Some have argued that Halloween is not a pagan hangover ritual to be avoided but a Christian day of mockery—All Hallows’ Eve, the night before the celebration of the saints’ victory, when the church ridicules a defeated enemy. I take that claim very seriously while testing it against the older Irish material: Samhain as summer’s end, the thin veil, the Fomorians’ tribute, and the Tuatha Dé Danann. The result is a clear distinction between subversion (emptying an old form and filling it with Christian meaning) and syncretism (keeping both meanings alive). Along the way we look at the historical evidence, the jack-o’-lantern legend, the origins of trick-or-treating, what kinds of costumes actually fit the posture of confidence, and why Psalm 2’s holy laughter still matters on October 31.
Reformed Baptist Church of Northern Colorado:
www.rbcnc.com
James Jordan,
“Concerning Halloween,” Biblical Horizons (1996):
https://theopolisinstitute.com/concerning-halloween/
Peeranormal Podcast, Ep. 18: Samhain and Halloween
https://peeranormal.com/podcast/peeranormal-18-samhain-and-halloween/
NO LINKS BUT USEFUL:
Helen Sewell Johnson, “November Eve Beliefs and Customs in Irish Life and Literature,” The Journal of American Folklore 81:320 (Apr. – Jun., 1968), pp. 133-142.
Jack Santino, “Halloween in America: Contemporary Customs and Performances,” Western Folklore 42:1 (Jan., 1983), pp. 1-20.
Hastings’ Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics (ed. James Hastings, John A. Selbie, and Louis H. Gray; Edinburgh; New York: T. & T. Clark; Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1908–1926):
“(Celtic) Cosmogony”
“Celtic Feasts and Festivals”
“Irish Deities”
Origins of Halloween
Dundalk Baptist Church with Michael Emadi
https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/922232323303515/transcript
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