- Aug 13, 2005
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Well, Halloween is soon to be upon us, and seems to be a popular subject for debate among people of all religious faiths. I'm actually surprised the subject hasn't been opened yet, so I'll be the first.
First and foremost, the all-to-easily forgotten and disregarded origin of what is now known as Halloween. For the purpose of this dialogue, I wish to acknowledge and isolate three different aspects of the term Halloween; the day, its significance, and its related traditions. The description of origin comes from a time before it was known as 'Halloween,' before it was known as 'All Hallows Eve,' and even before it was called 'Samhain' (Gaelic, pronounced "sow'-en"). This was a time before recorded history, so this is only one possible (though, imho, the most likely) accounting, based on available archeological evidence. Much information, such as what a day or season was called, how people viewed the world, etc., has likely been lost to us forever.
It has been said by some extremists that Halloween represents evil, simply because its' "origins are actually Pagan." This is at best, misleading and at worst, prejudicial and ignorant. In this context, "pagan origin" means nothing more than it predates Christianity. In this context, one could say brass is of Pagan origins, jewelry is of Pagan origins, woodworking is of Pagan origins, gardening, horsemanship, sculpture, etc., to name but a few.
THE SIGNIFICANCE
In its origin, many thousands of years ago, the significance of the day we call Halloween came well before it had a name, and before it was associated with any ceremony or celebration. To the ancient farmer, it was simply the day by which crops not yet harvested were to be gathered and stored. It was the day to complete preparations for the impending cold weather. And it was the day that any animals for which there may not be room to care for through the winter would have to be slaughtered. To the ancient farmer, everything going on at this time would seem to be a representation of death. In addition to the harvest and slaughter, excess vegetation was burned rather than leaving it to rot and/or attract rodents, wild animals were dead (few, if any, knew of animal hibernation or migration), trees and foliage were dead (here again, who knew or understood the concept of dormancy?), and the extreme cold of winter was respected for it's lethality far more than the hot weather of summer. Based on what we know of other ancient cultures, it is reasonable to believe that people of this time period probably had beliefs concerning deity, an afterlife, and otherworldly (good v. evil) influences. It is no surprise, given the multitude of "evidence," that the ancient farmer (and eventually a wide range of people) would come to believe that death, and the dead, was close at hand during this time.
THE DAY
For lack of a proper calendar, it's more than likely that this was not exactly the same day each year, at least not at first, and not as we calculate time today. As timekeeping improved, and rudimentary calendars were created, it is reasonable to assume that this day, significant to the farming community, would correlate with a notable interval within the calendar. Thus, this day became the Celtic "Samhain," believed to be beginning of the Celtic new year, and most certainly, the beginning of the winter season.
It was Western Christianity that introduced November 1 as being the holiday of All Hallows Day/All Saints Day, though originally it was celebrated in the spring. Admittedly, the change in date is not altogether inappropriate, as I believe All Saints Day is very much in keeping with the tradition of honoring our ancestors. In any case, this led to October 31 being known as All Hallows Eve, later truncated to 'Halloween.'
THE TRADITIONS
Herein is where some people seem to have the biggest problem with the concept of Halloween and the source of its so-called 'occult' influence. I do concede that there have been some practices throughout history that I would consider 'bad' or 'wrong,' not because they were Satanic, but because they were born of anger, malice, or depraved indifference. There are, however, certain long-standing traditions that are all-too-often misunderstood or intentionally misinterpreted.
Halloween has been influenced by a wide variety of European traditions, from honoring relatives and ancestors that had past to the next world, to the notorious 'mischief night,' celebrated by young children, and MANY variations of these in between. Irish immigrants brought the custom of celebrating Halloween to America in 1840, though I don't believe the term "trick-or-treat" came into use until the early 1940's (Dang, can't find my reference on this).
One tradition I wish to address is the most obvious and popular wearing of masks or costumes. As far back as it can be traced, and as best as any expert has been able to determine, ancient peoples wore masks and such to protect themselves from demons and/or evil spirits. Superstitious, to be sure, but occult or satanic? Hardly. Practices such as saying 'Bless you' to a sneeze, or covering one's mouth during a yawn were originally born of similar superstitions, and while wearing a mask or costume on Halloween probably won't become a matter of politeness, one is still no more or less evil than the other.
Another tradition is the symbols commonly associated with Halloween. Ghosts, skulls, and skeletons are common, of course, in keeping with its theme of honoring the dead. Pumpkins, cornstalks, hay bales, and such are in keeping with the season and, whether intended or not, symbolize the end of the harvest quite nicely. The traditional "Jack-o-lantern," has an origin all it's own (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o'-lantern). Black cats, evil witches, the devil, and other negative images are a fairly contemporary addition to Halloween symbols, introduced by people and groups in an attempt to, for lack of a better term, demonize the holiday and its' celebration. How ironic that this addition made it all the more fun for kids to try to scare the wits out of friends, family, and neighbors, as part of the festivities.
I'm sure everyone has his or her own ideas and thoughts regarding Halloween. Anyone care to share?
Hauntingly yours,
Druweid
First and foremost, the all-to-easily forgotten and disregarded origin of what is now known as Halloween. For the purpose of this dialogue, I wish to acknowledge and isolate three different aspects of the term Halloween; the day, its significance, and its related traditions. The description of origin comes from a time before it was known as 'Halloween,' before it was known as 'All Hallows Eve,' and even before it was called 'Samhain' (Gaelic, pronounced "sow'-en"). This was a time before recorded history, so this is only one possible (though, imho, the most likely) accounting, based on available archeological evidence. Much information, such as what a day or season was called, how people viewed the world, etc., has likely been lost to us forever.
It has been said by some extremists that Halloween represents evil, simply because its' "origins are actually Pagan." This is at best, misleading and at worst, prejudicial and ignorant. In this context, "pagan origin" means nothing more than it predates Christianity. In this context, one could say brass is of Pagan origins, jewelry is of Pagan origins, woodworking is of Pagan origins, gardening, horsemanship, sculpture, etc., to name but a few.
THE SIGNIFICANCE
In its origin, many thousands of years ago, the significance of the day we call Halloween came well before it had a name, and before it was associated with any ceremony or celebration. To the ancient farmer, it was simply the day by which crops not yet harvested were to be gathered and stored. It was the day to complete preparations for the impending cold weather. And it was the day that any animals for which there may not be room to care for through the winter would have to be slaughtered. To the ancient farmer, everything going on at this time would seem to be a representation of death. In addition to the harvest and slaughter, excess vegetation was burned rather than leaving it to rot and/or attract rodents, wild animals were dead (few, if any, knew of animal hibernation or migration), trees and foliage were dead (here again, who knew or understood the concept of dormancy?), and the extreme cold of winter was respected for it's lethality far more than the hot weather of summer. Based on what we know of other ancient cultures, it is reasonable to believe that people of this time period probably had beliefs concerning deity, an afterlife, and otherworldly (good v. evil) influences. It is no surprise, given the multitude of "evidence," that the ancient farmer (and eventually a wide range of people) would come to believe that death, and the dead, was close at hand during this time.
THE DAY
For lack of a proper calendar, it's more than likely that this was not exactly the same day each year, at least not at first, and not as we calculate time today. As timekeeping improved, and rudimentary calendars were created, it is reasonable to assume that this day, significant to the farming community, would correlate with a notable interval within the calendar. Thus, this day became the Celtic "Samhain," believed to be beginning of the Celtic new year, and most certainly, the beginning of the winter season.
It was Western Christianity that introduced November 1 as being the holiday of All Hallows Day/All Saints Day, though originally it was celebrated in the spring. Admittedly, the change in date is not altogether inappropriate, as I believe All Saints Day is very much in keeping with the tradition of honoring our ancestors. In any case, this led to October 31 being known as All Hallows Eve, later truncated to 'Halloween.'
THE TRADITIONS
Herein is where some people seem to have the biggest problem with the concept of Halloween and the source of its so-called 'occult' influence. I do concede that there have been some practices throughout history that I would consider 'bad' or 'wrong,' not because they were Satanic, but because they were born of anger, malice, or depraved indifference. There are, however, certain long-standing traditions that are all-too-often misunderstood or intentionally misinterpreted.
Halloween has been influenced by a wide variety of European traditions, from honoring relatives and ancestors that had past to the next world, to the notorious 'mischief night,' celebrated by young children, and MANY variations of these in between. Irish immigrants brought the custom of celebrating Halloween to America in 1840, though I don't believe the term "trick-or-treat" came into use until the early 1940's (Dang, can't find my reference on this).
One tradition I wish to address is the most obvious and popular wearing of masks or costumes. As far back as it can be traced, and as best as any expert has been able to determine, ancient peoples wore masks and such to protect themselves from demons and/or evil spirits. Superstitious, to be sure, but occult or satanic? Hardly. Practices such as saying 'Bless you' to a sneeze, or covering one's mouth during a yawn were originally born of similar superstitions, and while wearing a mask or costume on Halloween probably won't become a matter of politeness, one is still no more or less evil than the other.
Another tradition is the symbols commonly associated with Halloween. Ghosts, skulls, and skeletons are common, of course, in keeping with its theme of honoring the dead. Pumpkins, cornstalks, hay bales, and such are in keeping with the season and, whether intended or not, symbolize the end of the harvest quite nicely. The traditional "Jack-o-lantern," has an origin all it's own (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o'-lantern). Black cats, evil witches, the devil, and other negative images are a fairly contemporary addition to Halloween symbols, introduced by people and groups in an attempt to, for lack of a better term, demonize the holiday and its' celebration. How ironic that this addition made it all the more fun for kids to try to scare the wits out of friends, family, and neighbors, as part of the festivities.
I'm sure everyone has his or her own ideas and thoughts regarding Halloween. Anyone care to share?
Hauntingly yours,
Druweid
