Show notes
Was All Saints deliberately placed to absorb a pagan festival, or is the popular story more complicated?
Episode 23 of The Depths of Halloween. Elias, Mara and the Archivist debate the history, folklore and modern claims behind Did Christians Steal Samhain?. 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
- The theft narrative
- Same date, different evidence
- Steal or blend?
- What survives
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
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