October 12, 2023

EP129 Halloween Folklore Special: Haunted History, Welsh Traditions & Uncanny Jack-o’-Lanterns (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees)

39 minutes

Halloween folklore of Wales and the world: explore the haunted history of Nos Calan Gaeaf with Mark Rees and a special guest on this eerie seasonal special.

Nos Calan Gaeaf, as Halloween is known in the Welsh language, has long been a time for tradition and festivities. But how did Victorian celebrations differ from modern-day parties?

By teaming up with fellow cultural writer Chris Carra (Planet Health), they aim to investigate the Halloween folklore of Wales and the world, and delve back into their own childhoods to see how the holiday continues to evolve.

From dressing up as the Ghostbusters in the 1980s to living in Canada, Mark and Chris offer a unique perspective on Halloween celebrations that contrast and complement North American traditions. with those in Wales.

They also look at how the holiday has changed for a new generation, how costumes became part of the Halloween experience, and the history of Halloween games involving apples and candles. They discover the surprising connection between Welsh folklore and modern trick-or-treating, which might have evolved from begging for bread on All Souls' Day into a fun tradition.

And of course, no Halloween folklore episode would be complete without the centuries-old tradition of carving vegetables, including the Welsh swede, to create eerie jack-o'-lanterns, or the even creepier apparition that is the Welsh jac-y-lantern.

If that wasn't enough, they look ahead to this year's big Halloween special: an "as live" ghost hunt in one of Wales's "most haunted" places!

Explore the lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast... if you dare!

PLANET HEALTH

Here's a link to Chris's podcast and website (see, I did remember to put it "below" like those YouTubers! - MR)

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If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch!

https://ko-fi.com/markrees

What is the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast?

The "Ghosts and Folklore of Wales" podcast explores Welsh ghosts and ghost stories, lore, myths and legends.

Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales/ Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast takes a fascinating look at the country's countless curious subjects by combining decades of research from many books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes.

Ranging from "real life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded every other (Folklore) Thursday and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked - and not-so-wicked - witch along the way.

Along with the regular stories you can also expect the odd special guest, an occasional live ghost hunt, and all sorts of crazy ideas. Seasonal specials include the dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, and everyone's favourite skulled-skulled Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd herself.

Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to the bustling cities and remote farms, go in search of the paranormal and the unexplained in all corners of Cymru - think of it as opening the Welsh The X-Files... and some tenuous Ghostbusters links!

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode, and for more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/:

Mark Rees homepage

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Books by Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales etc.)

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