The Joy of Mocking Evil: Why Halloween Is a Christian Celebration.
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of walking around the historic churches of the Eternal City with my grandmother. Yes, I was fascinated by the art and architecture, but I am not going to hide the fact that I also found the relics absolutely fascinating: bones, skulls, some still covered in skin, and even one that reminded me of a creepy ghost bride. Some of the Baroque paintings captured that same spooky atmosphere, with their depictions of death. One example is Bernini’s Tomb of Alexander VII in St. Peter’s Basilica, where Death itself appears as a frightening skeleton, its head concealed beneath a cloth, symbolizing the uncertainty of death, while the hourglass reminds us of the passing of time. I also enjoyed the more Anglo-American version of gloom. How could I not mention the spooky monuments, churchyards, and Gothic or colonial churches of the northeastern United States and the UK, with all those Sleepy Hollow and Salem vibes? Being a 90s kid, Halloween was, for me, an ...
