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Have you ever been creeped out by a family member’s ghost story? Terrorized by a spine-chilling tale filled with supernatural entities or spooked by someone’s memories of a haunted house?
Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, ghost stories are a shadowy, but beloved fixture in many homes. And in this spooktacular Halloween special of HuffPost Canada’s “Born And Raised” podcast, host Al Donato and guests delve into all things ghost stories.
In some ways, these stories and the superstitions that surround them can be often overlooked family traditions that speak to our cultures and their dark histories. And in other ways, ghost stories help us make sense of the world around us ― including the loved ones we miss dearly.
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No tricks, only treats in this Halloween special. Another treat: If you liked our seasons on love and food, good news! The Born And Raised team is hard at work on an upcoming third season themed around home. If you’re a second-generation Canadian who’d like to share a story on how home makes you feel, feel free to get in touch.
Meet the guests:
Artist Motzie Dapul is a first-generation immigrant who came to Canada from the Philippines two years ago. She gives Al a lesson in Filipino folklore 101 and shares why she finds the otherworldly so comforting.
When Motzie’s not making comics, she’s working on Hi Nay: A fictional horror podcast series about a newcomer living in Toronto who squares off with the supernatural. Luckily, her family’s history has equipped her to do just that.
Cartoonist Jason Loo, who created the “Pitiful Human-Lizard” comic series, shared with Born And Raised what it was like living in a Mississauga, Ont. house for years with his parents and grandma ... and their paranormal roommates.
Show notes: cultural folklore galore
As mentioned by Motzie in the episode, the CIA were actually involved with making ghost stories more widespread in the Philippines. Esquire Magazine’s story “How The CIA Used Aswang To Win A War” covers this unbelievable, yet true series of events.
Many cultures have frightening boogeymen and blood-curdling (or sucking!) creatures like the manananggal Al brought up, that make our homes more unsettling. Take the El Cucuy, who looms in Mexican and Latinx cultural tales:
The jumbie in Caribbean folklore comes after those who don’t walk backwards when returning home late at night:
Supernatural lovers on Twitter have made threads about their favourite terrors:
Cultural folklore may be based in our roots, but many people are giving their own spin to the ghost stories they grew up with:
And plenty of podcast creators are exploring their culture’s supernatural landscapes for episodes, like Rabia Chaudry’s well-received series “The Hidden Djinn.”
However they’re presented, it’s clear that undead will keep living as long as we keep talking about them.
Stream this episode and more: find ‘Born And Raised: Love’ on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
Also on HuffPost: