Author A.J. Jacobs breaks down why you should be thankful you’re celebrating Halloween today and not in eras past.

HALLOWEEN
Need new kicks for Halloween? Reebok has you covered.
Historians link trick-or-treating to a few different ancestors, some old and some new.
Costume inspiration varies widely, from musical artists to video game characters.
Series like R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps introduced '90s kids to horror at a young age.
These strange, spooky cemetery tales of vampires, ghosts, and bloody headstones will keep you up at night.
The gift helped commercialize the “talking board,” and paved the way for future models.
The pop-up Halloween giant is hoping to become a force in the Christmas market.
The vampire comedy was actor Jim Carrey’s first starring film role.
Get ready for Halloween with Krispy Kreme’s Ghostbusters collection.
“Once upon a midnight dreary” begins “The Raven,” setting the mood for one of the most recognizable poems written in English.
We ran the lyrics of a hit song through multiple languages, then translated them back into English. Can you figure out what the song is, or who performed it?
Crystal balls aren’t just a prop in your Halloween décor—they represent our ancient desire for otherworldly knowledge.
You didn’t have to be out casting spells and stirring bubbling cauldrons in the dead of night to be at risk of being labeled a witch in the 1600s. Would you have been one of the accused?
Bobbing for apples, though sometimes comparable to dunking your head in a cesspool of saliva, wasn’t always the kid-friendly activity we know today.
A study determined the horror titles that are most likely to get players’ hearts racing.
Hungarian artist Gergely Dudás specializes in brain-teasing visual puzzles, and this Halloween offering is no exception.
This isn't something you want to pass late at night.
People have been telling ghost stories for thousands of years. We dive into the psychology behind why people are drawn to such terrifying tales.