The Real Halloween

Like many modern holidays only some truths of the past traditions are apparent today. What was Halloween to the people of the past? Is it an evil, pagan holiday? Is it just a time for kids to get free candy, an excuse for adults to wear silly costumes, and to scare others? What was this holiday supposed to mean?

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Well, to be fair, we do not have a time machine, so we can only reconstruct the holiday based on what we do know. Two things are for certain, it was a Pagan holiday, celebrated by the Celtic people, and it was not evil. The time was called “Samhain” (say sow-win) and was a two, or three day festival. It was to mark the end of summer, the beginning of winter. A time when people of an ordinarily ordered society, were allowed to be silly and do odd things. A time of harmless pranks, much like our “April fools day”. People dressed up, generally in reversed roles, men as women, and visa-versa. People, not just children, went about collecting food hand outs from the farmers for a feast. Turnips were hollowed out to use to carry candles in.

It was also a practical time when the old and sick animals were slaughtered, to be preserved and eaten. If there were fewer animals to feed throughout a tough winter, it simply made things easier on the people. As such many of these animals were honored by having their skulls displayed. This was also a time to worship and celebrate dead ancestors.

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In today’s society we find death creepy and uncomfortable, something to be feared. Back then it was more accepted and there was no doubt in people’s minds about a happy afterlife. There was no threat of hell so people simply assumed their dead relatives were at peace, but could return to walk among them on that day, to visit, and share the festival.

Early Christians put alternate meanings on most things associated with the holiday. People were told that the dressing up was to scare the evil spirits and ghosts away. In fact much was changed when the early Christians realized they simply could not get people to stop celebrating.

A name change was in order, you may have heard it was called “All Hallows Eve”, and a Christian holiday was moved from May to November first. This being All-Saints day (also known as All Hallows Day, which some nations still celebrate in the spring). Even today some religions try to forbid Halloween, due it its pagan origins. It must be noted though, that both Easter, and Christmas had pagan origins too, and most of the traditions we associate with those holidays, from the eggs to the tree, come from the pagan celebrations, Easter, and Saturnalia respectively.

Let us be fair. Halloween was not a time of “cat sacrifice” nor a time to worship Satan. As we know the early pagans did not worship the devil. The devil is a Christian belief. People blame Halloween for allowing mischief and vandalism, but the day cannot control what people do. If people go beyond harmless pranks and commit crimes, they are responsible for their own actions.

Some people want to avoid passing out a few dollars worth of candy on this day, so turn off their house lights to avoid the “trick or treating” children, so who really is the child here? That same person probably spends hundreds of dollars at Christmas without a moments thought.

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So embrace the day, dress up and have fun, pass out candy, carve a pumpkin or turnip. Do not torture cats, or other animals, or destroy property. Enjoy the day, celebrate the coming winter. What is in your mind at the time, is what you are celebrating, no matter what was done in the past.