Several urban legends and tall tales about Halloween have become a part of the public consciousness over the years. Some of these stories are laughable, but you might be surprised to find out that some of them are true. I’m going to examine some popular Halloween stories and shed some light on the truth. Now if you find yourself trapped in an awkward conversation at a Halloween party, you can have some excellent topical conversation fodder to fall back on.
Perhaps you’ve heard about the terrified family who call the police when a masked man with a chainsaw appears at their doorstep, only to realize that the man is simply at the wrong address for a party. This seems plausible enough; I have found myself lost plenty of times while searching for a party at a house I was unfamiliar with. Fortunately this has never happened to me when I was wearing a menacing outfit and appeared to be armed with a terrifying weapon.
In April 2008 the British press reported a familiar-sounding situation in which concerned citizens alerted police about a man with a chainsaw and mask walking down the street. Apparently British police take the threat of lone chainsaw-laden renegades seriously, because a full team of armed officers and even a helicopter – yes, a helicopter – responded to the call. It is worth noting that the chainsaw (which had the blades removed) wasn’t running, and the mask was resting on the man’s head and not covering his face. This Halloween urban legend can be qualified as true, thanks to some paranoid British residents and a wildly impetuous response from the local constables.
Another Halloween yarn of questionable origin has to do with the elaborate lengths some people will go to create a frightening atmosphere. Specifically, we’re talking about hanging a corpse from the rafters. Now personally, my family was never too big into decorating for Halloween. A simple pumpkin or two was about the extent of my childhood home’s Halloween décor. In my home town, however, there was always one house that went so far over the top with their Halloween decorations that I seriously questioned what sort of macabre residents must live there. I mean, did these people sit around in August and begin devising what dastardly decorations they could construct in order to optimize the terror inflicted upon their young candy-seeking targets?
Article comments
1 - Nick
I love urban legends. Great article.
2 - Meredith Morse
I literally just snorted a spoonful of Blue Bell Ice Cream out of my nose in a fit of insatiable giggling when I read the part about Holzapfel. Were you aware that this feat is physically plausible? Seriously..
3 - Caitlin Schudalla
I also love urban legends...especially when they turn out to be true-ish. Clever observation with the last name - I don't think I would've gone beyond noting it's weird.
Did you find any stories about corpses being hidden in the box springs of hotel beds? They weren't discovered till guests complained about a bad smell. True story.
4 - Courtney Murphy
Interesting article, for certain. I enjoyed the Hol-zap-fel.
5 - frannie
There's a pretty good piece on Halloween urban legends specific to Beverly Hills; not necessarily scary, but interesting.
6 - Kerri
I had heard the second story, except in that version a man hung from his balcony for weeks, so hours is slightly less disturbing. As for the first story, a friend of mine was recently frisked by the police because he was filming a movie for class that featured fake blood and a gun. People do scare easy!