Pumpkin Orchestras, Nut Cracking, and Día de los Muertos: Unveiling Halloween’s Layered History

The History of Halloween Podcast · Oct 13, 2026 · 15m

We trace how a humble Mesoamerican squash evolved into the modern jack‑o‑lantern orchestra, contrast America’s spooky costume craze with Mexico’s reverent ofrenda tradition, and revive an 18th‑century British love divination that still pops up on social media. The episode weaves together ancient rituals, commercial shifts, and digital remixing to show how Halloween keeps reinventing itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices