Museum Diary

Hallowe’en is just around the corner, and I have to admit, I am a big fan! Previously, I shared a piece here on the blog about the Scottish/Irish cultural background of Hallowe’en (if you think it’s all about devil worship, I recommend you read it and be convinced of the contrary), but this year I decided to do something a little fun instead. I had a look around the world to see which spookily themed museums would be a perfect fit for museums lovers to visit […]

I wasn’t really planning to do a specific Hallowe’en post this year, but since Culture Themes is celebrating all things Museums + Hallowe’en today (hashtag: #MusHalloween), I thought I’d have a rummage through my archive of museum photographs to see if I could find anything Hallowe’en related. Here are my five favourite pics I found: A beautifully hand-painted skull mask from the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. At the Wuppertaler Uhrenmuseum (Engl: Wuppertal Clock Museum) you will find clocks of all kinds […]

Every year, Hallowe’en seems to get a little bit bigger, just as the number of people groaning that it’s an American invention increases. But far from it, Hallowe’en actually hast its roots in Samhain, the Celtic New Year. To learn a little bit more about it, check out my previous post about the cultural origins of Hallowe’en. If you’re looking for a last minute costume idea for tomorrow, how about a fearsome Viking? In ‘Museum Craft Corner’, I show you how to make your own […]

It’s Hallowe’en again. Ok, so that’s maybe stating the obvious, and anyway, what does that have to do with museums? I’ve noticed that Hallowe’en has become quite a big thing here in Germany. Last time I lived here, it was virtually unknown, now there’s hardly a shop that hasn’t jumped in on the game. It’s pumpkins and movie inspired costumes all round, and looks very much like its been imported kit and caboodle from America. I wonder how many people here actually know about its […]