Introduction: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to find Halloween jokes that made our ancestors chuckle. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.
Just for fun, here are a few jokes to celebrate Halloween I found in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives.
![A Halloween joke, Greensboro Record newspaper cartoon, 4 March 1922](https://blog.genealogybank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/greensboro-record-newspaper-0304-1922-ghost-joke.png)
See if you can guess the answers to these Halloween jokes – then read the rest of this article, where newspaper clippings provide the answers.
(1846) Why is a grave-yard like a counter? | |
(1865) Why is a spider a good correspondent? | |
(1871) Why is a coffin like an axe with a dull edge? | |
(1872) Why do carpenters charge more for coffins than for tables and chairs? | |
(1885) Why is a ghost up a tree like a man eating his dinner? |
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(1899) Why is a grave-digger like a waterman? | |
(1900) Why is a ghost like a muffin? |
From 1846
Q: Why is a grave-yard like a counter?
![A Halloween joke, Wisconsin Argus newspaper article 14 July 1846](https://blog.genealogybank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/wisconsin-argus-newspaper-0714-1846-graveyard-joke.png)
A: Because it’s the place where you must “down with your dust [money, or gold dust].”
From 1865
Q: Why is a spider a good correspondent?
![A Halloween joke, American Citizen newspaper article 4 January 1865](https://blog.genealogybank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/american-citizen-newspaper-0104-1865-spider-joke.png)
A: Because he drops a line by every post.
From 1871
Q: Why is a coffin like an axe with a dull edge?
![A Halloween joke, Catholic Standard newspaper article 20 May 1871](https://blog.genealogybank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/catholic-standard-newspaper-0520-1871-coffin-joke.png)
A: Because it has to be ground before it is used.
From 1872
Q: Why do carpenters charge more for coffins than chairs and tables?
![A Halloween joke, Highland Weekly News newspaper article 31 October 1872](https://blog.genealogybank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/highland-weekly-news-newspaper-1031-1872-coffin-joke.png)
A: “Because people won’t bring coffins back to us to be repaired.”
From 1885
Q: Why is a ghost up a tree like a man eating his dinner?
![A Halloween joke, Daily Illinois State Register newspaper article 24 June 1885](https://blog.genealogybank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/daily-illinois-state-register-newspaper-0624-1885-ghost-joke.png)
A: Because he’s a goblin up the hash [ash tree].
From 1899
Q: Why is a grave-digger like a waterman?
![A Halloween joke, Denver Post newspaper article 1 November 1899](https://blog.genealogybank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/denver-post-newspaper-1101-1899-skull-joke.png)
A: He handles the skulls [sculling, i.e., rowing].
From 1900
Q: Why is a ghost like a muffin?
![A Halloween joke, Repository newspaper article 22 April 1900](https://blog.genealogybank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/repository-newspaper-0422-1900-ghost-joke.png)
A: They are both fancy bred (bread).
Happy Halloween!
Hope everyone enjoys the fun day, but please be safe and remember: it can be a very boo-tiful day! Just don’t go goblin up too much of your kid’s candy!