Halloween vs Samhain

[WarriorAngel]

Halloween or Samhain?

 

[Michie]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting!


Samhain was a festival that marked the beginning of winter in Ireland, but the historical evidence does not support the idea that it involved jack-o-lanterns, witches, ghosts, or religious ceremonies. In his book Stations of the Sun, historian Ronald Hutton explains:

[T]he medieval records furnish no evidence that 1 November was a major pan-Celtic festival, and none of religious ceremonies, even where it was observed.

There are some folk tales where humans have dealings with deities or monsters that end or begin on Samhain, but as Hutton concludes:

[T]heir point cannot be proved from the tales themselves; it could just be that several narratives are started, set, or concluded at this feast because it represented an ideal context, being a major gathering of royalty and warriors with time on their hands.

Virtually all of the customs associated with the modern secular celebration of Halloween developed only in the past 500 years and have very few (if any) connections to ancient pagan religious practices.

What’s a Catholic to do? Although it is true that most of the customs practiced on Halloween here in the United States cannot be traced back to ancient pagan religions, this does not mean some of them are not problematic.

I would never have been comfortable with my daughter dressing up as a devil or a witch for Halloween, but I never had a problem allowing her to go trick-or-treating with her friends. Most of the time she wanted to dress as her favorite movie or cartoon character. I use the opportunity every year to tell her about the Catholic origins of Halloween.

My good friend Fr. Amaro Saumell used to open the parish hall on Halloween night and invite the children and their parents to come dressed as their favorite saints. I understand this is popular in many parishes throughout the country, and I think that is great.

As Catholics, the most important thing we need to remember is that Halloween is the vigil before a very important feast day where we honor the saints in heaven who dedicated their lives (and in many cases gave them up) to advance the cause of Christ and his Church.

 

[WarriorAngel]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting!


Samhain was a festival that marked the beginning of winter in Ireland, but the historical evidence does not support the idea that it involved jack-o-lanterns, witches, ghosts, or religious ceremonies. In his book Stations of the Sun, historian Ronald Hutton explains:

[T]he medieval records furnish no evidence that 1 November was a major pan-Celtic festival, and none of religious ceremonies, even where it was observed.

There are some folk tales where humans have dealings with deities or monsters that end or begin on Samhain, but as Hutton concludes:

[T]heir point cannot be proved from the tales themselves; it could just be that several narratives are started, set, or concluded at this feast because it represented an ideal context, being a major gathering of royalty and warriors with time on their hands.

Virtually all of the customs associated with the modern secular celebration of Halloween developed only in the past 500 years and have very few (if any) connections to ancient pagan religious practices.

What’s a Catholic to do? Although it is true that most of the customs practiced on Halloween here in the United States cannot be traced back to ancient pagan religions, this does not mean some of them are not problematic.

I would never have been comfortable with my daughter dressing up as a devil or a witch for Halloween, but I never had a problem allowing her to go trick-or-treating with her friends. Most of the time she wanted to dress as her favorite movie or cartoon character. I use the opportunity every year to tell her about the Catholic origins of Halloween.

My good friend Fr. Amaro Saumell used to open the parish hall on Halloween night and invite the children and their parents to come dressed as their favorite saints. I understand this is popular in many parishes throughout the country, and I think that is great.

As Catholics, the most important thing we need to remember is that Halloween is the vigil before a very important feast day where we honor the saints in heaven who dedicated their lives (and in many cases gave them up) to advance the cause of Christ and his Church.

Todays pagans go on and on about it being about wiccan events and that Catholics tried to take the thunder.


My thing is 'If you're so like the original pagans... how many virgins and teens and children have you sacrificed?'
[I say teen because the teen who was sent to freeze to death on the mountain as a sacrifice and her remains are intact]

 

[Red Gold]

Halloween or Samhain?

Simply put:

Halloween means: the evening before All Saints Day - or All Hallows day (Allerheiligen in German)
You can see the simularity of the languages.
This day has a reference to a Christian holiday.

Samhain is more pagain, as I think.
And what you prabably know: It is not about some Hain of a certain person called Sam.
It is a Sa Mhain.