Halloween 2026

In this Halloween episode, hosts Lare, Amanda, and Sara do a medium-dive into the 3,000-year history of Halloween. The hosts trace the holiday's journey from ancient pagan rituals to modern global festivities. Origins & Christian Adaptation: Lare explores the holiday's roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain—marking the Celtic New Year and the thinning boundary between the living and the dead. The conversation touches on Roman influences, including Feralia and the apple goddess Pomona (which may have inspired apple bobbing), as well as the Christianization of the holiday into "All Hallows Eve" via Pope Gregory III. The group also discusses how Irish immigrants brought these customs to North America following the potato famine. Historical Traditions & Legends: Sara takes over to explain the origins behind iconic Halloween activities: The Jack-o'-Lantern: The tale of "Stingy Jack," a cunning man who repeatedly tricked the Devil, resulting in his spirit wandering the earth with a hollowed-turnip lantern containing a glowing coal. Costumes & Trick-or-Treating: How ancient face painting and animal hides evolved through medieval "Souling" and Scottish/Irish "Guising" before emerging as modern trick-or-treating in early 20th-century North America. Apple Bobbing: Its history in Great Britain as a matchmaking game predicting young women's romantic prospects. Modern Celebrations & Personal Anecdotes: Amanda covers contemporary traditions, including the "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF" program started in the 1950s, modern pagan Samhain practices (such as "dumb dinners"), and the worldwide spread of Halloween-style festivals. Party Games & Wrap-Up: The hosts share humorous family memories of traditional and chaotic Halloween party games—ranging from "donut on a string" to their mother's suffocating "flower game" involving flour mounds and butter knives. Lare closes out the discussion with a brief mention of an Irish cautionary tale before wrapping up the show. Link to the story below https://www.gutenberg.org/files/33887/33887-h/33887-h.htm#Page_16