Halloween: A Festival of Lost Meanings

By Alvin Boyd Kuhn

Book Overview

Halloween: A Festival of Lost Meanings is a book written by Alvin Boyd Kuhn that explores the history and symbolism of Halloween. The author delves into the origins of the holiday, tracing its roots back to ancient pagan traditions and the Celtic festival of Samhain. Kuhn examines the various customs and rituals associated with Halloween, from the carving of pumpkins to the wearing of costumes, and explores their deeper meanings and significance. He argues that Halloween has lost much of its original spiritual and symbolic significance in modern times, and that its true meaning has been obscured by commercialization and secularization. The book also discusses the role of Halloween in popular culture and literature, and its influence on the development of horror fiction. Overall, Halloween: A Festival of Lost Meanings is a thought-provoking exploration of the history and symbolism of one of the world's most beloved holidays.Kuhn, the author of the popular New Lectures on the Ancient Wisdom series, offers up an essay on the origins of Halloween and its traditions such as the candle in the pumpkin, broomstick riding witches, apple in a tub of water and the wearing of masks. He searches to find a meaning behind Halloween that goes beyond the sheer fun and deviltry of it as it has been practiced in the past and present.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1162629118
• ISBN13: 9781162629117
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
• Length: 66 Pages
• Weight: 0.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 7.5" x 9.3"