🎃
December 2, 2021
Interesting for the first 3/4. It goes through possible Celtic origins and how everyone around the globe does Halloween a little differently. The last 1/4 is a painful description of many different Halloween books, movies, plays, authors and actors.
October 1, 2017
Over the past few years I have noticed that Halloween is becoming a bit more commercial and noticeable in the shops. I have always been curious about the history and traditions surrounding it, so what better way to find out more than to read about it.
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