Book Review: Celebrating Halloween

Celebrating Halloween by: Wendy Mass, Enslow Publishers Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, 2006.

 

This is a very complete book about the history of Halloween, in fact it may be a little too complete.  It does bring in a lot of different celebrations, similar to Halloween and making memorial of the deceased into the discussion.  It also talks about the period of vandalism which accompanied Halloween before Halloween turned more to a party and trick or treating like today.   Many different celebration have come to mark Halloween, including Druid influence, Roman influence, Catholic and Church of England influences.  The story of Jack who was abandoned between heaven and hell, the story of Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up parliament, the significance of bonfires and pumpkins.  This book talks about the part mischief making played, as well as the part of costumes.  This started as an attempt to make yourself look like a spirit so the spirits wouldn’t bother you.  It has also been influenced by masquerades, and more recently people have costumes of their favorite character.