My mom has this idea that Halloween is the 'devil's holiday', and I haven't been allowed to celebrate it since I was 7 years old (I'm 17 now). I was reading up on the history of it at history.com, and it mentions the devil nowhere.
Where do people get this notion that its the 'devil's holiday'? Is it true? Or is it some silly myth?
2007-09-22 17:25:24 · 11 answers · asked by Alicia 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Halloween
This is how Halloween got started:
"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."
I'm assuming you don't actually need to celebrate Oct 31st as they did 2000 years ago, right? I don't see anything wrong with enjoying the company of friends in a masquarade situation, providing your intentions are good (no mean or nasty pranks on others).
Being a Christian mom, I don't believe my kids will be damaged by having some costumes and going out to collect candy. Just as wearing a cross around your neck doesn't make you a Christian, neither does it make you satanic by dressing up and partaking in a contemporary American tradition. Talk with your Mom about what you'd like to do, and see if you can come to some sort of agreement. :)
Avoid the costumes that portray "evil".
2007-09-22 17:42:40 · answer #1 · answered by redmane_at_stargazer 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Probably because too few people know that while Halloween's origins are non-Christian (I refuse to call anyone a pagan since everyone's religon has been a pagan religion at some point in time to someone else), the holiday itself became a Christian one when the early church used it to help convert others. Halloween was originally Hallowsmas Eve. Hallowsmas was the Feast of the Hallows, or the Feast of the Saints. Hallows being another name for Saints. So Hallowsmas is today better known as All Saints Day (Nov. 1st) Hallowsmas Eve was shortened to Hallowsev'en and Halloweve. From there it became Hallowe'en and then Halloween. It's no longer celebrated by the church, so it seems it's been forgotten what the name Halloween means.
2007-09-22 18:20:40 · answer #2 · answered by knight1192a 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some Christians associate anything that comes from a set of beliefs that is not theirs, to be... SATAN!!!!!!
But it's not true. Halloween is from the old pagan holiday of Samhain (pagans don't believe in devils, that is a Christian idea). There are eight pagan holdiays more or less evenly spaced throughout the year, and each celebrates an aspect of the life cycle that corresponds to the season. Samhain is the one that recognizes death.
The idea is to dress up and 'walk around in the shoes' so to speak of the things that frighten us. This helps us understand and look at our fears, so that we are less afraid of them. Taking darkness and turning it into light. It's a very potent idea, which is one of the reasons Samhain is one of the holidays that is still celebrated widely today. It also celebrates the hope of an afterlife.
However, this method of embracing and celebrating death (as part of life) does not really mesh with Christian ideology. It's foreign, so they say it is from their Satan, and point to the death and frightening images as proof - but they don't really understand what it's about, or the fact that it serves a healthy psychological function.
I'm sorry to hear you don't get to celebrate it. Perhaps you will after you move from home, and you're almost old enough
2007-09-22 17:44:36 · answer #3 · answered by KC 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
whilst Christianity moved in to the Celtic lands the Church on the time included the Celtic day of spirits and created Halloween. "Hallow ability saint", and became an afternoon of prayer for the souls that have departed. it fairly is a prepare in Poland to flow out, on all Saints day, mild a candle and place it on the grave of departed kinfolk. In Mexico you prepare a meal and positioned across the meal to the grave to share interior the reminiscence of the only you lost. maximum Mexicans and Poles are Christians (Catholics). the reason we nevertheless run around wearing mask and attempting to scare human beings, is via the fact one million) it fairly is relaxing, 2) lots of the Celtic traditions survived under Catholicism in eire. Halloween isn't the artwork of the devil. it fairly is an theory through the Church.
2016-10-19 11:58:59 · answer #4 · answered by finnigan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
honestly im a christian and i dont consider halloween the devils holiday.
The devil has no day, because all days belong to God and him alone. Satan did not create black cats, bats, pumpkins, or any of the likes,
I never wanted my kids to feel like bieng a christian was a bad thing, or they were missing out on something great, so instead i just embrace that which makes the fall season so great, and we carve a cross into our pumpkin, and we buy candy for my children, no spooky, devilish , or any such costumes allowed, but they get all the fun, and none of the antichrist.
2007-09-22 18:15:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have no clue where it came from, but i'm pretty sure it's a myth. it's probably a pegan holiday like christmas... but does that mean you have never been to a halloween party either? that sucks........when you turn 18 make sure you have a designated driver if you do go partying on that night or any other night.
2007-09-22 17:33:16 · answer #6 · answered by lucky 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh please! The people who pegged it as such are the same ones who took it over to convert pagans to their way of thinking. And NO there is NO Devil in Halloween!!!
2007-09-22 17:31:01 · answer #7 · answered by Rev. Kaldea 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Originally was a pagan holiday.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
2007-09-22 17:33:14 · answer #8 · answered by J_DOG 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think it's just a silly myth, but I just don't like to celebrate it.
2007-09-22 17:29:18 · answer #9 · answered by Jai 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You just keep reading, Sweetie, and good for you! I am sorry that your mother is stuck in the Middle Ages. Knowledge is power and ignorance ain't bliss!
It is up to you to determine what you believe.
2007-09-22 17:34:20 · answer #10 · answered by Pamela B 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋