Halloween is a fascinating contradiction. On the one hand, this is one of the most solemn church festivals. On the other hand, it commemorates beings and rites with which the church has always been at war.
Nowadays Halloween is prominent in more and more countries, and while I had not heard of it in my childhood, today in our town many elderly people prepare for the occasion as they expect their neighbour’s children to come trick or treating. At the same time some people denounce the celebration on patriotic or religious grounds. There is no agreement even among practising members of the Orthodox church, the traditional Christian denomination in our country – a country that has been around for 14 centuries and adopted Christianity 12 centuries ago.
As Halloween is drawing near, I have decided to reread a book by respected but forgotten scholars. It has not been republished for many years, so I will share with you summaries of its content along with some additional findings and thoughts. The book is “Halloween Through Twenty Centuries” by Ralph and Adelin Linton, and it was published in the middle of the 20th century. I hope it is interesting and useful to all who would like to trace back the roots of this holiday and explore its fascinating history. Hopefully I will have finished publishing all parts till Halloween Eve.
Enjoy!
Other publications we have written on Halloween:
How to Have a Meaningful Conscious Halloween: 3 Points to Consider