Summary

• Sally's backstory may have been sadder before Halloween Town.
• Some fans believe Sally was a witch before the events of The Nightmare Before Christmas.
• Unfortunately, the theory of Sally being a witch before The Nightmare Before Christmas is debunked by the movie itself.

The Nightmare Before Christmas has been the subject of many theories, among them one that completely changes Sally’s story, but makes it a lot sadder. Back in 1993, the stop-motion animated fantasy movie The Nightmare Before Christmas was released, bringing some freshness to the animated genre, which is home to mostly lighter and more colorful stories for young viewers. Directed by Henry Selick and based on a story by Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas was a critical and commercial success, developing a cult following and being regarded as one of the greatest animated movies of all time.

The Nightmare Before Christmas takes viewers to Halloween Town, one of the trees/doors in a fantasy world formed by individual worlds associated with different holidays. As the name suggests, Halloween Town is inhabited by different monsters and creatures associated with this holiday, with its leader being Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon), the well-respected “Pumpkin King”. Tired of Halloween Town always doing the same, Jack ends up in Christmas Town and decides to bring this holiday to Halloween, but it quickly turns chaotic. Standing by Jack’s side through it all is Sally (Catherine O’Hara), who got an even sadder story thanks to a fan theory.

Nightmare Before Christmas Theory Claims Sally Was A Witch Before She Died

Sally Might Have Had A Different Life Before Halloween Town

Sally is one of the kindest beings inhabiting Halloween Town, and she’s also Jack’s friend and love interest. However, Sally also serves as the voice of reason to Jack, even if he doesn’t take her warnings seriously. When Jack returns from Christmas Town and announces he will be bringing Christmas to Halloween Town, assigning different Christmas jobs to various residents, Sally has a vision of the disaster Jack’s plan will bring. Jack immediately dismisses her and tells her his Christmas will be full of laughter and joy, and tasks her with making his Sandy Claws outfit.

Seeing Halloween Town as an afterlife, where every monster and creature was once a living being, Sally might have been a witch when she was alive.

Sally is also a rag doll, and at some points in The Nightmare Before Christmas, she’s seen sewing herself. This, along with the above-mentioned vision, made a Reddit user believe Sally might have been a witch before she died. Seeing Halloween Town as an afterlife, where every monster and creature was once a living being, Sally might have been a witch when she was alive and was punished with dismemberment for practicing witchcraft. Because of this, Sally became a rag doll in Halloween Town and now has to sew herself together quite often.

Another detail that can support the theory is that Sally is seen in The Nightmare Before Christmas preparing potions in a cauldron. This would mean that Sally kept her abilities after she died, but her punishment also stuck with her in the afterlife as she became a rag doll.

Is Nightmare Before Christmas’ Halloween Town The Afterlife?

Halloween Town Might Have A Much Deeper & Darker Meaning

Some theories have gone as far as suggesting how each notable character in The Nightmare Before Christmas died.

Halloween Town is simply understood to be a fantasy world where monsters and other spooky creatures live, but it has been interpreted through the years as an afterlife. Some theories have gone as far as suggesting how each notable character in The Nightmare Before Christmas died, based on the form they took in Halloween Town and their role in it, and the most famous theory about this was published on Tumblr.

The author of the theory suggests Jack was burned alive, as he’s now a skeleton and that’s all that wouldn’t have been left of him; the mayor either hung himself or was decapitated, given how he can twist his head; Dr. Finklestein was poisoned, which is why he’s vulnerable to Sally’s potions; Lock was frozen to death based on his appearance; Shock might have been burned, frozen, or drowned; Barrel drowned; Zero was electrocuted as he’s now like “smoke” and Oogie Boogie was skinned.

The theory of Halloween Town being an afterlife makes The Nightmare Before Christmas a lot darker and its characters more tragic, but it raises the question if the other holidays are also types of life after death, and perhaps Christmas Town was the equivalent of heaven.

How Nightmare Before Christmas Debunks This Theory

The Nightmare Before Christmas Has Enough Proof To Debunk The Theory

Halloween Town has witches in the traditional way, and they are even part of the opening musical number, “This Is Halloween”.

While the theory of Sally being a witch before she died in The Nightmare Before Christmas is interesting and adds more depth and tragedy to her, it’s easily debunked by the movie. Halloween Town has witches in the traditional way, and they are even part of the opening musical number, “This Is Halloween”. If Sally was a witch, regardless of how she died, she would look like one, as the other witches look like themselves. It’s also mentioned that Dr. Finklestein created Sally, though supporters of the theory say he put her back together when she arrived in Halloween Town.

Seeing Halloween Town as an afterlife gives a new perspective on The Nightmare Before Christmas and can change the viewing experience, making it sadder but also more intriguing. Sally might not have been a witch, nor she might have been a human being before the events of The Nightmare Before Christmas, but the theory is an interesting way of giving her some backstory.

Sources: Reddit, Tumblr.