Helpful Score: 1
This book was recommended to me by my Granny. It was an EXCELLENT book! If you like real descriptions of real boys in a Halloween setting, you can't do better than this!
On Halloween Night, eight boys led by thirteen-year-old Tom Skelton, put on their costumes and ready for trick-or-treating. Their friend Pipkin said he would meet them at the haunted house. When they arrive, the boys find a Halloween Tree with hundreds of lit jack-o-lanterns. Pipkin finally shows up, only to be whisked away by a black figure. Using the tail of a kite, the home's owner, the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud, leads the boys back through time to learn the history of Halloween, and find the missing boy Pipkin.
This is a short story I didn't have time to read at Halloween, so I'm fitting it in now. The first part of the short story was very atmospheric. We were introduced to Tom Skelton and his friend Pipkin. The other boys were eventually named during the story; but seemed just like a nameless group with no discerning characteristics.
Mr. Moundshroud leads the boys through the years to various points in history. In Ancient Egypt they view a funeral procession where the person is found in bandages and entombed. In Europe they witness the persecution of witches. At each stop I learned something new about the holiday. My rating: 4 Stars.
This is a short story I didn't have time to read at Halloween, so I'm fitting it in now. The first part of the short story was very atmospheric. We were introduced to Tom Skelton and his friend Pipkin. The other boys were eventually named during the story; but seemed just like a nameless group with no discerning characteristics.
Mr. Moundshroud leads the boys through the years to various points in history. In Ancient Egypt they view a funeral procession where the person is found in bandages and entombed. In Europe they witness the persecution of witches. At each stop I learned something new about the holiday. My rating: 4 Stars.
YA novella following a group of boys as they take a whirlwind fantasy tour of the roots of Halloween through history. Not Bradbury's best work.
I really wanted to like this book. I think if I had read it as a teen, I might've liked it better. Sadly, it just seemed like it jumped all over the place and my brain just couldn't follow along. The story takes place on Halloween night and a group of kids are trying to find their friend Pipkin. In order to find him, they follow a truly creepy guy named Moundshroud. On their journey they travel to different places learning about the history of Halloween throughout the ages.
The premise of the story was interesting. I thought I would love it. It was just not flowing for me though and, as a kid, I don't know if I would've followed Moundshroud anywhere. My sixth sense would've told me to run away as fast as I could. I really wished I could've enjoyed this adventure and can see why others do. It just wasn't for me.
The premise of the story was interesting. I thought I would love it. It was just not flowing for me though and, as a kid, I don't know if I would've followed Moundshroud anywhere. My sixth sense would've told me to run away as fast as I could. I really wished I could've enjoyed this adventure and can see why others do. It just wasn't for me.
An odd tale, beautifully written, about a group of schoolboys who unwittingly undertake an adventure after meeting a mysterious figure at a haunted house on Halloween, and, traveling to and fro in time, attempt to find the meaning and origin of the holiday.
First, witnessing the abduction of their ailing friend, from an unknown force which whisks him away to a land unknown, which the boys must travel to by clinging to the tail of a kite. They then encounter a series of death rituals and celebrations, from prehistoric times to the rituals of ancient Egypt, where Osiris, king of the dead, reigns over all. Food was placed in ceramic and copper dishes on window sills and porches, illuminated by oil lamps nailed to the house fronts, for the spirits of the deceased. They then encounter a mummy, with whom they witness an ancient Egyptian funeral procession and interment, of none other than Pipkin, their missing friend, whom they follow all the long night, and just before midnight, must make a personal sacrifice to bring him home.
LOTS OF REVIEWS for this one, so I thought I would comment some on the nature and origins of the holiday, which the book explores through the adventures of eight young sojourners in an effort to save their friend. Halloween is collectively our favorite holiday next to Christmas, and it's become much more popularized in the last several decades, but, as the book notes, its origins are ancient, and convoluted. It's widely believed that many traditions associated with the modern holiday originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals and rituals, in particular, that of Samhain (pronounced SAO-in). Unfortunately, modern-day Halloween has become ever more commercialized, focusing on costumes and candy rather than time-honored traditions, some of which are described in the book: carving pumpkins into jack-o-lantern, costume parties (the origins of which involved the living dressing in disguises to hide from the spirits of the deceased), bonfires, bobbing for apples, pranks, and trick-or-treating.
Most associated with Celtic rituals and festivals, there is some suggestion that, indeed, Halloween has some origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits in particular, and in the festival of the dead, the Parentalia, when friends and relatives would travel out to Roman cemeteries-some elaborate tombs even had cooking and dining facilities, such as triclinia, or reclining couches and tables, and even sometimes ovens for preparing funeral feasts for celebrants. The festival of Samhain was actually celebrated on October 31st, which the modern holiday inherited. It was believed that, as in the Christian tradition, the boundary between this world and the Netherworld thinned on this particular day, allowing the spirits of the deceased to return to earth. Common foods and items associated with the fall harvest, including apples and nuts, were used in divination rituals: apple bobbing and nut-roasting on special bonfires, which were also the subject of certain rituals, including divination, were popular activities during the celebrations.
Some of these ritual elements persisted into the Christian era, as Halloween falls on the night before All Hallows' or All Saints' Day on November 1st and All Souls' Day, initially celebrated on November 2nd. Even in the nascent Church, feasts involved vigils held the night prior to an important holiday, initially in this case called All-Hallow-tide. All Hallows' Day was switched to November 1st in 835 by Pope Gregory IV, possibly due to Celtic influence. In the Middle Ages, apparently parishes too poor to display relics allowed their parishioners to dress up as saints, with carved pumpkins and even turnips standing in as the souls of the dead, serving the dual purpose as lanterns, which illuminated the streets and served as a guide to souls returning to the homes of their families. In France and elsewhere, a carnival known as the danse macabre involved people dressing in elaborate costumes, but here, more commonly as corpses and hideous figures than saints, which may be the origin of the practice in modern times.
In the modern day, it seems that many of these ancient traditions have morphed more into "kitsch," which is more playful than serious or involving much religious ritual, as it's now centered on children and imagery. Example: according to a 2018 study conducted by the National Retail Federation, 30 million Americans spent $480 million on Halloween costumes for their PETS (!), which increased from $200 million only eight years before. The most popular pet costumes are reportedly pumpkins, hot dogs and bumble bees.
Personally, I prefer the Dia de los Muertos model, where the memories of the departed are celebrated, and people are free and even encouraged to spend time with them, in cemeteries, which are brightly decorated and become places of shared community spirit once more. As a child, I remember the community in a small town in rural Arkansas holding a cemetery event on the first Saturday in June, where the graves were cleared and stones cleaned, and some general maintenance, an event which involved the whole community, and included feasting pot-luck style, so after the work was done, the event became one massive picnic among participants, children such as myself included. It's one of my earliest memories, one I wish I could take part in more frequently. I think the value of the book is that it rekindles some of those old traditions, and encourages readers to find the true meaning behind Halloween, as it has influenced them personally, in beautiful, visually-rich prose so characteristic of this capable and much-beloved author.
----------NOTABLE PASSAGES---------
So it goes in every country. Each has its death festival, having to do with seasons. Skulls and bones, boys, skeletons and ghosts.
Up in Illinois, we've forgotten what it's all about. I mean the dead, up in our town, tonight, heck, they're forgotten. Nobody remembers. Nobody cares. Nobody goes to sit and talk to them. Boy' that's lonely. That's really sad. But here... it's both happy and sad. It's all firecrackers and skeleton toys down here in the plaza and up in that graveyard now are all the Mexican dead folks with the families visiting an flowers and candles and singing and candy. I mean, it's almost like Thanksgiving.
And everyone set down to dinner, but only half the people are able to eat, but that's no mind, they're there. It's like holding hands at a séance with your friends, but some of the friends gone.
Always the same, but different... every age, every time. Day was always over. Night was always coming.
First, witnessing the abduction of their ailing friend, from an unknown force which whisks him away to a land unknown, which the boys must travel to by clinging to the tail of a kite. They then encounter a series of death rituals and celebrations, from prehistoric times to the rituals of ancient Egypt, where Osiris, king of the dead, reigns over all. Food was placed in ceramic and copper dishes on window sills and porches, illuminated by oil lamps nailed to the house fronts, for the spirits of the deceased. They then encounter a mummy, with whom they witness an ancient Egyptian funeral procession and interment, of none other than Pipkin, their missing friend, whom they follow all the long night, and just before midnight, must make a personal sacrifice to bring him home.
LOTS OF REVIEWS for this one, so I thought I would comment some on the nature and origins of the holiday, which the book explores through the adventures of eight young sojourners in an effort to save their friend. Halloween is collectively our favorite holiday next to Christmas, and it's become much more popularized in the last several decades, but, as the book notes, its origins are ancient, and convoluted. It's widely believed that many traditions associated with the modern holiday originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals and rituals, in particular, that of Samhain (pronounced SAO-in). Unfortunately, modern-day Halloween has become ever more commercialized, focusing on costumes and candy rather than time-honored traditions, some of which are described in the book: carving pumpkins into jack-o-lantern, costume parties (the origins of which involved the living dressing in disguises to hide from the spirits of the deceased), bonfires, bobbing for apples, pranks, and trick-or-treating.
Most associated with Celtic rituals and festivals, there is some suggestion that, indeed, Halloween has some origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits in particular, and in the festival of the dead, the Parentalia, when friends and relatives would travel out to Roman cemeteries-some elaborate tombs even had cooking and dining facilities, such as triclinia, or reclining couches and tables, and even sometimes ovens for preparing funeral feasts for celebrants. The festival of Samhain was actually celebrated on October 31st, which the modern holiday inherited. It was believed that, as in the Christian tradition, the boundary between this world and the Netherworld thinned on this particular day, allowing the spirits of the deceased to return to earth. Common foods and items associated with the fall harvest, including apples and nuts, were used in divination rituals: apple bobbing and nut-roasting on special bonfires, which were also the subject of certain rituals, including divination, were popular activities during the celebrations.
Some of these ritual elements persisted into the Christian era, as Halloween falls on the night before All Hallows' or All Saints' Day on November 1st and All Souls' Day, initially celebrated on November 2nd. Even in the nascent Church, feasts involved vigils held the night prior to an important holiday, initially in this case called All-Hallow-tide. All Hallows' Day was switched to November 1st in 835 by Pope Gregory IV, possibly due to Celtic influence. In the Middle Ages, apparently parishes too poor to display relics allowed their parishioners to dress up as saints, with carved pumpkins and even turnips standing in as the souls of the dead, serving the dual purpose as lanterns, which illuminated the streets and served as a guide to souls returning to the homes of their families. In France and elsewhere, a carnival known as the danse macabre involved people dressing in elaborate costumes, but here, more commonly as corpses and hideous figures than saints, which may be the origin of the practice in modern times.
In the modern day, it seems that many of these ancient traditions have morphed more into "kitsch," which is more playful than serious or involving much religious ritual, as it's now centered on children and imagery. Example: according to a 2018 study conducted by the National Retail Federation, 30 million Americans spent $480 million on Halloween costumes for their PETS (!), which increased from $200 million only eight years before. The most popular pet costumes are reportedly pumpkins, hot dogs and bumble bees.
Personally, I prefer the Dia de los Muertos model, where the memories of the departed are celebrated, and people are free and even encouraged to spend time with them, in cemeteries, which are brightly decorated and become places of shared community spirit once more. As a child, I remember the community in a small town in rural Arkansas holding a cemetery event on the first Saturday in June, where the graves were cleared and stones cleaned, and some general maintenance, an event which involved the whole community, and included feasting pot-luck style, so after the work was done, the event became one massive picnic among participants, children such as myself included. It's one of my earliest memories, one I wish I could take part in more frequently. I think the value of the book is that it rekindles some of those old traditions, and encourages readers to find the true meaning behind Halloween, as it has influenced them personally, in beautiful, visually-rich prose so characteristic of this capable and much-beloved author.
----------NOTABLE PASSAGES---------
So it goes in every country. Each has its death festival, having to do with seasons. Skulls and bones, boys, skeletons and ghosts.
Up in Illinois, we've forgotten what it's all about. I mean the dead, up in our town, tonight, heck, they're forgotten. Nobody remembers. Nobody cares. Nobody goes to sit and talk to them. Boy' that's lonely. That's really sad. But here... it's both happy and sad. It's all firecrackers and skeleton toys down here in the plaza and up in that graveyard now are all the Mexican dead folks with the families visiting an flowers and candles and singing and candy. I mean, it's almost like Thanksgiving.
And everyone set down to dinner, but only half the people are able to eat, but that's no mind, they're there. It's like holding hands at a séance with your friends, but some of the friends gone.
Always the same, but different... every age, every time. Day was always over. Night was always coming.
Reviewed by Marie Robinson for TeensReadToo.com
Opening this book is like opening a present. Originally published in 1972, publisher Alfred A. Knopf has printed a new hardcover edition. The dust-jacket is beautifully illustrated, the book is of an unusual size. Everything about it says "special."
Inside, I was not disappointed. Bradbury swept me away with his opening scene:
"It was a small town by a small river and a small lake in a small northern part of a Midwest state. There wasn't so much wilderness around you couldn't see the town. But on the other hand there wasn't so much town you couldn't see and feel and touch and smell the wilderness. The town was full of trees. And dry grass and dead flowers now that autumn was here. And full of fences to walk on and sidewalks to skate on and a large ravine to tumble in and yell across. And the town was full of...
Boys.
And it was the afternoon of Halloween.
And all the houses shut against a cool wind.
And the town was full of cold sunlight.
But suddenly, the day was gone.
Night came out from under each tree and spread."
This scene sets the tone for the entire book. THE HALLOWEEN TREE is as classic a Halloween story as A CHRISTMAS CAROL is for Christmas. It is about a group of boys, all friends, ages 11-12, who dress up for their annual night of Halloween mischief and go trick or treating. The boys find themselves at a particularly spooky mansion in a dark ravine, with a Marley-the-ghost door knocker and a gigantic tree covered with jack-o-lanterns. As the jack-o-lanterns light up one by one, the boys realize they are in the presence of a Halloween Tree, and that something very special is about to happen.
The resident of the house, the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud, takes the boys on a fantastic journey through traditions of Halloween past. This story is part history lesson, but the history is provided in such a compelling way that your average reader won't even realize he or she is learning something.
Perhaps the only downside to this story is that it is so dominantly geared toward a male audience. All of the major characters are male. Though, being female myself, I could get lost in the spookiness of the narrative.
Bradbury uses his trademark short sentences which are short on exposition but long on crafting a mood. The story is spooky without ever being scary, and is sure to delight kids of all ages.
Opening this book is like opening a present. Originally published in 1972, publisher Alfred A. Knopf has printed a new hardcover edition. The dust-jacket is beautifully illustrated, the book is of an unusual size. Everything about it says "special."
Inside, I was not disappointed. Bradbury swept me away with his opening scene:
"It was a small town by a small river and a small lake in a small northern part of a Midwest state. There wasn't so much wilderness around you couldn't see the town. But on the other hand there wasn't so much town you couldn't see and feel and touch and smell the wilderness. The town was full of trees. And dry grass and dead flowers now that autumn was here. And full of fences to walk on and sidewalks to skate on and a large ravine to tumble in and yell across. And the town was full of...
Boys.
And it was the afternoon of Halloween.
And all the houses shut against a cool wind.
And the town was full of cold sunlight.
But suddenly, the day was gone.
Night came out from under each tree and spread."
This scene sets the tone for the entire book. THE HALLOWEEN TREE is as classic a Halloween story as A CHRISTMAS CAROL is for Christmas. It is about a group of boys, all friends, ages 11-12, who dress up for their annual night of Halloween mischief and go trick or treating. The boys find themselves at a particularly spooky mansion in a dark ravine, with a Marley-the-ghost door knocker and a gigantic tree covered with jack-o-lanterns. As the jack-o-lanterns light up one by one, the boys realize they are in the presence of a Halloween Tree, and that something very special is about to happen.
The resident of the house, the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud, takes the boys on a fantastic journey through traditions of Halloween past. This story is part history lesson, but the history is provided in such a compelling way that your average reader won't even realize he or she is learning something.
Perhaps the only downside to this story is that it is so dominantly geared toward a male audience. All of the major characters are male. Though, being female myself, I could get lost in the spookiness of the narrative.
Bradbury uses his trademark short sentences which are short on exposition but long on crafting a mood. The story is spooky without ever being scary, and is sure to delight kids of all ages.
A group of boys set out to make the most out of their favorite holiday are in for a real treat when they travel back in time to when Halloween all started. The story is fast paced and spans hundreds of years across multiple countries to show how it's been celebrated and how it has evolved through time. Read it with the kids they'll ask a lot of questions that will surely have you researching deeper into the making of this deliciously spooky holiday.
An odd tale, beautifully written, about a group of schoolboys who unwittingly undertake an adventure after meeting a mysterious figure at a haunted house on Halloween, and, traveling to and fro in time, attempt to find the meaning and origin of the holiday.
First, witnessing the abduction of their ailing friend, from an unknown force which whisks him away to a land unknown, which the boys must travel to by clinging to the tail of a kite. They then encounter a series of death rituals and celebrations, from prehistoric times to the rituals of ancient Egypt, where Osiris, king of the dead, reigns over all. Food was placed in ceramic and copper dishes on window sills and porches, illuminated by oil lamps nailed to the house fronts, for the spirits of the deceased. They then encounter a mummy, with whom they witness an ancient Egyptian funeral procession and interment, of none other than Pipkin, their missing friend, whom they follow all the long night, and just before midnight, must make a personal sacrifice to bring him home.
I thought I would comment some on the nature and origins of the holiday, which the book explores through the adventures of eight young sojourners in an effort to save their friend. Halloween is collectively our favorite holiday next to Christmas, and it's become much more popularized in the last several decades, but, as the book notes, its origins are ancient, and convoluted. It's widely believed that many traditions associated with the modern holiday originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals and rituals, in particular, that of Samhain (pronounced SAO-in). Unfortunately, modern-day Halloween has become ever more commercialized, focusing on costumes and candy rather than time-honored traditions, some of which are described in the book: carving pumpkins into jack-o-lantern, costume parties (the origins of which involved the living dressing in disguises to hide from the spirits of the deceased), bonfires, bobbing for apples, pranks, and trick-or-treating.
Most associated with Celtic rituals and festivals, there is some suggestion that, indeed, Halloween has some origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits in particular, and in the festival of the dead, the Parentalia, when friends and relatives would travel out to Roman cemeteries-some elaborate tombs even had cooking and dining facilities, such as triclinia, or reclining couches and tables, and even sometimes ovens for preparing funeral feasts for celebrants. The festival of Samhain was actually celebrated on October 31st, which the modern holiday inherited. It was believed that, as in the Christian tradition, the boundary between this world and the Netherworld thinned on this particular day, allowing the spirits of the deceased to return to earth. Common foods and items associated with the fall harvest, including apples and nuts, were used in divination rituals: apple bobbing and nut-roasting on special bonfires, which were also the subject of certain rituals, including divination, were popular activities during the celebrations.
Some of these ritual elements persisted into the Christian era, as Halloween falls on the night before All Hallows' or All Saints' Day on November 1st and All Souls' Day, initially celebrated on November 2nd. Even in the nascent Church, feasts involved vigils held the night prior to an important holiday, initially in this case called All-Hallow-tide. All Hallows' Day was switched to November 1st in 835 by Pope Gregory IV, possibly due to Celtic influence. In the Middle Ages, apparently parishes too poor to display relics allowed their parishioners to dress up as saints, with carved pumpkins and even turnips standing in as the souls of the dead, serving the dual purpose as lanterns, which illuminated the streets and served as a guide to souls returning to the homes of their families. In France and elsewhere, a carnival known as the danse macabre involved people dressing in elaborate costumes, but here, more commonly as corpses and hideous figures than saints, which may be the origin of the practice in modern times.
In the modern day, it seems that many of these ancient traditions have morphed more into "kitsch," which is more playful than serious or involving much religious ritual, as it's now centered on children and imagery. Example: according to a 2018 study conducted by the National Retail Federation, 30 million Americans spent $480 million on Halloween costumes for their PETS (!), which increased from $200 million only eight years before. The most popular pet costumes are reportedly pumpkins, hot dogs and bumble bees.
Personally, I prefer the Dia de los Muertos model, where the memories of the departed are celebrated, and people are free and even encouraged to spend time with them, in cemeteries, which are brightly decorated and become places of shared community spirit once more. As a child, I remember the community in a small town in rural Arkansas holding a cemetery event on the first Saturday in June, where the graves were cleared and stones cleaned, and some general maintenance, an event which involved the whole community, and included feasting pot-luck style, so after the work was done, the event became one massive picnic among participants, children such as myself included. It's one of my earliest memories, one I wish I could take part in more frequently. I think the value of the book is that it rekindles some of those old traditions, and encourages readers to find the true meaning behind Halloween, as it has influenced them personally, in beautiful, visually-rich prose so characteristic of this capable and much-beloved author.
----------NOTABLE PASSAGES---------
So it goes in every country. Each has its death festival, having to do with seasons. Skulls and bones, boys, skeletons and ghosts.
Up in Illinois, we've forgotten what it's all about. I mean the dead, up in our town, tonight, heck, they're forgotten. Nobody remembers. Nobody cares. Nobody goes to sit and talk to them. Boy' that's lonely. That's really sad. But here... it's both happy and sad. It's all firecrackers and skeleton toys down here in the plaza and up in that graveyard now are all the Mexican dead folks with the families visiting an flowers and candles and singing and candy. I mean, it's almost like Thanksgiving.
And everyone set down to dinner, but only half the people are able to eat, but that's no mind, they're there. It's like holding hands at a séance with your friends, but some of the friends gone.
Always the same, but different... every age, every time. Day was always over. Night was always coming
First, witnessing the abduction of their ailing friend, from an unknown force which whisks him away to a land unknown, which the boys must travel to by clinging to the tail of a kite. They then encounter a series of death rituals and celebrations, from prehistoric times to the rituals of ancient Egypt, where Osiris, king of the dead, reigns over all. Food was placed in ceramic and copper dishes on window sills and porches, illuminated by oil lamps nailed to the house fronts, for the spirits of the deceased. They then encounter a mummy, with whom they witness an ancient Egyptian funeral procession and interment, of none other than Pipkin, their missing friend, whom they follow all the long night, and just before midnight, must make a personal sacrifice to bring him home.
I thought I would comment some on the nature and origins of the holiday, which the book explores through the adventures of eight young sojourners in an effort to save their friend. Halloween is collectively our favorite holiday next to Christmas, and it's become much more popularized in the last several decades, but, as the book notes, its origins are ancient, and convoluted. It's widely believed that many traditions associated with the modern holiday originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals and rituals, in particular, that of Samhain (pronounced SAO-in). Unfortunately, modern-day Halloween has become ever more commercialized, focusing on costumes and candy rather than time-honored traditions, some of which are described in the book: carving pumpkins into jack-o-lantern, costume parties (the origins of which involved the living dressing in disguises to hide from the spirits of the deceased), bonfires, bobbing for apples, pranks, and trick-or-treating.
Most associated with Celtic rituals and festivals, there is some suggestion that, indeed, Halloween has some origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits in particular, and in the festival of the dead, the Parentalia, when friends and relatives would travel out to Roman cemeteries-some elaborate tombs even had cooking and dining facilities, such as triclinia, or reclining couches and tables, and even sometimes ovens for preparing funeral feasts for celebrants. The festival of Samhain was actually celebrated on October 31st, which the modern holiday inherited. It was believed that, as in the Christian tradition, the boundary between this world and the Netherworld thinned on this particular day, allowing the spirits of the deceased to return to earth. Common foods and items associated with the fall harvest, including apples and nuts, were used in divination rituals: apple bobbing and nut-roasting on special bonfires, which were also the subject of certain rituals, including divination, were popular activities during the celebrations.
Some of these ritual elements persisted into the Christian era, as Halloween falls on the night before All Hallows' or All Saints' Day on November 1st and All Souls' Day, initially celebrated on November 2nd. Even in the nascent Church, feasts involved vigils held the night prior to an important holiday, initially in this case called All-Hallow-tide. All Hallows' Day was switched to November 1st in 835 by Pope Gregory IV, possibly due to Celtic influence. In the Middle Ages, apparently parishes too poor to display relics allowed their parishioners to dress up as saints, with carved pumpkins and even turnips standing in as the souls of the dead, serving the dual purpose as lanterns, which illuminated the streets and served as a guide to souls returning to the homes of their families. In France and elsewhere, a carnival known as the danse macabre involved people dressing in elaborate costumes, but here, more commonly as corpses and hideous figures than saints, which may be the origin of the practice in modern times.
In the modern day, it seems that many of these ancient traditions have morphed more into "kitsch," which is more playful than serious or involving much religious ritual, as it's now centered on children and imagery. Example: according to a 2018 study conducted by the National Retail Federation, 30 million Americans spent $480 million on Halloween costumes for their PETS (!), which increased from $200 million only eight years before. The most popular pet costumes are reportedly pumpkins, hot dogs and bumble bees.
Personally, I prefer the Dia de los Muertos model, where the memories of the departed are celebrated, and people are free and even encouraged to spend time with them, in cemeteries, which are brightly decorated and become places of shared community spirit once more. As a child, I remember the community in a small town in rural Arkansas holding a cemetery event on the first Saturday in June, where the graves were cleared and stones cleaned, and some general maintenance, an event which involved the whole community, and included feasting pot-luck style, so after the work was done, the event became one massive picnic among participants, children such as myself included. It's one of my earliest memories, one I wish I could take part in more frequently. I think the value of the book is that it rekindles some of those old traditions, and encourages readers to find the true meaning behind Halloween, as it has influenced them personally, in beautiful, visually-rich prose so characteristic of this capable and much-beloved author.
----------NOTABLE PASSAGES---------
So it goes in every country. Each has its death festival, having to do with seasons. Skulls and bones, boys, skeletons and ghosts.
Up in Illinois, we've forgotten what it's all about. I mean the dead, up in our town, tonight, heck, they're forgotten. Nobody remembers. Nobody cares. Nobody goes to sit and talk to them. Boy' that's lonely. That's really sad. But here... it's both happy and sad. It's all firecrackers and skeleton toys down here in the plaza and up in that graveyard now are all the Mexican dead folks with the families visiting an flowers and candles and singing and candy. I mean, it's almost like Thanksgiving.
And everyone set down to dinner, but only half the people are able to eat, but that's no mind, they're there. It's like holding hands at a séance with your friends, but some of the friends gone.
Always the same, but different... every age, every time. Day was always over. Night was always coming
