The Halloween Encyclopedia

by Lisa Morton

A first edition of The Halloween Encyclopedia was published by McFarland in 2003 ( “a worthy addition to public and school libraries as well as the reference shelves of journalists and leaders of community events”); it was the first encyclopedic reference book on the cultural phenomenon (which also deals with such related holidays as Britain’s Guy Fawkes Day, Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, and the Celtic celebration Samhain). Now updated to 2010, this second edition includes more than 50 new entries, covering subjects ranging from Folk Art to African American legends. Many existing entries have been expanded and revised, with new entries (“Chronology of Halloween” and “Halloween in Literature and the Arts”) in both appendices. Also featured are more than a dozen new illustrations, and an expanded bibliography.

Genres: Halloween, Nonfiction, Holiday, History

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2003

About the author

Lisa 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.

Reviews

[Greg Kerestan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Morton is the goddess of Halloween history, and her encyclopedia comes very near to superseding "The Book of Hallowe'en" by Ruth Edna Kelly when it comes to being the single essential Halloween tome. (Morton is much larger, more inclusive and modern, but Kelly's slightly more literary take has a slight edge due to readability and concision.)

Stuffed with information on harvest, death and masking festivals worldwide, there are so many things I learned or new books I had to track down after reading this. Not sure it'll be a yearly tradition the way Kelly's book is, but... it might be.

[Juli Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched--an excellent resource

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first edition, so it was a bit dated and repetitive but entertaining none the less. Loved the vintage postcards pictured throughout and the large bibliography.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second edition of The Halloween Encyclopedia, updated through 2010, contains over 50 new entries including African American legends. Normally I wouldn't read an encyclopedia cover-to-cover like a novel but I did just that with this reference book. Of particular interest were the appendices: "Chronology of Halloween" and "Halloween in Literature and the Arts."

Highly recommended to anyone interested in an easy-to-read, in-depth guide to all things Halloween. Want more detail on the entries having to do with Halloween's history? Pick up a copy of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween also by Lisa Morton.

4.5 stars

Side note: I was super stoked to learn that in 2009 a fellow Ohioan - maths teacher Christy Harp - achieved the record for growing the largest pumpkin: 1,725 pounds! (Here she is with the winner and with another of her pumpkins a few years later.) She's since lost the title to a whooper weighing in at over 1,800 pounds.

[Horror DNA · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2003, Lisa Morton published the first version of The Halloween Encyclopedia, but as the preface in this new edition states, the holiday has gone through many changes. From the proliferation of haunted-house attractions and "agri-tainment" like haunted hay-rides and cornfield mazes, to the changes in what we know about the history of Halloween, the encyclopedia was due for an update.

You can read R.J.'s full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Cissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a FABULOUS book! Very comprehensive and data-rich, and every time I looked up something I knew about it was correct... and I usually learned something new as well.

I started out reading an entry here and an entry there, but got so engrossed that i decided to just read the whole thing. And it's written well enough that reading it cover to cover is a delight.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and this is a rich resource for the Halloween fans among us.

Highly recommended!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most encyclopedias, this is hardly meant to be read cover to cover. I've owned this for a while and never really spent too much time reading it but I decided to take another glance and really enjoyed it. It's divided alphabetically by topic, and covers anything Halloween related, with some articles being much longer. If you are a fan of Halloween, this is definitely a fun book to read!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to read this book cover to cover like a regular book but the last week me and my kids have been devouring this book. My kids had tons of questions about Halloween so found this book and all qustions answered :) Had alot of fun learning with my kids :)

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, varied, and well-written encyclopedia for anything and everything related to Halloween.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating collection of all the histories, traditions and images that find themselves smashed on the sidewalk of modern Halloween.