John Hammond will talk about the ancient origins and real meaning of Halloween.

He says that in recent decades, thanks to American cultural influences, Halloween has become little more than an evening of spooky ‘trick-or-treat’ fun for children. The real meaning has been all but lost. Even the Catholic Church’s All Saint’s Day, which has been marked on November 1st every year since 835CE, thus making October 31 “All Hallow’s Eve”, is not where it all began. The true origins are far more ancient. We need to delve deep into western prehistory and look to the heavens for clues as to how this mysterious otherworldly annual celebration began.

For further information about John Hammond see the Athelstan Museum website : www.athelstanmuseum.org.uk