HalloweenStuff

Introduction to Halloween

For the most part, HowStuffWorks sticks to established facts. But every now and then, we like to go Mulder and Scully and examine the weird, the creepy and the highly unlikely. Get in the Halloween spirit with these articles from the outer limits. The truth is out there.

How Halloween Works Technically, Halloween is a Christian holiday, but its roots are fairly pagan. The result is a bizarre mishmash of traditions and rituals. Find out why lots of us trick-or-treat, bob for apples, carve pumpkins and tell ghost stories every October.

How Witchcraft Works Witchcraft dates back countless centuries, and with all of the mythology floating around, it’s hard to decipher fact from fiction. Do witches worship Satan? Do they cast spells, dance naked in the woods and hex those people they wish to harm? Learn the truth about the practice of witchcraft and see how it has evolved to the present day.

How Ghost Busters Work The movie "Ghostbusters" introduced a generation to proton beams, ectoplasm and a terrorizing Stay Puft Marshmallow. Real-life ghost busting is a bit less glamorous and whole lot cleaner. Find out how modern ghost hunters investigate a haunting and what tools they use in the course of their work.

How EVP Works The eerie occurrence of “otherworldly” voices showing up on tape –- voices that weren’t audible during recording -– is now getting the kind of exposure typically saved for UFOs and ESP. In the Hollywood thriller "White Noise," electronic voice phenomena hit the big screen. Learn how researchers capture and analyze voices from beyond and how skeptics debunk the research –- plus, check out some goosebump-inducing audio recordings yourself.

How Zombies Work Even if you've never seen a zombie movie, you probably know something about the walking dead. But did you know that zombies have their roots in folklore and -- according to some researchers -- in real events in Haiti? Learn about Haitian zombies and find out the best course of action for surviving a zombie attack.

How Vampires Work The vampire legend has been evolving for centuries. The most common image of the vampire was born in Bram Stoker’s novel "Dracula" in 1897, but the stories go back further than that, with horrifying tales originating from all over the world. Learn all about the mysterious, bloodsucking "undead."

How Exorcism Works If you've seen the 1973 movie "The Exorcist," you at least have some idea of what exorcism is about. But is exorcism real, or are the subject and the exorcist unconsciously acting out roles from a popular movie? Are there other explanations for what some people call "possession"? Learn why a priest might perform an exorcism, find out what the ritual involves, and discover the controversy surrounding the practice.

How Spontaneous Human Combustion Works The notion of spontaneous human combustion has intrigued people for centuries. The idea of a person going up in flames for no reason at all is apparently just too horrifying to dismiss as mere storytelling. But is it truth or myth? Find out what some scientists believe is really happening when someone "spontaneously combusts."

How Urban Legends Work Okay, so a good friend of mine was driving down the highway and he picked up this hitchhiker... How can the same story have happened to so many people’s good friend? Urban legends are the basis for some truly spooky ghost stories. See how the tales get started and how they make their way to you.

How Chupacabras Work Out of the many legendary bloodsucking creatures out there, the Chupacabra has gained a considerable amount of notoriety. With continued sightings all over South America, this monster is one of the most feared goats of all time. Learn the story of this vampire-like beast.

How Bigfoot Might Work Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Yeti -- people have been telling stories of giant apes among us for hundreds of years. Are they for real? Take a look at the compelling evidence for and against the existence of Bigfoot.

How UFOs Work The accounts are oddly similar: darting lights in a night sky, a hovering disc, radio interference... The stories span national and cultural boundaries -- how can so many people be "mistaken"? Learn about the evidence for and against alien UFOs and check out some of the stranger tales of contact.

How Crop Circles Work Are crop circles the work of alien visitors? Are they a natural phenomenon? Are they elaborate hoaxes perpetrated by some very dedicated humans? HowStuffWorks takes a look into the mystery of crop circles -- what they are, where they can be found, how they can be made and how researchers are trying to separate the supernatural from the scientific.

How Aliens Work Are there other forms of life in the universe? The discovery of life forms in exotic environments on Earth indicates that life is very hearty and can adapt to the strangest and most hostile environments. Astronomers have also found planets orbiting stars besides our sun. Are there alien life forms on any of these planets? In this article, we will examine astrobiology, the scientific search for extraterrestrial life.

How Friday the Thirteenth Works It’s the day to avoid, the day of bad luck… There’s even a very extensive series of horror movies named for it. It’s Friday the Thirteenth, and whatever you call it -- tradition, superstition, folklore, urban legend –- this day is famously cursed. Learn what Friday the Thirteenth is all about.

How ESP Works Have you ever had a dream that came true? Most of us have had some sort of eerie confrontation with the extraordinary. How you define the experience –- coincidence or paranormal connection –- is up to you. Check out the evidence for and against the existence of ESP.

How Hypnosis Works The practice of hypnotism dates back centuries, and there are those who swear by its validity. There are hypnotherapists whose job it is to help people quit smoking, develop more confidence, recall a lost memory... Skeptic or believer, hypnosis is a pretty interesting phenomenon. Check it out -- and let us know if you start to bark like a dog.

How Nostradamus Works Nostradamus is one of the most famous, mysterious figures in history. His words have been deemed prophetic for ages, and many claim that he foresaw the events of September 11, 2001. Learn who Nostradamus was and what he really wrote.