Halloween, celebrated on October 31st, is one of the few holidays where you can see magic fill the air. Ghouls, Zombies, Vampires, and Werewolves line the street, looking for tricks and treats. This, however, was not always the case. All Hallows' Eve started as an old Celtic tradition called Samhain, where people would wear costumes and dance around the streets to ward off evil spirits. They believed, at this time, and this time only, the line between the living and the dead was at its thinnest, meaning this was the night the dead came alive again. With this fascination, came the rise of the horror genre. If this interests you, come check out the Bender Library's Wiccan Culture and the History of All Hallows' Eve book display!

Wicca is the largest of the modern Pagan (or Neo-Pagan) religious movements. Emerging in the UK in the 1950s, it spread rapidly in the United States during the 1960s and 70s. There are estimated to be several hundred thousand Wiccans today. Wicca is a broad, diverse movement without a singular governing body or leadership. Many Wiccans traditionally practiced their rituals as part of covens (groups of 3 or more followers), but individual practitioners are more common today. Wiccan rituals are designed to focus the willpower of participants to create a change to the universe. Theological views are diverse, though the majority adhere to the ethical code of the Wiccan Rule: “If it harm none, do what you will” and follow seasonal rituals of the natural world such as the eight yearly Sabbats. One of these Sabbats is Samhain, which is closely based on the original Celtic tradition that also gave rise to Halloween.