All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. As the Christian debate marches on, celebrating Halloween is a preference that is not always viewed as participating in an evil holiday. Halloween is often celebrated with no reference to the occult.
While there are many versions of the origins of Halloween, some have remained consistent throughout the years. Different cultures view Halloween somewhat differently but traditional Halloween practices remain the same.
Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Strong roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead.
Samhain signifies "summers end" or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and the beginning of a new one.
The celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, treats and even gifts were left out to pacify the evil spirits and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.
What are your thoughts on trick-or-treating?
I think nowadays Halloween is a purely secular holiday, with only a very very few people who practice paganism, witchcraft, etc. actually maintaining any link between it and the occult. This will be the second year that Cohen will dress up for Halloween, but that being said, it's my own personal beliefs and preferences that won't allow him to dress up as anything evil, dead, bloody, etc.
ReplyDeleteYOU! Are two funny with that picture! What do I think of Halloween, well here in the States it is really turning into a Adult holiday instead of Kids holiday. I am disappointed with all the horror movies that are out there these days.
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