About History Bookazine History of Halloween 1st edition Back Issue

Dare you open the door to the dark mysteries of Halloween night? In these pages you’ll discover how today’s trick-or-treaters are the inheritors of some much older traditions. Discover the pagan – and surprisingly, Christian – heritage of All Hallows Eve and the ancient festivals that were its forerunners. Explore similar festivals from around the world that mourn and celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, and learn how trick-or-treating has roots deep in the past and across a variety of cultures. Find out about the folk magic rituals that became today’s Halloween activities, from the secret sorcery behind apple-bobbing to the reasons why we carve pumpkin lanterns. Explore the complex history of why witches are associated with Halloween and why it’s believed that spells become more potent on this arcane evening. Meet some of history’s most famous sorceresses and learn why and how they threatened the established order, and discover the eventful life of the founding father of modern pagan witchcraft. Finally, find out how all of these things came together in the United States and how 20th century mass production and Hollywood iconography helped them grow into the distinctive Halloween that we celebrate today. Trick or treat!