United Art Publisher Halloween Postcard Kid Teasing Jack-o'-lantern with Bug
Halloween's origins trace back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of summer and the harvest, and the beginning of the "darker half" of the year. Over centuries, it merged with Christian observances like All Saints' Day, evolving into a holiday increasingly popular in America by the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this period, Halloween transformed from a superstitious night into a community-focused celebration featuring costumes, games, and symbolic decorations like carved pumpkins.
This postcard, likely from the early 20th century, reflects the popularization of Halloween as a child-friendly holiday. The smiling jack-o'-lantern, originally derived from turnip carvings in Ireland, became a quintessential symbol of American Halloween festivities. The depiction of a whimsical child alongside a spider, a common motif representing spookiness and folklore, exemplifies the era's charming and often slightly eerie holiday illustrations, widely disseminated by artists like Gen Denning through popular postcard formats.
This postcard, likely from the early 20th century, reflects the popularization of Halloween as a child-friendly holiday. The smiling jack-o'-lantern, originally derived from turnip carvings in Ireland, became a quintessential symbol of American Halloween festivities. The depiction of a whimsical child alongside a spider, a common motif representing spookiness and folklore, exemplifies the era's charming and often slightly eerie holiday illustrations, widely disseminated by artists like Gen Denning through popular postcard formats.
