History
**It’s Always Halloween – Lucé Tomlin-Brenner**

A year-round celebration of Halloween history and traditions, spooks past and present, with your master of scaremonies Lucé Tomlin-Brenner

Latest Episodes:

Small Frights: Frankenstein's Monster Nov 06, 2020

Show notes

Each Friday I share a curated selection of calls from the All Hallows Hotline and letters from the EEEEKmail bag!

This week we hear from a listener who annually celebrates Dia de los Muertos, then we field a question about costume appropriation, and acknowledge that there's a difference between Frankenstein and Frankenstein's Monster. We hear from another listener who paints and hides rocks for kids, and we get a fun new Halloween movie recommendation!

Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call into the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an eeeekmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Support It's Always Halloween on Patreon

Mentioned in this episode:

Dark Night of the Scarecrow

Read This Before Doing Sugar Skull Make-up

The History of Dia de los Muertos and Why You Shouldn't Appropriate It

Stop Colonizing Day of the Dead

Cultral Appropriate Hits Dia de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Today we explore the 3000-year history of the Mexican Days of the Dead. How did these customs begin? Did Spanish colonization affect the celebration? Is it different from Halloween? Listen now to learn the answers to these questions and more!

Do you celebrate the Days of the Dead? We want to hear about it! Share your memories and experiences with us by calling into the All Hallows Hotline at 802-532-DEAD or write us an eeeek-mail at itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com.

Sources:

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) - History.com

Day of the Dead - Encyclopedia Britannica

Lady of the Dead: Mictēcacihuātl - Brown and Hudson

How to say Mictlan, Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl - Tecpaocelotl Castillo

Exploring the Traditions of Mexico's Day of the Dead - Culture Trip

Small Frights: Halloween Eve Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

Each Friday I share a curated selection of calls from the All Hallows Hotline and letters from the EEEEKmail bag!

This week we ponder what to call Halloween Eve, how to stay safe yet spooky this weekend, and how to beat the Halloween Hangover. We also hear some memories about Trick-or-Treating, pranks, ghosts, and food. We get some more movie recommendations and responses to past callers. Plus letters from England and Ireland!!

Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call into the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an eeeekmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Support It's Always Halloween on Patreon

Mentioned in this episode:

A Brief History of Mischief Night

What's the Night Before Halloween Called? It depends where you live!

Meet Me In St. Louis - Halloween Mischief

The Purple Stuff Podcast - CBS Halloween Specials from 1985!

The Green Ribbon Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

Gather round, it's scary story time! Today I'll read you three bone-chilling tales connected by one grisly historical event.

What are your favorite scary stories? Call the All Hallows Hotline at 802-532-DEAD or write me an eeeekmail at itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com and let me know!

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Follow on Instagram

Sources:

The Green Ribbon by Alvin Schwartz

The Velvet Ribbon by Ann McGovern

The Adventure of the German Student by Washington Irving

10 Psychological Reasons 'The Velvet Ribbon' Is More Horrifying Than You Thought by Lyra Radford

Small Frights: In Defense of Trunk-or-Treat Oct 23, 2020

Show notes

Each Friday I share a curated selection of calls from the All Hallows Hotline and letters from the EEEEKmail bag!

This week we hear a compelling argument for Trunk-or-Treat, and dive into Halloween foods, playlists, and filmstrips. We also get a thought-provoking call about Trick-or-Treat age limits, a fascinating story about the outlaw Elmer McCurdy, and a bone-chilling letter all the way from TRANSYLVANIA!

Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call into the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an eeeekmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Support It's Always Halloween on Patreon

Mentioned in this episode:

Could a Troubled Murderer Really Be a Strigoi?

Danse Macabre Halloween Film Strip

How a Real Corpse Ended Up in a California Fun Park Spookhouse

The Happy Haunting of America [1997] VHS Horror Holiday Documentary

Why you won’t see the Charlie Brown TV specials in the usual places this year

Lucé Hallowéén - Spotify Playlist

Trick-or-Treat Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

Where does the phrase Trick-or-Treat come from and how did this custom get started? In this episode, we take a whirlwind journey from the middle ages to the present day as we learn about the various forms of our most beloved Halloween tradition.

Sources:

All Souls Day

Guisers

Halloween in Scotland

History of Halloween

How Trick-or-Treating Became a Halloween Tradition

Albertans May Have Been 1st to Say 'Trick or Treat'

Who's Afraid of Trunk-or-Treat

Small Frights: The Helpful Ghost Oct 16, 2020

Show notes

Each Friday I share a curated selection of calls from the All Hallows Hotline and letters from the EEEEKmail bag!

This week we'll explore why fear can be so thrilling, hear about a ghost who helps with furniture issues, enjoy a Mischief Night memory, take a couple of movie recommendations, tackle a question about incorporating our pandemic masks into our costumes, and get invited to a trivia night! Plus, we welcome a much-needed correction from a listener.

Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call into the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an eeeekmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Support It's Always Halloween on Patreon

Sources and Links:

Halloween Trivia Night 10/30

Here's Why You Actually Love Being Scared - Insider

Why You Should Stop Saying "Committed Suicide" - Huffington Post

Victorian Halloween Parties Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

Victorians worked hard to separate Halloween from its Irish roots, and in doing so, transformed it into an oddly romantic holiday. In this episode, we'll look at the types of parties, pranks, and games that defined Halloween in the late 19th century.

Sources:

Halloween in Victorian America by Lesley Bannatyne

19th Century Halloween Party by Kristin Holt

The Romance of Halloween in Turn-of-the-Century Ocean Grove

Victorian American History

Godey's Lady's Book, 1830-1898 - Cleveland Museum of Art

Godey's Lady's Book 1871

Small Frights: Trick-or-Treat Map Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

Each Friday I share a curated selection of calls from the All Hallows Hotline and letters from the EEEEKmail bag!

This week we'll hear Trick-or-Treat memories, a book recommendation from New Orleans, a question about costume etiquette, a letter in response to a caller from our 3rd episode, an eerie urban legend rooted in a disturbing truth, and a few more non-scary Halloween movie recommendations so no one has to feel like a Halloween poser.

Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call into the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an eeeekmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

Sources:

Exploring St.Louis Cemetary No. 1

Was a Suicide Mistaken for a Halloween Decoration - Snopes

Halloween Trickery Turns Deadly - Snopes

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Halloween Comes To America Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we discover the roots of Halloween in America and the ways it appeared in the colonies even before Irish immigrants. Listen now to discover how apple peels, egg yolks, and mistletoe figure in.

I’m dying to hear your Halloween memories and questions! What do you love about the season? Need some spooky advice? Call the All Hallows Hotline: 802-532-DEAD or write to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

You may be featured in an upcoming episode!

Sources:

History of Halloween

A Brief History of Halloween

Maryland: the Catholic Experiment

Puritanism