Children, Adults and the Reinvention of Halloween

How a holiday of pranks, courtship and supernatural lore became children's candy night—and then became adult again.

Episode 28 of The Depths of Halloween. Elias, Mara and the Archivist debate the history, folklore and modern claims behind Children, Adults and the Reinvention of Halloween. The production distinguishes documented history from folklore and later reinterpretation where the evidence is uncertain.

Estimated scripted runtime: about 15.5 minutes before performance pacing.

Topics in this episode

• Child-centered Halloween
• Adults never disappeared
• Costume freedom
• Competing Halloweens

Sources and further reading

• Library of Congress: The Origins of Halloween Traditions
• Library of Congress: Halloween: Topics in Chronicling America
• Smithsonian Magazine: The Celtic Origins of Trick-or-Treating
• Smithsonian Magazine: When Halloween Was All Tricks and No Treats
• HISTORY: How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth