The history of Hallowe?en and related festivals in Leeds and its district

Abstract

This dissertation examines the history of Hallowe'en and the related festivals of Mischief Night and Guy Fawkes Night in and around the city of Leeds, from the nineteenth century through to the present. In so doing it provides the first significant historical study of the calendar custom Mischief Night. As well as demonstrating how each of the three festivals have been celebrated, it shows how they have changed and adapted over time, and how each festival's adaptation has impacted upon the others, and it goes on to offer a tentative evaluation of the role of Mischief Night in the formulation of the current Hallowe'en trick-or-treat tradition. In so doing, the thesis has used a variety of methodological approaches to construct a historical narrative that incorporates a range of individual perspectives on the festivals, and by so doing further enriches historical understanding of the subject matter.

Date of Award	2012
Original language	English
Supervisor	Ronald E Hutton (Supervisor)