One story says on that day, the disembodied spirits of all people who had died throughout the preceding year would return in search of living bodies to possess for future year. it had been believed to be their solely hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of house and time were suspended throughout this point, permitting the spirit world to intermingle with the living.

Naturally, the still-living didn’t need to be possessed. therefore on the night of October thirty one, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to form them cold and undesirable. they’d then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded round the neighborhood, being as damaging as doable so as to frighten away spirits probing for bodies to possess. A better clarification of why the Celts extinguished their fires wasn’t to discourage spirit possession, however so all the Celtic tribes may relight their fires from a typical supply, the Druidic hearth that was kept burning within the Middle of eire, at Usinach. Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn somebody at the stake who was thought to possess already been possessed, as style of a lesson to the spirits. different accounts of Celtic history debunk these stories as myth. The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. however in 1st century AD, Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of another Roman traditions that happened in October, like their day to honor Pomona, Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The image of Pomona is that the apple, which could justify the origin of our fashionable tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween. The thrust of the practices additionally modified over time to become a lot of ritualized. As belief in spirit possession waned, the apply of dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts, and witches took on a a lot of ceremonial role. The custom of Halloween was dropped at America within the 1840’s by Irish immigrants fleeing their country’s potato famine. At that point, the favourite pranks in New England included tipping over outhouses and unhinging fence gates. The custom of trick-or-treating is assumed to possess originated not with the Irish Celts, however with a ninth-century European custom known as souling. On November a pair of, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for “soul cakes,” created out of sq. items of bread with currants. The a lot of soul cakes the beggars would receive, the a lot of prayers they’d promise to mention on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it had been believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time when death, which prayer, even by strangers, may expedite a soul’s passage to heaven. The Jack-o-lantern custom comes from Irish folklore. because the tale is told, a person named Jack, notorious as a drunkard and trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved a picture of a cross within the tree’s trunk, trapping the devil up the tree. Jack created a traumatize the devil that, if he would never tempt him once more, he would promise to let him down the tree. According to people tale, when Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven attributable to his evil ways in which, however was additionally denied access to Hell as a result of he tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him one ember to light-weight his manner through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed within a hollowed-out turnip to stay it glowing longer. The Irish used turnips as their “Jack’s lanterns” originally. however when the immigrants came to America, they found pumpkins were way more plentiful than turnips. therefore the Jack-O-Lantern in America was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an ember. So, though some cults could have adopted Halloween as their favorite “holiday,” the day itself didn’t grow out of evil practices. It grew out of the rituals of Celts celebrating a brand new year, and out of Medieval prayer rituals of Europeans. And today, even several churches have Halloween parties or pumpkin carving events for the children. After all, the day itself is barely as evil in concert cares to form it.

                                     warning this is a quote from a religious website

The October 31st holiday that we today know as Halloween has strong roots in paganism and is closely connected with worship of the Enemy of this world, Satan. It is a holiday that generally glorifies the dark things of this world, rather than the light of Jesus Christ, The Truth.Have you noticed how costumes and masks are getting generally more bloody, gory, and depraved each year? Unfortunately, the gruesome and grotesque and the occult are increasingly glorified in American society, not only on Halloween, but throughout the year in horror movies and in television programs.My family does not celebrate it or participate in it. We do not believe that our children are “missing out,” and neither do they. Other days are used for costumes and parties. Happily, all of our children have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. We have found that Halloween provides an excellent time to remind our children that, as Christians, we are different, and not of this world (Heb. 11:13-16; 1 Pet. 2:11).What about church “Harvest Festivals” held on October 31? Although we understand the rational and good intentions behind them, we don’t think they are the best approach. Our family tends to agree with the author of an article called ” Are ‘Harvest Parties’ for Christians?” (written by a self-avowed former witch and now active Christian). Harvest parties on October 31 tend to assume that “our children need something to take the place of Halloween, since they won’t be participating in the secular and pagan celebrations. It suggests our kids are missing out on something. And indeed they are, if we allow them to spend Halloween in celebration.” There are better things to do on Halloween than partying.

OK, so here we have one viewpoint on the holiday,let’s take a look at a few more.

The pragmatist observes Halloween for what it appears to be today.  Pragmatists are not concerned with Halloween’s pagan origins because it seems to them that modern culture has given Halloween an entirely new meaning. They see it as a fun social opportunity for themselves and for their children.  For them, it’s a chance to get to know their neighbors while establishing family traditions and making memories that will last a life time.  These families participate in trick-or-treating, carve pumpkins, attend parties, and adorn their homes with Halloween decor, but as Christians, they do not participate in the evil deeds associated with Halloween that are specifically condemned in the Bible such as a witchcraft, consulting mediums or spiritism.

The evangelist views Halloween as yet another opportunity to share the gospel and continue fulfilling the great commission. The first thought for the evangelist when it comes to Halloween is that hundreds of people whom he may not know will come knocking on his door all on the same evening.  The evangelist keeps his porch light shining brightly all night long while wearing a smile that is even brighter.  He greets all trick-or-treaters with a warm and friendly welcome while giving each and every child a full size candy bar with an evangelistic tract attached. He may also invite the trick-or-treaters’ parents inside for some hot tea, baked goods, rest, and purposeful conversation.  For the evangelist, Halloween is an opportunity to reach people where they are and to minister to them as Jesus did. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

And now some views from my neck of the woods

In the South we tend to do things differently anyway so why should Halloween be any different? We don’t get the day off from work on this holiday, so we make up for it in bizarre behavior at night. Perfectly sane, normal human beings decorate their houses in the most macabre way – skeletons, graveyards, blood, gore…and then they sit and wait for strangers to knock on their doors. On any other day, we’d meet strangers at the door with a loaded shotgun. But not on Halloween.On any other day, all the good parents are concerned about what their kids eat, and want them to eat as healthy as possible. They monitor their sugar intake, don’t allow them to eat junk food, and watch how much they eat. But on Halloween, kids are allowed to eat a pillowcase full of sugary junk.Let’s not forget those wonderful, loving parents that have to check the kids candy(yeah we make sure that all the stuff we like has been tampered with ,just so we can eat it after the kiddies go to bed)We (adults?)dress up,then we dress up the kids(and at our house we even dress up the pets)go from place to place, house to house and in some cases church to church (got to love those southern baptist trunk-or-treats)begging. It’s panhandling, basically. But we still want to have great big gobs of candy,so panhandle away children.Then the kids go to thier Halloween parties and the (grown ups?) go to theirs.Young women – and the ones that dress this way are getting younger every day – are dressing in the most provocative outfits they can find, leaving nothing to the imagination.It’ totally ok for a wife and mother to walk out the door on this day dressed as a naughty nurse with a skirt so short you can see the ruffled underwear shes barely wearing. It is completely acceptable, on this one day, for a husband to leave the house dressed as a bunch of grapes or a male ballerina. On any other day, if your boss came to your house for dinner with an ax in his head, you’d call the cops. But not on Halloween.Then there are the haunted antebellum mansion tours,haunted houses ,and don’t forget the ever popular judgment houses.so folks thats our Halloween in the south ,So whether you love it, hate it ,embrace it,or ignore it ,

                                                                HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Cover via Amazon

Ghost hunter types claim that there is more ghost activity when the geomagnetic field (the magnetic field around the Earth) is peaked.  http://almosthauntedla.webs.com/geomagneticfield.htm

Image via Wikipedia

What’s interesting is that there seems to be 2 peaks a year, one in the spring and one in autumn.  More interesting is that the highest activity seems to occur in October.  http://www-ssc.igpp.ucla.edu/personnel/russell/papers/40/fig1.gif  

So either there is some validity to the idea of Halloween being a spirited time of the year or people are crazier than usual during the peaks in geomagnetic activity.  So if the correlations are solid and the peaks do match up with paranormal activity (not the movie), then are the experiences the result of ghosts using the extra ambient energy or is it just people going crazy?  Of course, then we might ask if crazy people are only crazy because they have a certain range of perception more opened up than the rest of us.

Either, way, have a happy Halloween. 

In those days the holiday that falls on October 31 was called Samhain (Sow-en), following the harvest, this was a time when the pagans slaughtered their old and weak animals those who were probably not fit to survive through the winter. This not only provided the people with food, but reduced the number of livestock animals they had to care for through the winter months. This was not a sacrifice, but it was a ritualistic killing, with a practical purpose. The skulls of some animals were probably placed to honor the animals themselves, much as we do with deer heads today.  You may note that cat sacrifice was also not a part of this holiday.

Part of the holiday celebrations included men, sometimes dressed up as women, going from farm to farm to collect food for a feast, or party. Women often joined in by dressing as men. Pranks were played on those who did not give food for the feasts. Such pranks usually included leaving gates open and such.

Throughout the winter (not just at Samhain) turnips were hollowed out to be used to hold candles. Celebrations were held to honor the dead. This was a magical time of the year and the people believed that the relatives who had died earlier in the year could return for one night before departing the earth for good. The pagans did not fear their dead, they were not scared of them, they did not try to frighten them away.

Games were played mostly of telling the fortunes of a girl and whom she might marry in the coming year.* Drinking games may have been common among workers tired from the harvest and slaughter.

Bonfires were lit at night and stories were told. It was not an evil holiday, but one of celebration. When Christians came to places where Samhain was celebrated they tried to put an end to it, rather unsuccessfully. While some people did convert to Christianity they did not want to give up their traditions.

photo source

Early Christians then moved a day, All Saints Day, from earlier in the year, to November 1, it was also known as All Hallows Day. This then made October 31 become All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, as we now know it. Although Samhain had been many days of celebration it soon changed to one day and eventually pumpkins replaced turnips, kids asking for candy replaced young men asking for food.

Through the ages people were told that pagans were savage and that the day should not be celebrated because it was associated with mayhem and the occult – all of which is not true. It is true that it was a pagan holiday, but no longer is. In fact with the new name, Halloween, is a Christian holiday.

It should also be noted that Christmas and Easter were also times of celebrations before Christianity spread throughout the land. Christmas was celebrated as Saturnalia, or Yule, and Easter still retains its pagan name, indicating its reference to celebrations for the fertility goddess Eastre. Both are still marked with tradition that predate Christianity.

*Note: To Christians, the simple game of telling somebodies fortune was considered witchcraft, and was probably cause for the connection between Halloween and witches.

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Halloween – samhain teach us to defeat fear

At its core, samhain is about the night when the old god dies and the crone goddess mourns him deeply for the next six weeks. The common image of her as the old halloween hag mixing her cauldron comes from the celtic belief that all dead souls return to her cauldron of life, death and renaissance to await reincarnation. 

Despite labor by the christian church to recast the sabbat, or ageical merry, by becoming it into a day of feasting and prayer for saints (all hallow eve, prioring all saints day, is still one of the godly days in catholicism), samhain lore and habit stay common and the church was forced to diabolize it as a night “boiling with evil soul. “

Masters of refined mixing, the church stated that the evil soul were expel only the ring of church bells on all saints day. Although terror has nothing to do with this pagan vacation, the idea of samhain being a night of release evil took hold in the common mind. 

The affect of this unlucky misconception is that a great chance to think on life and death, on the eternal cycle of time, and ultimately, on opposing and beating that which scare us, has become lost. Halloween has become an very commercial vacation, second only to christmas in adorning and candy sales, or a festival of the dark, bring to afraid denial by piously wary band, or wanton desert by those happy to release their variant of the hounds of hell. 

Very few settle however, seem to take the chance halloween now to face our fears, which is fascinating – or maybe conceivable — america seem to be one of the most scare put on earth. According to a ny times poll in 2006, nearly half of americans feel “somewhat uneasy or in risk. ” compared with five years rash, 39% of americans said they feel less safe now, while only 14 % said they feel safer. 

While there don’t seem to be any exact form, turn on the television at almost any given time, and it’s clear that there’s been an raise, in recent years, in the number of crime dramas and crime tell news survey. We’ve got show like the venerable america’s most wanted reminding us that brutal hunter are loose in every city; csi resolving emotional ruin in at least three states; 20/20, primetime and 48 hours, with their sociable journalist cautioning us, with great worry for our so-being, about scams, crooks and thugs of every variety; and awful slasher films, valid on cable, right in our own homes and improve with the best blood-letting computer graphics to bring it all home. 

In the early 1990s, there was a emotional raise in the public sense of crime as the most pompous question facing the state – 52% of americans, in 1994, felt that crime was of utmost worry. Based upon data from 1978 inward 1998, effect hint that this “big scare” was more a network tv news scare than a scare based upon the real world of crime. The television news alone accounted for almost four times more strife in public senses of crime as our most pompous question, than did actual crime rates, which – believe it or not – have actually gone down in the last fifteen years. 

Yes – down: for the 10-year trend, from 1996 to 2005, the fbi tell that brutal crime refuse nearly 18%. Murder reduce 15% in 2005 compared to 1996. In this same time age, theft attack reduce 22%. Even motor means theft reduce, down more than 11% in 2005 compared with 1996. 

So just what *are* we so afraid of? If you’ve cope to avoid the crime scare, modern media has some other fear for you: how about dying in an aeroplane accident? Bring cancer from. . . So, quiting at all? Loathsome breeds of superbugs opposed to every known antibiotic? Food condom? Organ trafficking? Killer bees? Having your child steal? Hooked on drugs? Or ruling a razor blade in their halloween candy? Lead in toys? 

For what it’s worth, the halloween razor blade thing never occur, and most of those other worrys are inflated as so. Barry glassner, author of *the develop of fear *(basic books, 2000), calls these “pseudorisks”, and says the media, adman, statesman and several firm and union thrive on them and the money (or votes, which ultimately translates to money) that your fears bring them. Pseudorisks, hints glassner, depict an chance for us to avoid facing questions directly. Rather than refer – or maybe, better said, because of our inability to refer — scarcity, we fear the illegals that scarcity can make. Our inability to refer strange policy issues do us scare of terrorism. 

“in just about every coeval american scare,” says glassner, “rather than oppose worrying flaw in community, the public talk middle on worry soles. “

Our fears, however, are often far worse than our realities. 

According to john meuller, the woody hayes chair of citizen bond policy and professor of political skill at ohio state college, we’re bearing from a citizen false sense of inbond. 

“until 2001,” he carve, ” far fewer americans were killed in any sorting of years by all forms of intercitizen terrorism than were killed by lightning, and almost none of those saboteur deaths happen within the united states itself. Even with the sept. 11 spasm contain in the count, the number of americans killed by intercitizen terrorism since the late 1960s (which is when the state area began counting) is about the same as the number of americans killed over the same age by lightning, accident-causing deer, or severe prone reaction to peanuts. “

Further, meuller noted that transit researchers at the college of  michigan compute than “an american’s chance of being killed in one express airline flight is about one in 13 million (even taking the sept. 11 smash into account). To reach that same level of risk when urging on america’s safest roads — rural interstate route — one would have to travel a mere 11. 2 miles. “

Urging is, in fact, one of the most risky things we do, and yet most of us are quite wanting to accept that risk. Author bruce schneier, in *beyond fear* (springer, 2nd edition 2006), keep that, “in america, car cause 40,000 deaths every year; that’s the corresponding of a full 727 crashing every day and a half — 225 total in a year. As a community, we efficiently say that the risk of dying in a car crash is worth the aid of urging around town. But if those same 40,000 settle died each year in fiery 727 smash instead of car accidents, you can be sure there would be pompous coins in the air fare method. Correspondingly, learn have shown that both chauffeur and fares in suvs are more likely to die in accidents than those in pact cars, yet one of the major giving points of suvs is that the owner feels safer in one. “

Many of our fears, of late, engage kid – all from being afraid for them to being afraid *of* them. Map have found that stealing tops parents’ list of worrys for their kid. Yet the large condom issue for kids is basic simple condom step in homes and public put. The risk of stealing by foreigner stay extremely small – under 1% of the nation’s more than 64 million kid are seized by non-family part and actually reply. A far weak number die. 

And those killer columbine type kids? They’re statistically almost non-existent. 80% of our nation’s district never try a youth homicide. 

But are things bring worse? “there is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know, “said harry truman. 

“a new army of 6 million men are being move versus us, an army of delinquents. Youth felony has raised at an scaring rate and is eating at the heart of america,” stated a youth court judge – in 1946. 

There are “predatory beasts” on the road, hordes of teens and preteenager fleing wild in city road, “gnawing away at the base of community,” said a reporter – in the 19th century. In 1850 in new york alone, there were more than 200 gang wars fought mainly by teenage boys. 

The fresh american ever perform for murder was 12 years old. She killed the baby in her care – in 1786. 

So how did we get so alarm? Our fears, hints glassner, are waryly and recurrently fed by anyone who wishes to make fear, often by managing words, facts, news, origin or data, in order to induce sure private conduct, defend governmental motion or position (at home or abroad), keep settle consuming, elect sure statesman, or worry the public’s concentration from seemingly more urgent social issues like scarcity, social bond, unemployment, crime or soiling. The most common techniques for social tormenting include:

*

*

*careful      choice and failure of news* (some related facts are shown and      some are not); (reporting that the number one question educator faced in      1940 was speaking and gum munching, and in 1990, fertility, suicide and drug      abuse; twist from a citizen center for learning statistics survey      asking with principals, not educator, about crimes – when actually      asked, educator today site questions parent apathy and lack of text books      as their large questions)*            *

*deformity      of statistics or numbers* (declaring 800,000 kid missing each      year, but failing to break those statistics down meaningfully)*            *

*transformation      of single events into social plagues*; (going “postal” isn’t a postal aid      plague – that stay one of the safest occupations)*            *

*corruption      and deformity of words or nomenclature according to unique goals*;*            *

*stigmatization      of minorities*, itemly when unite with illegal acts or      reducing conduct;*            *

*generalization      of compound and complex situations*;*            *

*causal      inversion* (becoming a cause into an effect or vice-versa). ***none of this is to hint we shouldn’t be wary or aware or worryed, that we shouldn’t be proactive in caring for us or our kid, and taking normal safeguard for health and condom. But simple things like ending seatbelts and rinsing hands will do more to guard you than denying to talk to foreigner or taking a gun. 

“to fear is one thing,” says author katherine paterson, who wrote *jacob have i loved* (harpertrophy, 1990). “to let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is other. “

Nobel prize laureate bertrand russell, a british philosopher, logician, essayist and social critic, hinted, in 1950 when we were giving with all sorts of still tame worrys, there are two ways of coping with fear:

“. . . One is to reduce the outer risk, and the other is to develop stoic stamina. The latter can be fortify, except where close action is vital, by becoming our idea away from the cause of fear. The victory of fear is of very great worth. Fear is in itself reducing; it easily be an obsession; it crops hate of that which is feared, and it leads rash to surplus of brutality. “

In “*we are not afraid,*” homer hickam, author *rocket boys *(delta, 2000) (which was made into the film, *october sky*) , drew on his trys bing up in the brave and elastic community of coalwood, west virginia, a town were the threat of death was firm, but fear was not. He said coalwood inhabitant take a four pronged access to braveness that he sums up in quiting like a set of mantras:

*

**we      are proud of who are **            **we      stand up for what we believe**            **we      keep our families cooperatively**            *

*we      trust in god but rely on us*            **

Hickam also says quiting soberly buddhist early in his book. He says that despite the ills of our community, we mainly live among merciful, kind and optimistic settle who are striving to do good. “as an american,” he says, in a line that would make the dali lama proud, “you have a duty to be happy. It says right there in our statement of freedom that we have god given rights to life, right and the hunt of joy. So do your duty. Learn how to be happy and keep this in mind: you can’t be happy unless you stop being afraid. “

Senator. John mccain (r-ariz. ) puts it less poetically: “get on the damn elevator! fly on the damn plane! compute the odds of being harmed by a saboteur! it’s still about as likely as being swept out to sea by a tidal wave. Suck it up, for crying out loud. You’re almost surely going to be ok. And in the improbable event you’re not, do you really want to spend your last days cringing behind pliant sheets and duct tape? That’s not a life worth aliving, is it? “

Fear, hickam says, is mainly a habit. 

“the habit of fear and dread,” he carve, “can be compared to having a lasting illness. Some of us have gotten so used to having it, we don’t even know we’re taint. A sign of this illness is that we walk around with fall shoulders and drag one heavy foot after other. We dread bring out of bed in the sunrising, sure that only awful things are going to happen when we do. We never have quiting good to say about quiting, and that contain us. We don’t like the way we look. We feel cheat. We’re jealous of others and assume the world is filled with leanness. In fact, we think the world is a awful place. We moan and groan. We finally lose our family and pal. We become sorry sights and we don’t even know why. Worse, the illness we have is polluting. Pure settle we face are prone to traping fear and dread from us, embracing our kid. We know quiting’s wrong, but we don’t know how to be cured. ‘

One way to rid yourself of this disease, says hickam, is to “stand up level and. . . . Be proud of who you are. ” to do that, he says, it’s vital to *know* who you are, and how you’re join to your family and your community. That engages speaking to family part, to community part – and exiting their lie on to your kid and other family part. To be brave, you have to be join to quiting larger than yourself, says hickam. 

The habit of fear and dread also causes shyness, says hickam, a leaning to avoid opposeation, itemly in securing our view. That one’s apparently not quite as big an issue here for us – we have lots of views and fling them around easily here. But how about “out there”? “if you act as if what you think isn’t pompous, it’s the same as faithing *you* aren’t pompous,” carve hickam. “an policy like that can hug the life right out of anybody. “

One of the best ways to defeat that aspect of fear and dread, he says, is “to take up for those who can’t take up for themselves. “

“there’s always human who needs you help. How can you be afraid if you’re the guardor of human else in a risky world? Occasionally, just acting brave is enough to make you brave. “

But there’s more to it than just faking it till you make it. Hickam says you should also teach that person to stand up for himself, too, so that he can keep his honor. Hickam warn that standing up for what you believe “does not mean that every time you feel you’re being snub, you should erupt with loud, loathsome conduct. Standing up for what you believe has nothing to do with being brutal or being annoying because of some see tyranny. This policy ahs to do with a quiet resolution to have your view describe and heard. To be striking, it also has to be respectful and fair. . . . The most striking way of standing up is always going to be the nonbrutal way, quiet but determined. “

Keeping our families cooperatively can actually be one of the harder tools for braveness, keep hickam, but it’s a vital one. “an whole, acting family works to not only set a loving shelter, but also fills in the cracks of our own privateities. Where one family member is weak, other is firm. A cohesive group is always firmer than an sole, no matter how smart he is, or how many strength he ahs or quiting else. The family can be a shield versus the world, and also the springboard to a better life. “

And finally, hickam says trusting god but relying on yourself is a sure way to rise above fear. “the settle of coalwood were versus crying on god any time they needed help,” he annul. “for one thing, it was regard rude. God had a lot of things to worry about after all, unless embracing all that got in the way of one item human being. The way folks in the town saw it, god had previously setd them with most of what they needed to get past a rub, embracing their own good common sense. ” mainly, he said, they retain their prayers for thanks. 

While others often ponder why bad things happen to good settle, hickam think quiting he says as more amazing: “why, in a world and a world where all must work hard to simply endure, did that which we think of as decent and fine get inlay into our souls? Why is that we crave virtue, seek out candor and strive to be upright, even when evil is so much mild? How is that evil, the desire to ruin and hurt others, hasn’t been the urging force in our sort and our world and our world? Some great virtue is out there, and it’s here, too. It is everywhere. “

We’re two parts, says hickam, “one religious and the other bodily. Both are pompous. The design of the human body and mind is proof of that great truth. We have to trust in the spirit that is everywhere around us and in us. But we also must use our hands and minds to keep our families safe and build a better world. “

A world in which we are not afraid. 

“we are not afraid. “

Say it slowly, and savor it, says hickam, like we should savor the world and each value. This sacred time of year honors the eternal coins of our lives, and offers us a rare chance to look death in the eye and give it a wink and a nod. 

“there is no reason to fear life or dread what might be coming your way,” carve hickam. “every hour of every day, recall all the settle who came before you, all those who make up who you are, and stand tall and be proud. No matter how risky the times, they will always be with you. . . “

Bertrand russell would agree. “we want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world,” he said. ” — its good facts, its bad facts, its prettiness, and its ugliness; see the world as it is and be not afraid of it. Defeat the world by wisdom and not merely by being servilely defeat by the terror that comes from it. . . . We ought to stand up and look the world openly in the face. We ought to make the best we can of the world, and if it is not so good as we wish, after all it will still be better than what these others have made of it in all these ages. A good world needs wisdom, kindness, and courage; it does not need a sorrowful craving after the past or a chaining of the free wisdom by the words say long ago by unaware men. It needs a bold view and a free wisdom. It needs hope for the coming, not gazing back all the time toward a past that is dead, which we trust will be far excel by the coming that our wisdom can make. “

As samhain reminds us, death is not an end, but a change, a time to look send to new start, when we will be born anew as the wheel of the year turns on and on. 

Specifically the “name” Halloween is Christian. The original name was Samhain, but early Christians moved a day of Christian celebration to November 1, that being All Saints Day, or All Hallows Day, thus the night before became All Hallows Eve, or what we now call Halloween.  Make no mistake… Samhain and most of our “Halloween” traditions are pagan, but with the “Christian” name, we can say that Christians have claimed the day, at least in name!

The conversion of this holiday has not been nearly as complete as that of Saturnalia/Yule to Christmas. Some Christians still reject Halloween, much as some sects still reject celebrating Christmas due to its pagan past.

As far as the first killing of black cats.. well that is also the doings of Christians, particularly through the middle ages, and later at the time of the Salem Witch Trials. Witches were associated with cats, particularly black ones. Black cats were feared by Christians who thought that witches could shape shift and “become” black cats for the purpose of sneaking around, particularly at night. When accused witches where being burned, so too were black cats, or in some cases any cat seen to be in the company of a suspected “witch”.

Single women often kept cats, they were cheap companions who ate mice, rats, and kept the bed warm at night.  These pets were called Familiars, but were not killed by the women who kept them. 

By artist: Irwin J. Weill Weird_Tales_volume_36_number_01.djvu: Weird Tales, Inc. derivative work: AdamBMorgan (Weird_Tales_volume_36_number_01.djvu) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Cats were tortured and killed in the name of religion. In 1232 Pope Gregory XI declared cats diabolical, associated with the devil, and along with the encouragement of many other religious leaders at that time – cats were hunted down and killed in great numbers, which ironically lead to the spread of the Plague at the time – as fleas carried by rats were able to spread since cats could no longer control the rat population.

Today people use Halloween as an excuse to harm animals, and any pet not kept indoors is at risk of being stolen. Although many people suggest cats are tortured, and sacrificed on Halloween, for the most part black cats are used as Halloween “decorations”, party favors and so forth. Still this is a risky time of the year to let any pet out as those seeking to do harm to an animal use this time of year as an excuse for their behavior.

Even now (with the exception of one woman who claimed to produce goth kittens) many people are attracted to black cats for reasons that are not cruel.  Goths love black cats because their hairs do not show on their black clothing, why would such people be linked to killing pets they love?  This is a myth spread by those unfamiliar with Goth culture, including some Christians who mistakenly associate the Goth culture with Satan worship.

Frances Brundage [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Pet Safety at Halloween

In the days prior to Halloween (Oct 31), all pets, and particularly cats, should be kept indoors only. On Halloween if you expect trick-or-treaters at your door, put up a baby gate so your dog cannot run out when the door is open, and confine your cat to another room. Be aware that the noises may frighten an outside dog, so they too may be better off indoors, or in a safe garage, with a radio on to drown out the outside noises. Keep candy away from pets, chocolate can be deadly to dogs.

Read More

Religious Ignorance Helped Spread the Plague

The Real Halloween

The Pre-Christian Origins of Christmas Traditions

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The Ancient World

The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld (realm of the dead) became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. Families would invite their ancestors to their celebration and practice divination. It is believed that the Celts wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as harmful spirits. Thus, warding them off and staying safe from them. Bonfires played a large role in the festival.

Traditionally, the Celts would hallow out large turnips, carve faces into them and place them in their windows to ward off evil spirits. The carving of pumpkins is associated with Halloween in North America where pumpkins are both readily available and much larger – making them much easier to carve than turnips.

The Middle Ages

Children going door to door saying “Trick or treat” refers to a “threat” to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In some parts of Scotland children will perform a trick to earn their treat, such as singing a song or telling a ghost story.

Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2).

Modern Day

Today, Halloween is big business where companies will often start promoting a month in advance. Halloween use to be just for children. Before, it seemed silly for adults to participate in dressing up. Unless they are with children, you probably won’t see many adults in costumes tick-or-treating. However, it’s become widely accepted for adults to dress up and go to an adult Halloween party that is infused with alcohol.. I’m guessing this is just another reason to drink.

This represents the end of the light half of the year and the beginning
of the dark half.
Harvesting, butchering animals for the winter takes place at this time.

Many people believe that the veil between this life and the afterlife is the
strongest at this time of year. Which is why people began wearing masks
to placate the spirits.

People would carve turnips and gourds.
Pagan Samhain and Christian All Souls day is what became the basis
of what we now know as Halloween.

• Black cats were once believed to be witch’s familiars who protected their powers.
• The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.
• Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.
• Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.
• Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.
• Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.

These are just some fun trivial facts about Halloween! Have a fun and safe Halloween!

The word Halloween comes from the phrase of ‘All Hallows Eve.’ This is the evening before the Catholic Church holiday on November 1st known as, All Hallows Day, All Saint’s Day, All Souls Day, or All Hallowmas Day. In the Old English language, Hallow means sanctify.

The Halloween that we celebrate today was actually a Christian creation, and all started back in the 800’s. The Catholic Church had merged two existing Roman festivals that were called, The Feralia and Pomona’s Day with Samhain, in a successful attempt to replace all three. Pomona’s Day was originally a harvest festival in honor of the Roman goddess of fruits and trees; this is where the tradition of bobbing for apples came about. Feralia was a day for mourning and to remember the dead.

Christians had began celebrating an All Saints Day on November 1st , with observances beginning at sunset the night before. People had dressed in costumes as Christian saints, this was to supposed to scare all the evil spirits away. They went door-to-door, begging for food, like kids today go door to door asking for candy. Later on All Soul’s Day (a holiday commemorating the dead who were not saints) was added to the mix on November 2nd, people celebrating this holiday took to going from house to house asking for little soul cakes (currant buns) in exchange for praying for the souls of a household’s dead.

As Christianity spread among the Celtics, they renamed All Soul’s Day/Samhain to All-Hallowmas from the Middle English word Alholowmesse meaning All Saints Day. They called the eve of the celebration All-hallows Eve. Eventually, All-hallows Eve would be simply called Halloween as we know it today.

Over the next few hundred years, The All-hallows Eve tradition had spread through Europe and as they migrated to America so did the traditions with them, and actually it was in America that the name Halloween came to be. Americans kept the traditions that the Europeans had brought with them such as celebrating the dead and the fall festivals, but the Americans brought in new traditions such as “trick or treating’, this first started as people dressing in costumes and would go house to house asking for food or money, but for decades this tradition was highly frowned upon in many communities. Costumes turned from the common ghosts and witches to scarier versions of everyday people.

Halloween today as we celebrate it is a fun time of year, it is a time for costume parties and having the kids dress up in scary (or cute) costumes and is fun for the entire family. It is also incredibly rich with history and a tribute to the idea that cultures can intermingle and incorporate each others traditions to create a holiday that can be celebrated by all.