Saints and Souls

“The Forerunners of Christ With Saints and Martyrs,” by Fra Angelico, 15th century

Trick or treat? That is the question posed annually on this 31st of October. Children and their parents call it Halloween. And though most of them wouldn’t be able to explain where that word came from, we erudites know (or can look it up) that the word is a compound, composed of the elements “Hallows” (saints) and “evening,”  shortened to “een.”

There seems to be a need for wild exuberant celebration in countries ...