Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween
Encyclopedia
Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween is a non-fiction book by David J. Skal
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such as exploring its dark Celtic history
and talking about why it was evolved. The author travels throughout the United States
and reviews people about what they think of Halloween such as people that go to extraordinary lengths, businessmen who see Halloween in terms of money, and practicing witches. The book tries to help us understand what the many rituals and traditions say about people's psyche
. It talks about such things as myths, horror films, and haunted houses.
candy." The book was used as a reference in the books Salem: Place, Myth, and Memory, The Cute and the Cool: Wondrous Innocence and Modern American Children's Culture, and From Shaman to Scientist: Essays on Humanity's Search for Spirits.
David J. Skal
David J. Skal is an American cultural historian known for his writings on horror films and horror literature.-Early life:...
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Book summary
The book talks about the history of HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
such as exploring its dark Celtic history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and talking about why it was evolved. The author travels throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and reviews people about what they think of Halloween such as people that go to extraordinary lengths, businessmen who see Halloween in terms of money, and practicing witches. The book tries to help us understand what the many rituals and traditions say about people's psyche
Psyche (psychology)
The word psyche has a long history of use in psychology and philosophy, dating back to ancient times, and has been one of the fundamental concepts for understanding human nature from a scientific point of view. The English word soul is sometimes used synonymously, especially in older...
. It talks about such things as myths, horror films, and haunted houses.
Reception
A review from the book The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror says, "Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween is an entertaining dissection of the holiday horror aficionados love best by an expert in pop culture. I was hooked from the first chapter, which explores the urban myth of poisoned and booby-trappedBooby trap
A booby trap is a device designed to harm or surprise a person, unknowingly triggered by the presence or actions of the victim. As the word trap implies, they often have some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it. However, in other cases the device is placed on busy roads or is...
candy." The book was used as a reference in the books Salem: Place, Myth, and Memory, The Cute and the Cool: Wondrous Innocence and Modern American Children's Culture, and From Shaman to Scientist: Essays on Humanity's Search for Spirits.