"π΅ππ πππ ππππ πππππππ ππ ππππ πππππ. π΄π πππ πππ ππ ππππ, πππππ πππππππ πππππ πΊππππππ ππππππ πππ πππ πππππππ πππππππ ππππππ πππ ππππ πππ πππππ-ππππππ πππππ πππ πππππππ ππππ." - Ray Bradbury π―π―π―π―π―π―π― Halloween season is steeped in tradition, new and old. Right here in this dark enclave of the internet, spooky stories are integral to celebrations for many of us - though, let's be honest, spooky stories are integral to our very existence all year long. Whether in word, image, motion or music, tale-telling is an established October ritual... But whence did it appear? π Horror tales in the late modern period were, originally, a yuletide tradition. Victorians would gather around the Christmas hearth to share ghost stories designed to chill to the bone... just like the winter weather. Though we now associate Christmas with joy and indulgence, the Victorians viewed the end of the year as a time to look back, remembering the dearly departed and contemplating the thin line between the living and the dead. π When Samhain celebrations emigrated from Ireland in the 1800s, they took just one story with them: The Tale of Jack O'Lantern (have a read at πin bio). Linked to the autumn harvest, Samhain activities explored themes akin to those traditional ghost stories, treading between the lands of the living and the dead. Over time, Halloween became host to all things spooky, absorbing these stories and freeing Christmas time up from ghostly scares! π π―Which stories do you associate with Halloween? π―Are there any you return to year after year? Whether tales new or old, it cannot be denied: Octobers are for reading! π πThank you to those of you who've offered pumpkin recipes for me to share! If you have one of your own, please let me know (DM, previous post, or below) π€. . #Halloweenreads #spookynerd #spookyseason #bookstagram #ghoststories #raybradbury #halloweentree #fall #samhain #autumn #generallygothic #gothic #october #pumpkinrecipes https://www.instagram.com/p/CVgUwX_rdDh/?utm_medium=tumblr