Sally Thomas over at First Things has an excellent post on participating in Halloween entitled “The Drama of Hallomas”, which I highly recommend. You may not agree with her particular applications, but it’s historically and practically informed!
As a friend of mine observed recently, there is something medieval about Halloween. The masks, the running around in the dark, the flicker of candles in pumpkins, the smell of leaves and cold air—all of it feels ancient, even primal, somehow. Despite the now-inevitable preponderance of media-inspired costumes, Halloween seems, in execution, far closer to a Last Judgment scene above a medieval church door, or to a mystery play, than it does to Wal-Mart. . . . Read the whole thing
Hmmm. A pleasant approach.
So Paul, you’re saying Sally’s post is historically accurate? Have another source giving an accurate synopsis of the roots of Halloween?
Hi Justin:
While I do not know of the author, Sally Thomas, I am confident that First Things would not publish anything that could not be verified historically.
For another very informed article, authored by one of the world’s leading evangelical NT scholars, see http://blog.beliefnet.com/bibleandculture/2009/10/should-christians-celebrate-halloween.html.
Thanks!