Hear Me Out: On Halloween, Death Should Be Celebrated
b'On today\\u2019s episode of Hear Me Out\\u2026 the veil is thin.\\n\\nIt\\u2019s easy to forget, between the plastic skeletons and cheap chocolate, that Halloween was \\u2014 and is, for many cultures \\u2014 very much about the reality of death.\\xa0\\n\\nAs the Northern Hemisphere goes dormant for the winter, it\\u2019s worth remembering that the circle of life includes death. And instead of a punchline or a thing to be feared, we might actually celebrate death, when we can. And who better to consult on how to do that than modern-day witches?\\n\\nHelen Berger, sociologist and researcher at Brandeis University, joins us to discuss.\\n\\n\\nIf you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com\\n\\nPodcast production by Maura Currie\\n\\nYou can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month\\xa0for your first three months.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'