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Bonus Episode: Samhain + The Origins of Halloween
Before there was Halloween, there was Samhain... the Celtic fire festival when the veil between worlds was thinnest. In this special October 31st episode, Jeri + Heather trace how a night of honoring ancestors and warding off spirits evolved. From ancient bonfires and soul cakes to Christian rebranding and modern mischief, we explore what still lingers beneath the masks: belief, memory, and the thin veil between the living and the dead.
Sources:
“Samhain.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samhain
Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, 1996.
Danaher, Kevin. The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs. Mercier Press, 1972.
“Halloween.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween
“Samhain: Celtic Festival of the Dead.” Mythopedia. https://mythopedia.com/topics/samhain
“The History of Trick-or-Treating.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2022. https://www.history.com/news/halloween-trick-or-treating-origins
“The Sweet History of Halloween Candy.” Smithsonian Magazine. October 2020. https://www.smithsonianmag.com
“How Candy Companies Turned Halloween Into a Sweet, Sweet Business.” The Atlantic. October 31, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com
“Halloween Candy Sales in the U.S. from 2005 to 2023.” Statista. https://www.statista.com
Reavley, Nicola. Confectionary History and the Making of a Modern Holiday. Harper & Row, 1998.
“Why Halloween Candy Is Big Business.” NPR. October 30, 2019. https://www.npr.org
“The Real Story Behind the Satanic Panic.” Smithsonian Magazine. October 2021. https://www.smithsonianmag.com
La Fontaine, Jean. Satanism and Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary Legend. Routledge, 1998.
“How the 1980s Satanic Panic Shaped Halloween.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2023. https://www.history.com
Victor, Jeffrey S. Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary Legend. Open Court Publishing, 1993.
“Chick Tracts and the Moral Crusade Against Halloween.” Religion Dispatches. October 2017. https://religiondispatches.org
Campion-Vincent, Véronique. “Razor Blades in the Apples: The Social Construction of Urban Legends.” Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 106, No. 419 (1993).
“The Truth About Halloween Candy Myths.” Snopes. https://www.snopes.com
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By Altar EgoBefore there was Halloween, there was Samhain... the Celtic fire festival when the veil between worlds was thinnest. In this special October 31st episode, Jeri + Heather trace how a night of honoring ancestors and warding off spirits evolved. From ancient bonfires and soul cakes to Christian rebranding and modern mischief, we explore what still lingers beneath the masks: belief, memory, and the thin veil between the living and the dead.
Sources:
“Samhain.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samhain
Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, 1996.
Danaher, Kevin. The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs. Mercier Press, 1972.
“Halloween.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween
“Samhain: Celtic Festival of the Dead.” Mythopedia. https://mythopedia.com/topics/samhain
“The History of Trick-or-Treating.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2022. https://www.history.com/news/halloween-trick-or-treating-origins
“The Sweet History of Halloween Candy.” Smithsonian Magazine. October 2020. https://www.smithsonianmag.com
“How Candy Companies Turned Halloween Into a Sweet, Sweet Business.” The Atlantic. October 31, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com
“Halloween Candy Sales in the U.S. from 2005 to 2023.” Statista. https://www.statista.com
Reavley, Nicola. Confectionary History and the Making of a Modern Holiday. Harper & Row, 1998.
“Why Halloween Candy Is Big Business.” NPR. October 30, 2019. https://www.npr.org
“The Real Story Behind the Satanic Panic.” Smithsonian Magazine. October 2021. https://www.smithsonianmag.com
La Fontaine, Jean. Satanism and Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary Legend. Routledge, 1998.
“How the 1980s Satanic Panic Shaped Halloween.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2023. https://www.history.com
Victor, Jeffrey S. Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary Legend. Open Court Publishing, 1993.
“Chick Tracts and the Moral Crusade Against Halloween.” Religion Dispatches. October 2017. https://religiondispatches.org
Campion-Vincent, Véronique. “Razor Blades in the Apples: The Social Construction of Urban Legends.” Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 106, No. 419 (1993).
“The Truth About Halloween Candy Myths.” Snopes. https://www.snopes.com