Halloween in Britain and Ireland

Halloween is the night when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest — a time of ghosts, disguises, bonfires and mischief. Now bigger than ever in Britain and Ireland, Halloween is a billion-pound industry drawing crowds to parades in Derry, fiery celebrations in Edinburgh and scare-fests at Alton Towers. From harvest lanterns to theme-park mazes, the festival has never felt more alive. Although many people think Halloween is American, Jack-o’ lanterns, costumes and door-to-door begging all have European roots, steeped in old All Hallows’ rites. This book traces Halloween through its history and folklore across England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, from Queen Victoria’s Halloween at Balmoral, Punkie Night in Somerset and guising in Glasgow to the haunted hills of Pendle, Samhain bonfires across Ireland and the eerie Welsh Hwch Ddu Gwta — a giant black pig said to prowl after dark. From medieval superstition to Victorian revivals, each chapter uncovers the customs and stories that have shaped our modern-day ‘spooky season’. Illustrated with evocative photographs and postcards — from vintage family celebrations to contemporary festival scenes and the very landscapes where these traditions took root — the book shines a light on a hidden history long shrouded in the mist of time.