Modern times
Contemporary version of souling and mumming.
Trick- or treating
houses in which ghosts live or visit
Haunted houses:
The night before All Saints’ Day.
All Hallows’ Eve
Celtic festival marking the end of harvest and beginning of winter.
Samhain
Pre-Christian religious traditions.
Pagan
Disguise worn during Halloween festivities.
Costume
Traditional stories and customs brought by immigrants.
Folklore
Commemoration of the faithful departed.
All Souls’ Day
Celtic priest involved in rituals and seasonal festivals.
Druid
Ceremonial acts tied to seasonal and spiritual beliefs
Ritual
That getting scared (temporarily) can feel good.
The thrill of the fright
Seasonal theme central to both Celtic and American traditions.
Harvest
Institution that redefined pagan festivals.
Church
Honoring the dead and family spirits.
Ancestral
Originally 'bone fire,' used to ward off spirits.
Bonfire
Modern celebration blending ancient and recent traditions.
Halloween
Passing down stories and customs by word of mouth.
Oral tradition
Holy figure honored during Christian observances.
Saint
Symbolic boundary between the living and spirit worlds.
Threshold
Early Christian whose death was commemorated.
Martyr
making buckets of money on sweets
The sweets industry
Transformation of old customs in a new cultural setting.
Adaptation
Religious parade or ritual walk.
Procession
Protective rituals against malevolent forces.
Warding
Made holy, often in contrast to pagan practices.
Sanctified