2006-10-18 12:23:11 · 14 answers · asked by FullMast 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Halloween
ahhhh to the contrary my fair Linda...
"The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year. "
2006-10-18 13:40:46 · update #1
of course it's a Christian holiday. It's all hallow's eve, or also known as the night before All Saints Day.
2006-10-18 12:31:54 · answer #1 · answered by kattsia 3 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Halloween came from the Pagan holiday Samhain (pronounced "sow-when"). Like Ostara (now Easter) and Yule (now Christmas), the Christians "Christianized" the holiday. The Pope moved All Saints Day from the spring to coincide with Samhain, which was the end of the year. The name was changed to All Hallows Eve, until it's form now of Halloween.
Some Christians considered Christmas to be "too Pagan" and it wasn't always celebrated. Colonial Americans didn't celebrate it even! Halloween followed the same rout. However, Christmas is now celebrated by Christians, but Halloween isn't always. Many Christians see Halloween as still a Pagan holiday, and unfortunately they have many misconceptions about what Paganism is. Some Christians then draw the conclusion that to be Pagan is to be evil, and that Halloween is Pagan, therefore it's evil.
In summation, if Christians think that Halloween is evil because of it's Pagan roots, then should quite celebrating Christmas, which was once the Pagan holiday Yule, and Easter, which was once the Pagan holiday Ostara
2006-10-18 19:30:57 · answer #2 · answered by Mrs. Pears 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I do and I'm not Christian. I'm a mix of Hindu and Jain (both Indian religions). I also know that it was a day where people wore masks because they thought the souls of the dead/ghosts came out that night. However, Halloween did not originate from just the Christian event where everyone wore masks to hide themselves. It also went back to Ancient China and Egypt and Rome. Therefore, it is a combination of everything...however, I would refer to it as a Christian holiday rather than a Chinese one or a Roman one or a Egyptian one. There's nothing wrong with celebrating Halloween now if you're not Christian because it has just evolved into being a day to give and recieve candy...it would only be considered Christian holdiday if you do bad things on that day and do mean things because that would resemble the bad spirts.
2006-10-18 19:34:22 · answer #3 · answered by Lina 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's not. It originated in Ireland with the people carving gruesome faces on gourds to put outside on All Hallowed Eve to keep evil spirits from their homes.
2006-10-18 19:31:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
FullMast.......Halloween is anything but a Christian holiday, where did you get your information from, it's complete and utter rubbish. Halloween is actually a pagan ritual which is "anti-christ" where they celebrate and call on demons. During Halloween witches gather and chant (pray) for the downfall of Christianity and for the failing of all the God has set forth, they pray for the failing of the seasons, failing of harvests, failing of marriages particulary Christian marriages, it's a purley demonic celebration which unfortunately a certain amount of people take it as a chance to "dress up" and sent their kids out in gothic, horror, and even little cowboy and fairy outfits looking for candy....... I'd be firing your source of information as they are waaaaaay off track. Halloween may seem to be a celebration for family and friends, local neighbourhoods getting together for a party, many names can be placed on this socalled holiday and there are people that will argue the innocense of it all and try to tie it in with Christianity but there is nothing in Halloween which is Christ like. For those that mention the Catholic changes of days, dates etc, this is done outside of what true Christianity is, it's more a Roman Catholic ordained change in dates, names etc. And for those that have mentioned Christmas, Christ was born in or around september, again, it's the heirarchy of Popeism that's changed the actual birth date of Christ. Souble, triple whammy for some on this question.
2006-10-18 19:36:54 · answer #5 · answered by Linda 3 · 1⤊ 4⤋
It's a pre-christian pagan festival celebrating the end of summer and of the harvest.
2006-10-18 19:40:48 · answer #6 · answered by Wombat 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It was actually taken over from paganism. Needed to keep peace with the natives!
2006-10-18 19:44:10 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I might of read somewhere that it was for Christians who were trying to keep the dead, dead. Long ago they understood that the dead could come back and haunt them so they came up with this practice. something like that
2006-10-18 19:34:38 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Based on what? I'm a Pagan and I've never heard that.
2006-10-18 19:58:25 · answer #9 · answered by Cinnamon 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
As a Pagan I gotta say umm say what? Err... no no I do not.
2006-10-18 19:32:09 · answer #10 · answered by FX_Make-upArtist 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋