  Mystery
This week: The most mysterious night of the year Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote of the week:
If human beings had genuine courage, they'd wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween.
~ Doug Coupland
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Happy Halloween everyone!
Tonight as you give out treats and play tricks, you just might find the inspiration for your next mystery story. Halloween is the backdrop for countless horror movies and stories of the paranormal, but it is also a great setting for mysteries.
Halloween is mysterious by nature because of its association with the greatest of all mysteries, death. The day we now call Halloween grew from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-een). Samhain, the first day of winter in the Celtic year, was usually observed around November 1.
The Celts believed that the veil between worlds disappeared on Samhain night, allowing spirits of those who died during the year to cross into the afterlife. The passageway between worlds worked both ways, and while some spirits entered the afterlife, others returned to walk the earth. People welcomed the spirits of beloved family members by setting places for them at their tables, but food offerings were placed outside to placate mischievous fairies and evil spirits. The traditions of dressing in costume and carving lanterns from turnips (pumpkins were unknown in Europe at that time) may have begun as ways of frightening these unwelcome visitors away.
When Christianity came to the Celtic lands, November 1 became The Feast of All Saints, a day for honoring Christian saints who did not have their own feast days. October 31 was given the name All Hallow's Eve, shortened to Hallowe'en. Costumes, Jack O'Lanterns, and trick or treating are still with us, although they are mostly done for fun.
Mystery and Halloween go hand in hand in the modern world also. Most Halloween activity takes place after dark. Darkness adds a spooky quality to any story and makes it easier for criminals to sneak up on their victims.
Halloween is a night for costumes and masks. When people are in costume, they often behave differently than usual. A mask might allow a shy girl to become a seductress or a nice guy to behave like a jerk, especially if alcohol is consumed.
A costume might also help a criminal escape notice. Witnesses' descriptions won't be much help if all they can describe is a Halloween costume, especially if it is a common one. Your killer might even change his costume several times during the night.
On Halloween, unusual occurrences are expected, and therefore, less likely to cause alarm. If you saw a person wearing bloodstained clothes on an ordinary night, for example, you might call the police. On Halloween, you might dismiss those same bloodstained clothes as a very realistic costume.
Something to try: Write a mystery story that takes place on Halloween with traditions such as costumes and trick or treating central to the plot.
Here are some Halloween mysteries by well known authors:
"Tricks" by Ed McBain
"The Fallen Man" by Tony Hillerman.
"Halloween Party" by Agatha Christie
"Dead in the Pumpkin Patch" by Connie Federsen |
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Comment on last month's newsletter:
nvellis  As a now retired detective I use references to be sure I am recalling technical facts correctly in my writing. Two books I use frequently are The FBI Handbook of Crime Scene Forensics and the Death Investigator's Handbook by Louis N. Eliopulos. Both outstanding references I used in the field and put to use to authenticate my writing.
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Mystery: October 31, 2012 Issue [#5324]
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