Slate Debates

Hear Me Out: On Halloween, Death Should Be Celebrated

10.31.2023 - By Slate PodcastsPlay

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On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the veil is thin.

It’s easy to forget, between the plastic skeletons and cheap chocolate, that Halloween was — and is, for many cultures — very much about the reality of death. 

As the Northern Hemisphere goes dormant for the winter, it’s worth remembering that the circle of life includes death. And instead of a punchline or a thing to be feared, we might actually celebrate death, when we can. And who better to consult on how to do that than modern-day witches?

Helen Berger, sociologist and researcher at Brandeis University, joins us to discuss.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: [email protected]

Podcast production by Maura Currie

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