The Final Verdict: What Halloween Really Is

The hosts return to the original question after thirty episodes and decide what can—and cannot—honestly be said about Halloween.

Episode 30 of The Depths of Halloween. Elias, Mara and the Archivist debate the history, folklore and modern claims behind The Final Verdict: What Halloween Really Is. The production distinguishes documented history from folklore and later reinterpretation where the evidence is uncertain.

Estimated scripted runtime: about 15.8 minutes before performance pacing.

Topics in this episode

• No single origin
• Myth still matters
• The holiday's engine
• Final answer

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