History Main / SpiritOfHalloween

* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' has [[BlackKnight the Fright Knight]]. He is the ghostly embodiment of Halloween who was [[SealedEvilInACan imprisoned in the Ghost Zone a long time ago]]. To win a haunted house contest, Danny travels to his prison and steals his MagicSword, freeing the Knight and allowing him to escape the Ghost Zone and try to TakeOverTheWorld so he can make it Halloween forever. The Fright Knight also returns in a non-Halloween-themed TV movie, where he reluctantly serves as TheDragon to [[TheGhostKing Pariah Dark]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Subverted in "Christmas Every Day". Following Timmy wishing that it would be Christmas every day, the other {{Holiday Personification}}s are enraged at losing their jobs and team up to get rid of Santa. As Timmy meets them, we're introduced to a seeming ominous pumpkin-headed being called the "Spirit of Halloween" only for it to turn out to be the Easter Bunny's pet dog Spirit wearing a cheap costume.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* ''Holidaze: Or the Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen'' features a rare female example: during a meeting between various holiday icons, the representatives of Halloween are a pair of {{Goth}}-styled [[FriendlyGhost ghost]] sisters named Trick and Treat.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'': "Halloween IV" is a [[YetAnotherChristmasCarol spooky take]] on ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', with Roseanne, who ordinarily loves Halloween, becoming a Scrooge about the holiday. She's visited by the Ghosts of Halloween Past (a BedsheetGhost with a disembodied heart under the sheet), Present (a giant candy corn), and Future (a jack o' lantern in a hooded robe), who all teach her to appreciate the festivities again.

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6442286/1/Gaz-s-Horrible-Halloween-Of-Doom Gaz's Horrible Halloween of Doom]]'' presents Samhain, the Celtic god of death and the harvest, as the default spirit of Halloween. Dib attempts to make an offering to him in exchange for good luck, only for Gaz to destroy it to spite Dib's beliefs. [[DoNotTauntCthulhu This pisses Samhain off]], and he curses her with bad luck, leading to a night-long HumiliationConga.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation: SCP-2331 is a PumpkinPerson that hosts raves (most often in October) under the alias "Scravecrow". In a phone call a Foundation researcher had with an associate of SCP-2337, the associate implies that "Jack" is this, having become a disc jockey to stay relevant in (or as a reflection of) the changing demographic of Hallowe'en celebration.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': "It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" introduces Samhain (incorrectly pronounced as Sam-Hane rather than Sa-Winn), an ancient and powerful demon who possesses the unique ability to summon and control all manner of ghosts, zombies, and monsters. It's stated by Sam that most Halloween rituals were created in response to him by the ancient Celts (wearing monster masks, for instance, began because he possesses terrible eyesight and can't differentiate between a person in a mask and a genuine monster). In reality, these traditions are all much younger and sprung up long after Samhain was ancient history.

It should be noted that while there is no ''singular'' icon of Halloween, there are at least two folkloric names that are commonly used as examples of this trope. The first is StingyJack, a character from Irish folklore who made a DealWithTheDevil that ended with him WalkingTheEarth, carrying a lantern carved from either a turnip or a pumpkin; it is believed that this is where the term "Jack O' Lantern" originated from. The second is Samhain (pronounced "Sow-wen", which literally means "end of summer"), the name of a harvest festival celebrated in Dark Ages Ireland. The actual connection between Samhain and Halloween is historically fairly shaky, but it has stuck in the popular consciousness nonetheless, as has the [[SadlyMythtaken wholly erroneous]] idea that Samhain was the name of an Irish GodOfTheDead or a demon associated with the festival, rather than the festival itself, which as far as we can tell was a largely secular event.

It should be noted that while there is no ''singular'' icon of Halloween, there are at least two folkloric names that are commonly used as examples of this trope. The first is StingyJack, a character from Irish folklore who made a DealWithTheDevil that ended with him WalkingTheEarth, carrying a lantern carved from either a turnip or a pumpkin; it is believed that this is where the term "Jack O' Lantern" originated from. The second is Samhain (pronounced "Sow-wen", which literally means "end of summer"), the name of a harvest festival celebrated in Dark Ages Ireland. The actual connection between Samhain and Halloween is historically fairly shaky, but it has stuck in the popular consciousness nonetheless, as has the [[SadlyMythtaken wholly erroneous]] idea that Samhain was the name of an Irish GodOfTheDead or a demon associated with the festival, rather than the festival itself.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'': Linus van Pelt strongly believes in the existence of the Great Pumpkin, who is supposed to rise from a pumpkin patch and give children toys -- effectively, SantaClaus but on Halloween. His awaiting the Great Pumpkin during Halloween is something of an OnceASeason gag, which is described in ''WesternAnimation/ItsTheGreatPumpkinCharlieBrown''.

SubTrope of HolidayPersonification. See also MonsterLord, which this trope tends to overlap with. If they're a villain, they may also be a SatanicArchetype. Compare StingyJack, who is to this trope what Krampus is to Santa Claus.

SubTrope of HolidayPersonification. See also MonsterLord, which this trope tends to overlap with. If they're a villain, they may also be a SatanicArchetype.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGO''
** When the Titans stop showing interest in Halloween and are no longer scared by the concept, Raven summons the Spirit of Halloween, a personified gourd, to use his magic to turn them all back to children and instill fear and the spirit of trick or treating back into them. The Titans eventually have to overcome their fears to put a stop to the Spirit of Halloween, who used that opportunity to seize power.
** When Santa Claus tries to take over the entire holiday calendar and turn everything into Christmas, the Titans enlist the aid of the Spirit of Halloween to help put a stop to him.

** When Santa Clause tries to take over the entire holiday calendar and turn everything into Christmas, the Titans enlist the aid of the Spirit of Halloween to help put a stop to him.

* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'': When Bun-Bun goes on his holiday murder spree one of his victims is the more-goofy-than-scary Pumpkin King, though his predecessor was the genuinely horrifying Basphomy, whom Bun-Bun freed to help him kill the Pumpkin King.

It should be noted that while there is no ''singular'' icon of Halloween, there are at least two folkloric names that are commonly used as examples of this trope. The first is StingyJack, a character from Irish folklore who made a DealWithTheDevil that ended with him WalkingTheEarth, carrying a lantern carved from either a turnip or a pumpkin; it is believed that this is where the term "Jack O' Lantern" originated from. The second is Samhain (pronounced "Sow-wen"), the name of a harvest festival celebrated in Dark Ages Ireland. The actual connection between Samhain and Halloween is historically fairly shaky, but it has stuck in the popular consciousness nonetheless, as has the [[SadlyMythtaken wholly erroneous]] idea that Samhain was the name of an Irish GodOfTheDead or a demon associated with the festival, rather than the festival itself.

It should be noted that while there is no ''singular'' icon of Halloween, there are at least two characters of folklore who are commonly used as examples of this trope. The first is StingyJack, a character from Irish folklore who made a DealWithTheDevil that ended with him WalkingTheEarth, carrying a lantern carved from either a turnip or a pumpkin; it is believed that this is where the term "Jack O' Lantern" originated from. The second is Samhain (pronounced "Sow-wen"), the name of a harvest festival celebrated in Dark Ages Ireland. The actual connection between Samhain and Halloween is historically fairly shaky, but it has stuck in the popular consciousness nonetheless, as has the [[SadlyMythtaken wholly erroneous]] idea that Samhain was the name of an Irish GodOfTheDead or a demon associated with the festival, rather than the festival itself.

* Sam (whose name is clearly a play on "Samhain") from ''Film/TrickRTreat'' was actually created ''because'' Halloween doesn't have its own mascot. He is a [[PumpkinPerson pumpkin-headed]] creature resembling a child dressed in a homemade scarecrow costume whose duty is to make sure everyone follows the rules of Halloween. Anybody who doesn't is [[SeriousBusiness promptly murdered]].

* Sam (whose name is clearly a play on "Samhain"} from ''Film/TrickRTreat'' was actually created ''because'' Halloween doesn't have its own mascot. He is a [[PumpkinPerson pumpkin-headed]] creature resembling a child dressed in a homemade scarecrow costume whose duty is to make sure everyone follows the rules of Halloween. Anybody who doesn't is [[SeriousBusiness promptly murdered]].

It should be noted that while there is no ''singular'' icon of Halloween, there are at least two characters of folklore who are commonly used as examples of this trope. The first is StingyJack, a character from Irish folklore who made a DealWithTheDevil that ended with him WalkingTheEarth, carrying a lantern carved from either a turnip or a pumpkin; it is believed that this is where the term "Jack O' Lantern" originated from. The second is Samhain, the name of the Celtic festival that Halloween originates from, which is sometimes used as a name for these characters.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'': [[DemBones Jack Skellington]] is the Pumpkin King, also called the King of Halloween. He is a skeleton in a tuxedo who [[StingyJack dresses like a pumpkin-headed scarecrow]] and leads the parade every year in HalloweenTown. Unlike most examples, he is the main protagonist of the film, and the plot involves him becoming bored with Halloween and trying out a different Holiday (specifically, Christmas).

* Sam/Samhain from ''Film/TrickRTreat'' was actually created ''because'' Halloween doesn't have its own mascot. He is a [[PumpkinPerson pumpkin-headed]] [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]] resembling a child dressed in a homemade scarecrow costume whose duty is to make sure everyone follows the rules of Halloween. Anybody who doesn't is [[SeriousBusiness promptly murdered]].

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': "It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" introduces Samhain (incorrectly pronounced as Sam-Hane rather than Sa-Winn), an ancient and powerful demon who possesses the unique ability to summon and control all manner of ghosts, zombies, and monsters. It's stated by Sam that most Halloween rituals were created in response to him by the ancient Celts (wearing monster masks, for instance, began because he possesses terrible eyesight and can't differentiate between a person in a mask and a genuine monster).

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': "It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" introduces Samhain (incorrectly pronounced as Sam-Hane rather than Sa-Winn), an ancient and powerful demon who possess the unique ability to summon and control all manner of ghosts, zombies, and monsters. It's stated by Sam that most Halloween rituals were created in response to him by the ancient Celts (wearing monster masks, for instance, began because he possess terrible eyesight and can't differentiate between a person in a mask and a genuine monster).

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' episode "Depth Takes A Holiday" features a personification of Halloween, who escapes Holiday Island alongside the personifications of Christmas and Guy Fawkes Day. Appearance wise, she looks like a black-haired woman wearing an orange bustier and black skirt.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Subverted in "Christmas Every Day". Following Timmy wishing that it would be Christmas every day, the other Holiday Personifications are enraged at losing their jobs and team up to get rid of Santa. As Timmy meets them, we're introduced to a seeming ominous pumpkin-headed being called the "Spirit of Halloween" only for it to turn out to be the Easter Bunny's pet dog, Spirit, wearing a cheap costume.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': The festival of Nightmare Night is held in commemoration of Princess Celestia's defeat of her sister Luna, who becomes the incarnation of nightmares and a kind of boogeyman for pony-kind. On the first Nightmare Night after her release and redemption, Luna visits Ponyville to see the night that is ostensibly held in her honor, but is put off when everyone flees in terror. Eventually, Twilight Sparkle convinces her to embrace her role as the terror of the night because, "sometimes it's just really fun to be scared."

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' "Treehouse of Horror XIX" introduces "The Grand Pumpkin," a parody of The Great Pumpkin from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' (mentioned above). He's brought to life in a pumpkin patch by Milhouse's tears, and is appalled upon discovering that pumpkins are carved up by people and used for food, so he seeks vengeance by eating several people whole, including Homer, Groundskeeper Willie, and Nelson and later kills Principal Skinner. Realizing that Milhouse can bring things to life by believing in them, Lisa tells him about "Tom Turkey", a symbol of Thanksgiving, who comes to life and kills the Grand Pumpkin, freeing everyone he ate. The segment ends with Tom Turkey beginning a similar rampage after learning of what people do to turkeys on Thanksgiving.

* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'': "Halloween IV" is a [[YetAnotherChristmasCarol spooky take]] on ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', with Roseanne, who ordinarily loves Halloween, becoming a Scrooge about the holiday. She's visited by the Ghosts of Halloween Past (a BedsheetGhost with a disembodied heart under the sheet), Present (a giant candy corn), and Future (a jack-o'-lantern in a hooded robe), who all teach her to appreciate the festivities again.

* ''VideoGame/MySingingMonsters'' has the Seasonal monster Punkleton, available only during the "Spooktacle" season of October. It is depicted as a skeleton with the head of a jack-o-lantern and autumn leaves adorning it, and according to its bio, likes to pop out of the ground and try to spook other monsters.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheDavidSPumpkinsHalloweenSpecial'' presents David S. Pumpkins and his two skeleton sidekicks filling this role, as they teach children "the true meaning of Halloween," and if you place miniature boxes of raisins inside a jack-o-lantern, he will magically turn them into candy.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'': In the episode "Holiday", after all official holidays are abolished in favor of "Dogbert Day", several holiday icons appear on a television show to voice their anger at Dogbert for being put out of a job. Among them is a personification of Halloween, who's [[PumpkinPerson a person with a jack-o-lantern for a head]].

* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'': Linus van Pelt strongly believes in the existence of the Great Pumpkin, who is supposed to rise from a pumpkin patch and gives children toys -- effectively, SantaClaus but on Halloween. His awaiting the Great Pumpkin during Halloween is something of an OnceASeason gag, which is described in ''WesternAnimation/ItsTheGreatPumpkinCharlieBrown''.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': "It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" introduces Samhain (incorrectly pronounced as Sam-Hane rather than Sa-Winn) an ancient and powerful demon who possess the unique ability to summon and control all manner of ghosts, zombies and monsters. Its stated by Sam that most Halloween rituals were created in response to him by the ancient Celts (wearing monster masks for instance began because he possess terrible eye sight and can't differentiate between a person in a mask and a genuine monster).
* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'': "Halloween IV" is a spin on ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', with Roseanne being a Scrooge about Halloween. She's visited by the Ghosts of Halloween Past (a Bedsheet Ghost with a disembodied heart under the sheet), Present (a giant candy corn) and Future (a jack-o'-lantern in a hooded robe), who all teach her to appreciate the holiday again

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Subverted in "Christmas Every Day". Following Timmy wishing that it would be Christmas every day, enraged at being put out of the job all the other Holiday Personifications team up to get rid of Santa Claus. When introducing themselves to Timmy, we're introduced to a seeming ominous pumpkin-headed being called the "Spirt of Halloween" only for it to turn out to be the Easter Bunny's pet dog, Spirit, wearing a cheap costume.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': In the episode Summerween, a character appears out of nowhere called the Summerween Trickster. Angered at Dipper's lack of Summerween (a special version of Halloween held in the summer) spirit, he demands the latter and Mabel fetch him a large amount of candy to be forgiven. When they fail this task, he reveals he is a mound of living unwanted candy, and tries to kill them, but Soos eats him. He dies, happy someone finally wants him.

* Linus van Pelt in ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' strongly believes in the existence of the Great Pumpkin, who is supposed to rise from a pumpkin patch and gives children toys?effectively, SantaClaus but on Halloween. His awaiting the Great Pumpkin during the Halloween is something of an OnceASeason gag, which is described in ''WesternAnimation/ItsTheGreatPumpkinCharlieBrown''.