Podcast / American Prestige / Oct 28, 2026

Halloween Origins—With Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters

Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters join the show to explore Halloween’s origins, from medieval beliefs about death and ghosts to costumes, commercialization, and modern traditions.

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The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Halloween Origins w/ Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters, co-hosts of theWe’re Not So Different podcast and our collaborators onWelcome to the Crusades (Season 2 out now!) are on the show to help tell the story of Halloween. They explore Halloween's Christian (and possibly pagan) origins, medieval beliefs about death and purgatory, ghosts and the Protestant Reformation, the origins of costumes and jack-o'-lanterns, its commercialization and global spread, and the rise of sexy Halloween costumes.

Don't forget to subscribe to ⁠Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade⁠!

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Halloween decorations are seen outside Flower Bar in Katowice, Poland on October 25th, 2026. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

(Beata Zawrzel / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters, co-hosts of the We’re Not So Different podcast and our collaborators on Welcome to the Crusades (Season 2 out now!) are on the show to help tell the story of Halloween. They explore Halloween’s Christian (and possibly pagan) origins, medieval beliefs about death and purgatory, ghosts and the Protestant Reformation, the origins of costumes and jack-o’-lanterns, its commercialization and global spread, and the rise of sexy Halloween costumes.

Don’t forget to subscribe to ⁠Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade⁠!

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/subscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Halloween Origins w/ Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters, co-hosts of theWe’re Not So Different podcast and our collaborators onWelcome to the Crusades (Season 2 out now!) are on the show to help tell the story of Halloween. They explore Halloween's Christian (and possibly pagan) origins, medieval beliefs about death and purgatory, ghosts and the Protestant Reformation, the origins of costumes and jack-o'-lanterns, its commercialization and global spread, and the rise of sexy Halloween costumes.

Don't forget to subscribe to ⁠Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade⁠!

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Halloween Origins w/ Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters / American Prestige
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Derek Davison

Derek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.

Daniel Bessner

Daniel Bessner is a historian of US foreign relations and is the author of, among other books, Imperialist Realism.

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