Charles Preston
Encyclopædia Britannica Editor
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Charles Preston is Associate Editor for Religion at Encyclopædia Britannica. He earned a B.A. in Religious Studies from Pomona College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School. He held teaching and administrative posts before joining Encyclopædia Britannica in 2024.
Primary Contributions (85)
Samhain, in ancient Celtic religion, a festival marking the end of summer and beginning of winter. It has been celebrated on October 31 or on November 1, a date set after the Christianization of the British Isles. In ancient Ireland it was a time of ingathering for the winter and served as a…
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