2006-10-31 08:41:53 · 23 answers · asked by Lil Mama 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Halloween
THE REAL HALLOWEEN
TREAT … OR TRICK?
'The Druid priests believed that the dead returned to their original homes that night and if food and shelter wasn’t forthcoming the evil spirits would respond by casting wicked spells on those who refused them.
The Celts offered sacrifices to these "dead spirits" and it was believed that if they were happy with what they were given they would leave you alone. Otherwise you were in trouble and horrible consequences would ensue. The Druids would go from house to house demanding gifts and cursing anyone who denied them. This is the origin of the modern-day "trick or treat".'
2006-11-04 07:28:19 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Halloween is primarily based on Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"), though the name comes from the Catholic All Saints (Hallows) Day. Oct 31 is the evening before the Feast of All Hallows, so All Hallows Eve > Hallows E'en > Halloween.
Samhain is a Pagan holiday, celebrating the end of the yearly cycle. Pagans believe that the barrier between this world and the next (physical and spirit worlds) is thinnest at this time - when things on the earth are transitioning into death - thus spirits both good and bad roam the earth. Most Halloween customs stem from these beliefs - setting out candles to welcome home ancestor spirits, carving pumpkins (originally turnips) to scare away evil spirits, and dressing up as monsters to blend in with them.
Paganism is not Satanism - no Pagan worships or reveres Satan. Many do not believe in Satan in the same way as Christians, if at all. In fact, Pagan principles - living in harmony with (good stewardship of) nature, honoring those who have passed on to the next life before us, etc. are quite in-line with Christianity rather than Satanism.
2006-10-31 09:01:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Pagans (again, a clarification: not the motorcycle fraternal organization, but the Original Pagans in Ireland) picked Oct. 31 for a festival called Samhain, to mark the dwindling daylight conducive to communicating with the dead.
Eventually, Christians turned it into All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. In the 19th century, Irish immigrants brought Halloween traditions to America, including a head-shaped lantern carved from a turnip, gourd, potato or beet. It was lighted by a candle or burning lump of coal, the fire representing the souls of the departed. Hung by the door, the lantern would ward off evil spirits, ghosts and goblins. Later on, the pumpkin lobby bought off key congressmen, and turnips and gourds were out.
Jack-o'-lantern goes back to "Stingy Jack," a mythical Irishman who tricked the devil out of money for -- here comes the insidious stereotype -- drinks, then was barred from both heaven and hell and forced to wander after death with only a lighted turnip to point the way, possibly waiting for Godot.
No its not a satanic holiday
2006-10-31 08:52:22 · answer #3 · answered by cookiesandcorn 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. It marks the beginning of the Pagan new year. For Pagans Halloween is known as Samhain (pronounced SOW-ween). This festival dates at least from the early days of the nature-based religion of the ancient Celtic peoples who inhabited present-day Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland, Belgium, the Netheralnds, parts of France and Spain, and parts of Germany and the Scandianvian countries. It appears that Halloween was introduced to the United States during the Irish immigration in the 19th century.
2006-10-31 08:54:46 · answer #4 · answered by Richard B 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Go to this link it will explain everything about the history of halloween.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Geez don't you people do web searches. Here we are with the www and we are still little minded remember knowledge is power. sorry is just I've answered this question so many times I want to wack my head up against the wall
How can a holiday that honors the dead be evil. We got to funerals and wakes that honor the dead and that's not evil.
Halloween original started as a pagan holiday called Samhaim. In celtic tradions.
Ancient Origins
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.
2006-10-31 08:47:46 · answer #5 · answered by dee luna 4 · 7⤊ 0⤋
NO!!! Satanist don't really believe in anything (other than the power of themselves), much less Halloween or any other holiday. Pagans are not Satanic/Satanists! Research the history of Halloween. It's about celebrating the change in seasons and the last harvest.
2006-10-31 08:45:11 · answer #6 · answered by Red 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"Thank you for asking rather than asserting, however." Agreed! Thanks for that!
No, of course halloween isn't a Satanic holiday. The whole history behind it isn't Satanic in anyway what so ever. And even if it WAS a satanic holiday that's not what it's about anymore. It's about having fun and dressing up and acting silly and eating lolts nad lots of CANDY! Silly fundies just wnat to ruin everyone's fun.
2006-10-31 08:51:43 · answer #7 · answered by happiest_phantom 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The short answer is no. Its a pagan holiday. They have been painted in the past as Satanist, but I know a lot of pagans, and not a one of them worships Satan. They generally worship the earth, or a deity that represents to them that which is most holy. A Pagan would not chose to worship Satan, primarily because Satanism is about hedonism at its "purist" form.
2006-10-31 08:49:53 · answer #8 · answered by Jess M 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No this was actullay a holiday celebrated for the day before All Saint's Day. But later on people think satan took over because streotypically a scary holiday.
2006-10-31 08:50:01 · answer #9 · answered by meme_09 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, it's a holiday that got transform (like Christmas) from it's true meaning to a fun holiday for people who want to celebrate without all the trouble of believing in what it actually means. Originally in Christianity it's a prep night for All Saints Day (which is November 1st). You're supposed to dress up as your favorite saint (not the devil) to honor them and light candles (now, carved pumpkins) to guide the saints into your home. Other places have similar traditions, such as Dia de los Muertos (spelling?) in Mexico, in which families remember thier dead.
2006-10-31 08:48:29 · answer #10 · answered by Abcdefg 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋