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Halloween is just days away, so what better time to talk about the history of my favorite holiday with the nation's leading expert on Halloween, Lesley Bannatyne! She's the author of five books on the topic of Halloween, including Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History, which will celebrate 25 years of being in print in 2015. Click HERE\xa0for my review of this book.\xa0

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Visit\xa0BigSeance.com\xa0for show notes.

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Topics discussed in this episode:

Can you guess Lesley\u2019s favorite Halloween candy?

Lesley shares some of her favorite memories from the holiday.\xa0

Where did Halloween come from?

• Samhain
• Harvest
• Darkness and the coming winter
• Folklore and Superstition
• \u201cThe Other World"
• All Hallows/All Saints Day
• All Souls Day
• Pranks and Mischiefs
• Guy Fawkes
• Victorians and Halloween Parties

When did Trick-or-Treating become a part of Halloween? 1940s

• Kids and mischief around Halloween
• Adults threw Halloween parties to keep young people from mischief and vandalism. It didn\u2019t work.\xa0
• Adults learned to offer food and treats (extortion/begging?) in exchange for no mischief or violence on their property.\xa0
• Trick-or-Treating seen on television for the first time
• Trick-or-Treat for\xa0Unicef (charity)

When did costumes go from being disguises to a way of expression? Costumes then and now.\xa0

Our favorite symbols of Halloween. Where did they come from?

• The\xa0Witch
• The Black Cat
• The Bat
• Pumpkins and\xa0Jack-o-Lanterns
• Are Scarecrows disappearing?

The Victorians and Halloween\u2026 how did they celebrate?

• Parties and Decorations
• Games
• \u201cDumb Supper\u201d
• Seeing the image of your future love

Lesley shares how she researched and found historic articles and information from Halloweens past from vintage periodicals.\xa0

Urban Myths about Halloween

• Fear
• Apples and razor blades
• Black Cats and Satanic Sacrifice

Church, Religion, and Halloween

How has Halloween changed since Lesley\u2019s book was first released?

What does duct tape have to do with Halloween? (Ha!)

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For More on Lesley Bannatyne:

www.iskullhalloween.com

Lesley's\xa0Books

For More\xa0Halloween History

Why Halloween Matters

The Literature of Old Halloween

Check out Lesley\u2019s appearance on the BBC\xa0on Halloween day!

Check out her appearance on the History Channel's\xa0The Real Story of Halloween

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Thanks, Lesley!

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Don't forget!! Are you a regular listener? Please e-mail (or call, or SpeakPipe) with where you're listening from, and how you're listening! I'd appreciate it! Patrick@BigSeance.com

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Spooky Music featured on this episode is from Sam Haynes. You can find more about Sam and his music at\xa0http://www.hauntmusic.co.uk/. Thanks, Sam!

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Record your voice feedback directly from your device on my\xa0SpeakPipe page! Call the show at\xa0(775) 583-5563\xa0(or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. Visit\xa0BigS\xe9ance.com\xa0for more information.

Please help The Big S\xe9ance Podcast by subscribing, rating, and reviewing the show on\xa0iTunes\xa0or\xa0Stitcher!\xa0Also, check out\xa0BigS\xe9ance.com!

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