In the early 1970s, rumors about poisoned candy on Halloween led to mass paranoia. A historian explains why such fears emerge – and what, in reality, feeds them.
Seventy-eight percent of the people executed for witchcraft in New England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries were women.
Jef Thompson/Shutterstock.com
Maker culture–a worldwide movement of do-it-yourselfers who tinker with disruptive technologies–have come together to build and design a Halloween costume perfect for kids using wheelchairs.
In Ancient Greek texts, the king Lycaon is punished for misdeeds by being turned into a wolf.
Wikimedia
The earliest surviving example of man-to-wolf transformation is found in The Epic of Gilgamesh, from around 2,100 BC. But the werewolf as we now know it first appeared in ancient Greece and Rome.
The original Halloween movie has been remade for 2018.
Dimension Films
We love to be scared by creepy movies. But fear has other uses too. It can be used negatively by politicians to control us, but can also be a tool to harness internal change.
Young adults now spend more money on costumes than any other age group.
Michaela Rehle/Reuters
The holiday used to be all about trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. No more – and it could something to do with the fact that traditional markers of adulthood have changed.
Tok Thompson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Ghost stories are often about the departed seeking justice for an earthly wrong. Their sightings are a reminder that ethics and morality transcend our lives.
Megyn Kelly appears on the set of her show, ‘Megyn Kelly Today’ at NBC Studios in New York on September 21, 2017. Kelly questioned why dressing up in blackface is wrong. Kelly now says she understands that she needs to be more sensitive.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Invision - Charles Sykes
Many claim the offensive part about blackface is from a long time ago and claim blackface costumes, especially at Halloween, are innocent fun. What could be the harm?
Visiting a haunted house or watching a horror movie can be terrifying and enjoyable at the same time. A sociologist explains the psychological benefits of being safely scared.
Stranger Things 2 finds its monsters in Reagan-era capitalism. It is required viewing for socialists this Halloween.
For many parents, it’s the haul of gummy worms, licorice, chocolate bars and other high-sugar candies that their kids bring home – not the ghouls and zombies – that is terrifying about Halloween.
(Shutterstock)
Halloween is upon us, and the sugar is horrible for your kids’ teeth and health. But fear not – there are things parents can do to lessen the impact of the candy binge.