Halloween: The History of America's Darkest Holiday

David J. Skal

may 2016 · Courier Dover Publications

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"Wonderfully well-written, outrageous, and provocative." — Booklist

Acclaimed cultural critic David J. Skal explores one of America's most perplexingly popular holidays in this original mix of personal anecdotes and social analysis. Skal traces Halloween's evolution from its dark Celtic history and quaint, small-scale celebrations to its emergence as mammoth seasonal marketing event.
Skal takes readers on a cross-country survey that covers remarkably divergent perspectives, from the merchants who welcome a money-making opportunity that's second only to Christmas to fundamentalists who decry Halloween a form of blasphemy and practicing witches who embrace it as a holy day. He also profiles individuals who revel in this once-a-year occasion to participate in elaborate fantasies. Their narratives, combined with the author's cultural analysis, offer a revealing look at an intriguing aspect of our national psyche.

"Entertaining … and scholarly … Like a bag of Halloween candy, the book is a lot of fun." — Boston Globe

"Fans of cultural history will devour each chapter … like a toothsome treat." — Christian Science Monitor

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David J. Skal is the author of Hollywood Gothic and The Monster Show and co-editor of the Norton Critical Edition of Bram Stoker's Dracula. A longtime New Yorker, he now lives in Los Angeles.