Pagan Origins: How Pagan Is Halloween?

Elias and Mara test the claim that Halloween is simply a surviving pagan holiday.

Episode 3 of The Depths of Halloween. Elias, Mara and the Archivist debate the history, folklore and modern claims behind Pagan Origins: How Pagan Is Halloween?. The production distinguishes documented history from folklore and later reinterpretation where the evidence is uncertain.

Estimated scripted runtime: about 15.9 minutes before performance pacing.

Topics in this episode

• Define pagan first
• Continuity versus resemblance
• Christian adaptation
• The verdict

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