Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts

by Barth, Edna

• ISBN13: 9780618067824
• ISBN10: 0618067825
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-08-21
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Summary

Here are the stories behind all the familiar and not-so-familiar symbols of Halloween. Each of our holidays has its own familiar traditions: Trick-or-treating on Halloween, eating turkey on Thanksgiving, waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas, exchanging cards on Valentine"s Day. But where do these customs come from, when did they begin, and why do we continue to observe them? In the engaging blend of careful research and lively prose that has earned her books a lasting place on the holiday bookshelf, Edna Barth explores the multicultural origins and evolution of the familiar and not-so-familiar symbols and legends associated with our favorite holidays. Full of fascinating historical details and little-known stories, these books are both informative and engaging. Festively illustrated by Ursula Arndt, they are now available again in hardcover as well as paperback editions, featuring new, eye-catching jacket designs, and fun holiday activities inside the paperback covers. Each book includes an annotated list of holiday stories and poems and an index.

Table of Contents

Halloween---and Before	8	(13)
The Goblins Will Get You!	13	(6)
The Halloween Witch	19	(24)
The Witch's Familiars	43	(3)
The Halloween Cat	46	(4)
The Owl---Harbinger of Evil	50	(2)
The Mysterious Bat	52	(2)
The Unpopular Toad	54	(3)
The Witch's Broomstick	57	(2)
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble	59	(2)
Halloween Ghosts	61	(9)
Rattling Bones	70	(2)
Beware the Jack-O'-Lantern	72	(6)
Black and Orange	78	(2)
Nuts, Apples, and Cabbages Predict the Future	80	(5)
Halloween Foods	85	(3)
The Halloween Masquerade	88	(7)
Stories for Halloween	95	(1)
Index	96