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Read more: Rich Autumn Rituals
Halloween, as a holiday, originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated in regions in Ireland and Scotland over 2,000 years ago to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, when it was believed…
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The Soul-Stealing Lens: Eerie Encounter with Photography
Read more: The Soul-Stealing Lens: Eerie Encounter with PhotographyImagine a time when the click of a shutter could ensnare a soul, or when a simple portrait might invite dark forces into your life. Where ancient spirituality weaves through every aspect of existence, photography has always been more than…
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Yen and Superstitions
Read more: Yen and SuperstitionsWe’ve all heard stories about good luck charms, from a rabbit’s foot to a four-leaf clover. But imagine if a coin in your wallet or a piece of change in your new car was thought to bring good fortune. In…
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Two-Thousand-Yard Stare
Read more: Two-Thousand-Yard StareThe “thousand-yard stare” (sometimes referred to as the “two-thousand-yard stare”) is a term describing the distant, focused daze of combat participants who have experienced severe trauma or shell shock. It was popularized and ideologized by a 1944 painting titled The…
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The Disappearing Stairs in Kansas
Read more: The Disappearing Stairs in KansasIn Kansas, two ghost stories are considered the most frightening: Sallie House in Atchison and the legends surrounding the Stull Cemetery. While Stull has an urban legend of being a “gateway to hell,” the Sallie House features decades of documented, escalating paranormal…
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Hoof Prints and Screams
Read more: Hoof Prints and ScreamsThe scariest donkey-related ghost story is the legend of the Donkey Lady Bridge in San Antonio, Texas. It is an urban legend with several unsettling variations, all of which culminate in a horrifying fate for the central character. Her ghost, a half-human,…
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Folklore Education Sessions
Read more: Folklore Education SessionsLocal libraries can play a significant role in organizing and hosting Folklore Education Sessions by leveraging their position as trusted community hubs. They can provide space, resources, and outreach to facilitate interactive storytelling and partnerships with local experts. Host and Curate…
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Nickols and Dimes – Educational Treats for a Smarter Education.
Read more: Nickols and Dimes – Educational Treats for a Smarter Education.Money was offered to children during early forms of trick-or-treating in the United States and has deeper roots in medieval European “souling” traditions. However, nickels and dimes became a prominent feature of Halloween starting in 1950 with the launch of…
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Keeping up with the Jones can be scary.
Read more: Keeping up with the Jones can be scary.The history of the Jones families in Ohio is varied, but includes early Quaker settlements in Chester County, Pennsylvania, with later migrations to Ohio; early settlement in the Cincinnati area by a colony that included a Jones family, arriving in 1801; and the…
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Scary Culture Trends; But For Who?
Read more: Scary Culture Trends; But For Who?Based on current trends for Halloween 2025, drawn from global cultural revivals, educational initiatives, and a shift toward authentic historical practices, here are the top 10 categories to focus on for 2026 economics. These examples emphasize learning original traditions from…