Members First: Engaging Experts - Hallowe’en in America

Air Date
September 3, 2025
Halloween has not always been the night of ghoulish and garish decorations, candy and trick-or-treating we know today. Jim Johnson, Director of Greenfield Village and Curator of Historic Structures & Landscapes, along with Jeanine Head Miller, Curator of Domestic Life, take a deeper look at the celebration of All Hallow's Eve, its ancient Celtic origins and early Halloween celebrations and traditions, like sending Halloween-themed postcards.
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About This Video

Halloween is a vibrant blend of traditions that originated from a pagan festival marking the end of summer and the harvest season. From the corn stalks, witches, ghosts and jack-o'-lanterns rooted in ancient Celtic customs to the folklore of Irish, Scottish and English immigrants looking to Halloween as an opportunity to gather and peer into the future for love, marriage, fate and fortune, this program will certainly spark your fall spirit.
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