July 31, 2025

This Day in Halloween: Robert Burns’ highly influential poem “Halloween” is published in the Kilmarnock edition in 1786. / Illustration by Laura Peyton Maurer

Robert Burns’ “Halloween” is published in 1786. The poem is part of a collection published as the Kilmarnock volume or Kilmarnock edition. With its descriptions of various Celtic traditions, it becomes a highly influential work in popular culture.

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