Top 7 Haunted Places

If you're looking for a scare this Halloween season, Kami Garcia suggests visiting one of the top seven haunted places - just don't expect to see her there.

Lots of people like to go on ghost tours, especially around Halloween. Personally, I prefer un-ghost tours. Even though my new novel, "Unbreakable," follows a secret society of ghost hunters, I would never hang out in a haunted place. Did I mention that I'm superstitious and I believe in ghosts? However, I do enjoy researching and writing about them--the creepier the better. I even braved standing outside of Lilburn Mansion, one of the real haunted locations in "Unbreakable," to film a video about the book (which you can watch here). While you probably won't catch me near any other places that could end up on "Ghost Hunters" any time soon, feel free to create your own cross-country ghost tour by checking out my Top 7 Haunted Places. Just don't expect me to join you. Read more

Top 10 Little-Known Halloween Facts

Halloween is America's second largest commercial holiday, but how much do you really know about its history and traditions? The Examiner lists the top ten little-known Halloween facts.

Halloween, celebrated on Oct. 31, originally started as nothing more than an autumn harvest festival. Today, the holiday is associated with ghosts, costumes and, of course, candy. It has long been thought that Halloween is the one day of the year the dead can return to earth. It is estimated that Americans spend more than $6 billion each year on Halloween, which makes it the United States’ second largest commercial holiday.

Below are The Examiner’s top 10 facts and trivia not necessarily known about Halloween:: Read more

Walpurgis Night: The Other Halloween

The night of April 30 is the year’s other night of witches, spells, and magic, says Stephen Wagner

There's a penetrating chill in the wind. The bright moon rises behind the shivering, nearly naked trees. A profound sense of foreboding permeates the darkness. This is the night, after all, when witches ride their broomsticks through the sky, and the natural world is forced to confront the powers of the supernatural.

No, it isn't October 31 and this is not Halloween. It's April 30 and it's Walpurgis Night.

Like Halloween, Walpurgis has its roots in ancient pagan customs, superstitions and festivals. At this time of year, the Vikings participated in a ritual that they hoped would hasten the arrival of Spring weather and ensure fertility for their crops and livestock. They would light huge bonfires in hopes of scaring away evil spirits. Read more