Weyland’s Whey, September 2024 Column: the Difference Between Halloween and Samhain, Part One

For Your Deliberation

I’m no scholar, and I tend to see things in simple ways.  To me, Samhain is religious while Halloween is secular.  The latter was derived from the former, and both observe and even celebrate death in their own ways.  Sure, there’s LOTS more to it than that, but in the interests of brevity I’ll go with Einstein’s statement on comprehension and simple explanations.  (With, in my case of course, an emphasis on “simple.”)

MAGAZINE Reviews

Sparkle and I are both ardent readers, and we love magazines!  Here are three I highly recommend, all Halloween themed with recipes, crafts, eats and treats and other seasonal delights.

Woman’s Day.  October/November 2024 issue.

Better Homes & Gardens, October 2024.

Celebrate, Fall/Winter 2024.

SHORT STORY Review

What could be more seasonal than a tale by Edgar Allan Poe?  Some Words With a Mummy fits the bill nicely.  Much lighter than his better known writings, even whimsical, this story answers the question of what would you say to a mummy who perks up and starts talking to you?

Verdict: 5 broomsticks.  (Hey, it’s Poe!)

MUSIC Review

Werewolf, by Motionless in White.  American.  Metalcore and hard rock.  Awesome song, and I love the video!

Verdict: 4 paws up.  And a silver bullet in the head.

Total of 5.

FILM Review

Train to Busan.  South Korean.  Action/horror flick.  2016.  Dubbed.

A man, his kid, and fellow passengers on a train in Korea at the start of a zombie outbreak.  An infected victim gets onboard at the station just before they leave….

My verdict: 5 broomsticks.

Bio

Weyland Smith is a simple columnist for paganpages.org.  He can be reached at [email protected]