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Halloween Trivia: Ghosts, Ghouls, Skeletons, Vampires, Witches, Graveyards, Spiders, Zombies, Haunted Houses
Spooks and spirits, ghosts and goblins, witches and the weird...it's Halloween...one of the most widely celebrated holidays of the year. But why do we trick-or-treat, carve pumpkins and dress up in costumes? What are the legends and lore behind some of our most treasured Halloween traditions? Find out all about this spooky * The ancient Celts wore masks and costumes on Halloween night to avoid being recognized as human because they thought spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside * In an attempt to prevent spirits of the dead from leaving their final resting place, gravestones were once placed on top of deeply dug graves * Wiccaphobia is the fear of witches * Several distilleries around the world produce alcoholic beverages with a grim twist; an English firm produces Vampyre Vodka that is blood red in color * According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest gathering of ''zombies'' occurred in Ledbury, Hertfordshire, on August 6, 2009, with 4026 participants. * And so much more...
- GenresHoliday
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 2, 2019
“Hallowe’en Trivia: Ghosts, Ghouls, Skeletons, Vampires, Witches, Graveyards, Spiders, Zombies, Haunted Houses”, 2010, is an enlightening resource in a numerous categories, as its title shows. Chapters by country might improve it but I praise the variety. The myriad origins are as confusing as Canadian Thanksgiving. I knew Hallowe’en resembled México’s Día de los muertos and mask-wearing in Ireland. Now I know many countries contributed. Ironically, only Canada and the USA had Hallowe’en until recently.
Religious contexts apply too, including begging for food. I appear to be the only one who uses its apostrophe but everyone knows the word abbreviates All Hallows Eve, which precedes All Saints Day. I learned there is also an All Souls Day.
Worldwide information is a boon but I recall little of it. Canadiana was absent.... until the end, after I already felt this was a missed opportunity. Tonya Lambert might have begun personally and branched out: “This is how we celebrate”. Cat killing history needed omitting. I was dismayed that spirits, which define this holiday, were brief. More Canadian haunted places could have been showcased. Heaven knows, we aren’t in books unless we add ourselves.
After hiking through macabre lists, comes a miniscule part: North America does have one pinpointed source! Apparently pranks grew so tiresome, housewives promised to provide treats, if they desisted. That’s it! The prank night is October 30. I don’t think anyone has made anything of it since I was a child. It is called “Gate Night” in Manitoba, perhaps in Canada. Tonya did not say. I will enjoy revisiting the striking parts and give three stars. Her introduction impressed me the most: “Throughout history, people of all cultures have embraced periods of social inversion, when the weak become powerful and the well-behaved are able to act out”. I love that.
Religious contexts apply too, including begging for food. I appear to be the only one who uses its apostrophe but everyone knows the word abbreviates All Hallows Eve, which precedes All Saints Day. I learned there is also an All Souls Day.
Worldwide information is a boon but I recall little of it. Canadiana was absent.... until the end, after I already felt this was a missed opportunity. Tonya Lambert might have begun personally and branched out: “This is how we celebrate”. Cat killing history needed omitting. I was dismayed that spirits, which define this holiday, were brief. More Canadian haunted places could have been showcased. Heaven knows, we aren’t in books unless we add ourselves.
After hiking through macabre lists, comes a miniscule part: North America does have one pinpointed source! Apparently pranks grew so tiresome, housewives promised to provide treats, if they desisted. That’s it! The prank night is October 30. I don’t think anyone has made anything of it since I was a child. It is called “Gate Night” in Manitoba, perhaps in Canada. Tonya did not say. I will enjoy revisiting the striking parts and give three stars. Her introduction impressed me the most: “Throughout history, people of all cultures have embraced periods of social inversion, when the weak become powerful and the well-behaved are able to act out”. I love that.
November 19, 2021
Everything you wanted to know about all things Halloween:
-World Culture
-Traditions and why we celebrate them
-Historical Horror
-Paranormal Activity
-Witchcraft
-Supernatural Creatures/Beings (Fact or Fiction?)
-Creepy Animals
-Candy
-Costumes
-Jack-o-Lanterns
-Books
-Haunted Houses
-Movies and Music
It's an OVERWHELMING amount of Halloween trivia. If you were ever planning a Halloween trivia event, THIS is a book you MUST have! It's fantastic. It's very well structured, but each section holds a plethora of great information.
I'm personally a huge Halloween fan (for many reasons) and most of the historical traditions and world cultural celebrations, I had NO idea about.
This is one of those great reads to read before October 1st so you have time to ingest all of the cool factoids so you can show off your Halloween knowledge.
-World Culture
-Traditions and why we celebrate them
-Historical Horror
-Paranormal Activity
-Witchcraft
-Supernatural Creatures/Beings (Fact or Fiction?)
-Creepy Animals
-Candy
-Costumes
-Jack-o-Lanterns
-Books
-Haunted Houses
-Movies and Music
It's an OVERWHELMING amount of Halloween trivia. If you were ever planning a Halloween trivia event, THIS is a book you MUST have! It's fantastic. It's very well structured, but each section holds a plethora of great information.
I'm personally a huge Halloween fan (for many reasons) and most of the historical traditions and world cultural celebrations, I had NO idea about.
This is one of those great reads to read before October 1st so you have time to ingest all of the cool factoids so you can show off your Halloween knowledge.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews