Reviews

Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History by Lesley Bannatyne

erincataldi's review

4.0

I'm not gonna lie, when I first picked up this book I was a little skeptical . I'd read "The Halloween Tree" by Ray Bradbury, I knew all their was to know about the history of Halloween, how could their possibly be any more to the story? Well, that's where I was wrong. Author, Lesley Pratt Bannatyne, painstaking researches the origins of traditions, feast days, and folk lore going all the way back to the Celts, Druids, and Romans. Even though the title of this book boasts the "American History," Bannatyne does her research and takes the reader all the way back to Europe to get a glimpse of the first origins. She then talks about how it was meshed with other cultures and religions (the Roman Empire, Christianity, etc.) through the centuries and how it finally was celebrated on October 31 (November 1 is All Saint's Day or Hallow's Day, so October 31 is Hallows Eve). Once it was joined with Scottish and Irish traditions, it started to more closely resemble the holiday we celebrate now: costumes to blend in with the dead, begging for food door to door, carrying turnip lanterns (pumpkins were a new favorite when they came to America), and playing pranks or tricks on one another (picked up from Guy Fawkes Day). Once the immigrants brought their traditions to the United States, things escalated and by the late nineteenth century, ladies magazines were producing articles on how to throw the best Halloween parties. When the Halloween tradition came to America, it lost a lot of the "communion with the dead" aspects. The Victorian age simply turned it into another reason to party.

Overall, it was a fascinating read. I learned soo much about one of my favorite holidays and I definitely appreciate it even more, knowing the rich history behind the traditions. A must read for any fan of Halloween or things that go bump in the night. It's filled with great poetry, pictures, and drawings to go along with the history. I do wish there had been more about the Day of the Dead and the evolution of costumes (how did they get so slutty?!), but hey, this book is 25 years old, I understand :)

imminentmurphy's review

4.0

A quick read and deeply enjoyable. It succinctly describes how Halloween has morphed and changed through the years, adapting to changes in the broader world. Regrettably, the book's scholarship thins as it approaches the present day, however. The most notable gap concerns what caused the sudden spike in destructive nationwide vandalism associated with Halloween in the early 20th century. The text describes community reactions to the event but doesn't propose a root cause.

Note. I also waited several years to read this, waiting for a Kindle version to be released. That STILL has t happened.

elmermel's review

2.0

Despite my love for Halloween, this book felt like a slog to get through. I'm not sure if it was the way that it was written or what but I could not seem to hold on to any of the information that was dispensed. Additionally, the content, or at least the way it was presented, felt boring and repetitive. I had higher hopes for this book..