Show notes
Why do ghosts, ancestors and dangerous visitors crowd the calendar when harvest ends and winter begins?
Episode 5 of The Depths of Halloween. Elias, Mara and the Archivist debate the history, folklore and modern claims behind Why Autumn Became a Season of Spirits. The production distinguishes documented history from folklore and later reinterpretation where the evidence is uncertain.
Estimated scripted runtime: about 16.2 minutes before performance pacing.
Topics in this episode
- Material darkness
- Threshold psychology
- Harvest and memory
- Why it still works
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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