3.5 stars

Learned a lot, expanded my reading list, and mostly I thought the content didn't drag. It's not terribly casual in tone but neither is it discouragingly dense and stuffy. I'd love an updated edition: the pop culture section could reference the Halloween traditions depicted in Boardwalk Empire (season 1 I believe... Though that would have aired before this publication date, though maybe not enough lead time). I never really thought about the Catholic roots to the holiday before, nor that if e.g. South Africa were to celebrate, they should properly be doing it in the other half of the year to be seasonally correct. Alas, too, the fun nicknames: say with me, Snap-Apple Night. Crack-nut night.

The chapters are organized by subject matter, not overall chronology, which occasionally introduced some repetition when Morton had to revisit something to discuss it in a new way. This was often accompanied by a fresh introduction of that thing with no apparent awareness that yes, we already brought this up once or twice before.

My biggest peeve is the citations. I know, different standards for different places, and it's nice there were any footnotes at all. But she only cites where she has quoted content! This is specious at best, and (by my college's standards) plagiarism at worst. So frustrating, especially when I would have loved to have followed up on some choice tidbits, e.g. horror scholars noting that horror gets more popular under conservative political administrations. Or the mention in the section discussing Halloween's presence in Russia, and how supposedly some American English teacher staged a mock hanging of "the class dunce" (Morton's phrasing) which stirred some displeasure among parents. No quote, no citation, even though to me that tale smacks of urban legend, as presented in text. My 2 minutes of Googling on my phone for such an incident got me 0 matches for a news story. (How would that even be Halloweeny?? Witch trials, maybe.)

Time to get an advanced degree in Halloweenology. (Why IS Halloween such an invisible holiday in terms of songs, art, fiction, scholarly analysis? A phantom holiday, seen and felt, but no direct, lasting trace across the culture. What could one study exactly? That's some uphill research!) Maybe if I ever get another history degree... History of Halloween could be a starting point for a thesis, right? ( )

Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween read in tandem with A Hallowe'en Anthology: Literary and Historical Writings Over the Centuries, both by Lisa Morton.

"Trick or Treat takes us on a journey from the spectacular to the macabre, making it a must for anyone who wants to peep behind the mask to see the real past and present of this ever more popular event."

Highly recommend to anyone venturing into the history of Halloween for the first time. The writing is concise, accessible, and while it's educational, it's not "dry" or "stuffy." As I was reading, I bookmarked dozens of pages, earning its immediate placement on my must-buy list.

"Lisa Morton reveals how holidays like the Celtic Samhain and Catholic All Souls' Day have blended to produce the modern Halloween, and she shows how the holiday has been reborn in America, where costumes and trick-or-treat rituals are new customs."

4.5 stars

My only nitpick: John Carpenter's Halloween was first released in 1978, not 1979. ( )

A good overview of the origins, transformations and spread of Halloween.