"Halloween is the perfect opportunity to think about the dichotomies inherent in the human condition. While its origins are murky, it appears to have evolved from ancient Celtic celebrations centered on the change of seasons and superstitious beliefs about evil spirits and death. During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church attempted to replace this pagan holiday with All Souls Day, dedicated to honoring saints and the dead."
"Although the holiday has morphed over the years, the modern version of the holiday still manages to incorporate dichotomous symbols that reflect our very human thoughts and emotions. We still fear uncertainty, worry about the presence of evil, and are superstitious about cats, mirrors, and things that go bump in the night. Our beloved jack-o-lanterns are a variant of the vegetables carved and lit to scare off evil spirits in earlier times."
Halloween originated in ancient Celtic seasonal celebrations and superstitious practices meant to scare away evil spirits and bad luck. During the Middle Ages the Catholic Church instituted All Souls Day to honor saints and the dead, and the term Halloween emerged from combining hallow and eve. Modern Halloween retains dichotomous symbols that reflect fear of uncertainty, evil, and death while offering playful engagement through costumes, haunted houses, horror films, and jack-o-lanterns carved to scare spirits. The phrase "trick or treat" embodies attempts to influence fate. Superstition and demonizing others create an illusion of control without increasing safety. Acknowledging common humanity and celebrating life offer more effective coping.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]