University of Delaware
10/22/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/22/2025 08:18
Spooky season
Spooky season
Article by Megan M.F. Everhart Illustration by Jaynell Keeley and Joy Smoker | Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and public domain October 22, 2025
UD experts explore the fascination we have with ghosts and monsters
Leaves are falling, nights are getting longer and the days are becoming cooler, so naturally scary creatures have appeared on lawns and in windows around town, but have you ever wondered why?
Our modern celebration of Halloween has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of harvest season and was believed to be a day when the barrier between the living and the dead disappeared.
That explains the timing of Halloween, but not the why - why we are in turn fascinated and terrified by spectral beings and creepy creatures.
Below, University of Delaware faculty and students explore the history and meaning behind and popularity of monsters from film and fiction, and a local alumnus shares why we search for ghosts around campus - and where you might even find one.
University of Delaware published this content on October 22, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 22, 2025 at 14:19 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]