Halloween: Why Does This Night Hold Such Power Over Us? | Emily Paulsen & Lesley Bannatyne
Halloween may feel timeless, but much of what we think of as tradition is surprisingly new. Trick-or-treating, for instance, didn’t become widespread in America until the 1940s. Yet this holiday has an ancient heartbeat. It reaches back thousands of years to Samhain, a Celtic festival marking the hinge between summer and winter. That blend of deep history and modern invention is what makes Halloween so enduring, and why I wanted to speak with Lesley Bannatyne, one of the world’s foremost Halloween historians, for this episode of Curious Life of a Childfree Woman.
What stood out most in our conversation was how Halloween has always been more than costumes and candy. Lesley described it as a cultural mirror. Each generation reflects its fears, desires, and values through the holiday. In one era, people worried it was too violent. In another, too sexual. Today, we see giant skeletons on lawns, ironic costumes, and haunted houses filled with gore. None of this is random. It reveals what captivates us, what unsettles us, and what we’re willing to play with collectively. That idea changed the way I see Halloween decorations and traditions, not as surface-level fun, but as clues about who we are.
Ritual and Reflection
Another thread that fascinated me is the way Halloween gives us permission to step outside ourselves. For one night, we can become anything. A child puts on a mask and suddenly feels brave. An adult steps into a costume and expresses a side of themselves rarely seen. Communities transform into trick-or-treat routes, haunted houses, and street parties. Lesley explained that this collective ritual has existed in different forms for centuries. It offers release, connection, and a break from the ordinary. And even in its most commercialized state, Halloween still carries that spark.
I also loved the story Lesley shared about New York City’s Village Parade six weeks after 9/11. Organizers debated whether to hold the event, fearing it could make the city vulnerable. They went forward, beginning the parade with a phoenix puppet rising while a band played New York, New York. For many in the crowd, it was the first time they could breathe again. That image captures what Halloween can offer: light in the dark, laughter in the midst of fear, community when we most need it.
A Holiday That Evolves With Us
Lesley reminded me that Halloween is always changing. At one time, it was fortune-telling games and matchmaking rituals. Later, it became pranks and mischief. Then, a night of children in costumes and now a cultural juggernaut embraced by adults as much as kids. The flexibility of Halloween is part of its magic. It adapts to us. It carries history forward but leaves room for reinvention. That’s why it remains one of the most captivating holidays we celebrate.
Curious About Halloween’s Deeper Meaning? Start Here.
If you want to think differently about Halloween this year, try exploring it through curiosity instead of routine:
Notice what’s reflected: Look at costumes, decorations, or haunted houses in your neighborhood and ask, what do these reveal about what we value right now?
Step into play: Choose a costume that lets you express a side of yourself you don’t often show. Notice how it feels to inhabit that identity for one night.
Create connection: Invite friends or neighbors to share in a ritual, whether that’s trick-or-treating, a gathering, or even storytelling.
Reflect on fear: Consider what kinds of horror or spookiness you enjoy and why. What do you get from confronting those feelings in a safe way?
Reimagine legacy: Think about what traditions you want to pass along, not only to family, but to your community.
Let’s Stay Curious Together
This episode reminded me that Halloween isn’t just decoration or entertainment. It’s a living tradition that reflects our culture, our fears, and our joy. It’s a night where rules bend and creativity thrives, a rare collective ritual that continues to evolve with us.
You can listen to the full episode of Curious Life of a Childfree Woman wherever you get your podcasts.
I’d love to hear from you: what does Halloween mean to you this year?
Share with me on Instagram@curiouslifeofachildfreewoman. Let’s stay curious together.
