Halloween

I discovered this on the History Channel website and thought I might post it here. I knew some of what is mentioned here about Halloween, but not all of it. Read on and see what you think . . .

"Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas."

So, why do we celebrate Halloween? For many, it's merely a time to dress up and pretend to be someone other than yourself for just one evening while strolling through neighborhoods for candy. It's a time to get together, tell spooky stories around a campfire, and see who can have the best costume.It's a time of frollick and fun. Nothing more. I would fit into this category. I like Halloween, because it's meant to be light-hearted and fun. Just a night for families to do something together in a safe environment. That's why on every Halloween, I'm at my church passing out candy to children (and some adults). It's fun for the whole family and it's safe. We don't have to worry about our children walking the streets in this cold world at night.

For others, it's a time that they believe the dead walk among the living. They believe that ghosts and ghouls walk with us in order to taunt us for still being alive. They still carry that Celtic tradition on Halloween. Telling fortunes. Walking with the dead. Sacrifices to please the dead.

It's a much darker Halloween. A Halloween filled with evil.

When I was growing up, Halloween wasn't a big deal at our house. We were never allowed to dress up as witches or ghosts or anything that could be seen as evil. I didn't understand it then, but as I've grown up, I've realized the importance of not only staying away from evil but also staying away from the appearance of evil. I'd much rather be associated with those in that see the lighter side of Halloween and stick to the theme of fun and candy.

Like the Celtics, many Americans seem to be stuck in the dark, evil version of Halloween. The version that makes it neccessary to have a safe environment for the light-hearted to celebrate this time of year. I wish everyone allowed the dead to remain dead.