The Meddling Kids

Take a trip down memory lane with us (a haunted and creepy lane in our case) as we discuss stores in the iconic book: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! Written by the famous folklorist and author, Alvin Schwartz, and with the bone chilling illustrations by Stephen Gammell. This book has intrigued and spooked many children over the years, even landing itself on the banned books list in some states or counties.
Prepare to get some spooky nostalgia with a dollop of laughter.

Have you ever wondered where the traditions of Halloween originate? Maybe you've heard the old tired tale that it celebrates dark forces. We're here to set the record straight and give you some background on Halloween traditions including trick or treating, dressing up in costume, and carving pumpkins. Get ready for a ghoulishly good time!
References:
History.com Editors. “How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth.” HISTORY, 25 Oct. 2019, www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins.

Lang, Cady. “What Is Samhain? What to Know about the Ancient Pagan Festival That Came before Halloween.” Time, Time, 30 Oct. 2018, time.com/5434659/halloween-pagan-origins-in-samhain/.

Mark, Joshua. “History of Halloween.” World History Encyclopedia, 21 Oct. 2019, www.worldhistory.org/article/1456/history-of-halloween/.

“Who Were the Celts?” National Museum Wales, 5 June 2021, museum.wales/articles/1341/Who-were-the-Celts/.

Cryptid, diseased dogs, or scientists on the loose? Help us decide this week as we discuss the tale of this short king - the chupacabra!
References:
Clark, Mike. “Is the Chupacabra Just a Dog?” DogTime, 8 Aug. 2017, dogtime.com/dog-blog/trending/54351-chupacabra-just-dog#:~:text=Racoons%2C%20possums%2C%20and%20even%20wild,ordinary%20animals%20suffering%20from%20mange.
Ocker, J. W. The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters. Quirk Books, 2022.

Have you ever wondered where all the typical alien tropes in movies and TV shows come from? Well look no further than the abduction that started them all! A belated honeymoon delayed by most people's worst nightmare - this week we discuss the abduction of Betty and Barney Hill.
As a note to our listeners: apologies for the audio quality on last week's episode, we're trying to fix it but something was wrong with our recording equipment. Thank you all for sticking around and supporting!
References:
“Guide to the Betty and Barney Hill Papers, 1961-2006.” UNH Library, 15 Sept. 2023, library.unh.edu/find/archives/collections/betty-barney-hill-papers-1961-2006.
Skomorowsky, Anne. “Alien Abduction or ‘Accidental Awareness’?” Scientific American, Scientific American, 11 Nov. 2014, www.scientificamerican.com/article/alien-abduction-or-accidental-awareness/.
Staff, AMC. “Alien Abduction in the White Mountains.” Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), 23 Dec. 2022, www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/history/the-story-of-betty-and-barney-hill/.

This week we take a trip to the United States capitol and discuss ghosts of the most well known house in America - the White House! Ghosts have been haunting the place for decades now and we'll talk you through the most colorful haunts in those hallowed halls.
Sources:
Braden, Beth. “7 Paranormal Sightings in the White House.” Travel Channel, www.travelchannel.com/interests/haunted/articles/7-paranormal-sightings-in-the-white-house. Accessed 5 Aug. 2023.

Ferro, Shaunacy. “‘The Thing’: The Mysterious Teenage Ghost That Haunted Taft’s White House.” Mental Floss, 2 Oct. 2017, www.mentalfloss.com/article/504800/thing-mysterious-teenage-ghost-haunted-tafts-white-house.

“Ghosts in the White House.” History.Com, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/halloween/ghosts-in-the-white-house.

Kommel, Alexandra. “Seances in the Red Room.” WHHA (En-US), 24 Apr. 2019, www.whitehousehistory.org/seances-in-the-red-room.

Theresa, Vargas. “Is the White House Haunted? A History of Spooked Presidents, Prime Ministers and Pets.” The Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/10/30/is-the-white-house-haunted-a-history-of-spooked-presidents-prime-ministers-and-pets/.

“White House Ghost Stories.” WHHA (En-US), www.whitehousehistory.org/press-room/press-backgrounders/white-house-ghost-stories. Accessed 5 Aug. 2023.