Life and Faith: Halloween

Halloween is becoming more popular in Australia every year – but not everyone is happy about it. Some complain that it’s an American tradition; others, usually on religious grounds, object to the way it makes light of evil. Are there good reasons to celebrate this once pagan festival that (like Christmas) has been Christianised – then again secularised – and now very much commercialised? Life and Faith asked John Dickson for his thoughts on the meaning of Halloween – and the relationship of Christian believers to secular culture more generally.