To kick off everyone’s favorite month of the year, here’s a short piece on the origins of the Halloween holiday by folklorist Jack Santino, of Bowling Green State University. (I know it’s a week late–you can blame the government shutdown for the delay, as the text I cite here is hosted by the Library of Congress and was inaccessible last week).
Santino also has a full article on the topic entitled “Halloween in America: Contemporary Customs and Performances,” which, alas, I can’t link to; but if you have access to JSTOR (try your public library) you can find it that way. He also has a book on Halloween. (I haven’t read these, but they promise to be excellent.) The full citation for both is below.
Meanwhile, here is Santino’s piece from the Library of Congress:
Halloween
The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows
Jack Santino
Halloween had its beginnings in an…
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