Why is Halloween so popular? A reflection on war, loneliness, and transforming grace
The Daily Article
The Denison Forum
4.9 • 576 Ratings
🗓️ 1 November 2023
⏱️ 8 minutes
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Summary
The National Retail Federation estimated that Americans would spend a record $12.2 billion on yesterday’s festivities. Halloween is popular for a number of reasons that reveal much about the state of our culture and the state of our souls. But when the trick-or-treating is done and all the candy has been eaten, where should we turn for the true antidote our culture and our souls need?
Author: Jim Denison, PhD
Narrator: Chris Elkins
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Our new, 2020, Advent Devotional, The Gift of Emanuel, is now available at the Daily |
| 0:07.9 | article.org. For many years, Janet Denison has written an Advent devotional that blesses |
| 0:13.6 | thousands with her biblical insight and encouragement. These books are perennial favorites in our |
| 0:19.4 | bookstore. This year will likely be no different. With 25 days of |
| 0:23.5 | readings beginning on December 1st and ending on Christmas Day, this devotional will remind you of the |
| 0:29.2 | countless ways Jesus was and is God's incredible gift to us. May you be encouraged in your walk |
| 0:37.0 | with the Lord this Christmas through the gift of Emmanuel. May you be encouraged in your walk with the Lord this Christmas through |
| 0:39.0 | the gift of Emmanuel. Request your copy today at the daily article.org. Greetings and welcome to |
| 0:48.8 | the Daily Article podcast. Today is Wednesday, November the 1st, 2023. I'm Chris Elkins from the Denison Forum, narrating today's |
| 0:57.2 | article written by Dr. Jim Denison. Halloween costumes began filling grocery store aisles in July |
| 1:04.7 | and were sold out by the first week of October. The National Retail Federation estimated that |
| 1:10.4 | Americans would spend a record |
| 1:12.0 | $12.2 billion on yesterday's festivities. Close to three quarters of U.S. adults planned to |
| 1:19.3 | celebrate Halloween, with adults between the ages of 35 and 44 leading the spending. If our |
| 1:25.6 | experience last night was any indication, nearly half of those who |
| 1:29.3 | knocked on our doors in costumes were adults. What is going on here? A Wall Street Journal article |
| 1:35.3 | explains one reason we enjoy being frightened on Halloween. Quote, we are motivated to engage in |
| 1:41.8 | activities that allow us to practice and prepare for dangerous |
| 1:45.1 | activities in a safe way. |
| 1:47.0 | Close quote. |
| 1:47.8 | As Stephen King noted, we make up imaginary horrors to help us deal with the real ones. |
| 1:53.8 | There are certainly real horrors in the news these days. |
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