Halloween: The History of America’s Darkest Holiday

"Wonderfully well-written outrageous and provocative." Booklist Acclaimed cultural critic David J. Skal explores one of Americas most perplexingly popular holidays in this original mix of personal anecdotes and social analysis. Skal traces Halloweens 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 thats 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 authors 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