Why don't some christians like Halloween?

[cj69]

Some christians I know will not go to a party because it has a halloween theme, does anyone know what the origins of Halloween are?

[China Doll]

Halloween started out as a pagan festival which is why some christians aren't so fond of it.

[paulos66]

So did christmas but it never stopped the bstards stealing that
(not the name obviously)

[delboy3]

I think some misguided souls see it as a celebration of evil, rather than the harmless bollox it really is.

[China Doll]

There's lots of arguments about this but there's a book... And me being me I can't remember it but anyway... basically there's an argument regarding christianity and paganism which I think goes along the lines that the reasons there are so many dates mingled with them is that christianity took ideas from paganism. Paganism took ideas from myths and legends... etc, etc...

God is based on such and such who was based on Thor who was based on Zeus.... blady blah... someone please know what I'm talking about! Where's mibs or chakka?!

[Reverandfunk]

basically its a load of old tosh that has in the last ten years has become an excuse for children to become tramps for a day

[China Doll]

The pagan festival of halloween was originally called Sainhaim or something I think. It was observed by celts I believe and is also referred to as All souls in the catholic religion (?). Anyway, I think it was orginally signalling the end of harvest actually so was a celebration.

But I could be massively mistaken!

[legend758duo]

in the states its so bad some christians run jesus camps,.where they teach kids that harry potter is evil.
that he is a wizard.

theyre wanting the kids to become part of an army of jesus.
friiggin nutters

[Octavius]

Nah, we had some wild orgies on our Dies Natalis Solis Invicti party nights! In fact through the whole of Saturnalia - tumultuous days indeed.

And don't get me started on some of the costumes me and my mates Marcus and Sulla to our Feralia parties.

Maybe those Christians you know just don't have a costume to wear?

[VillageVicar]

Whilst I�ve not directly written about Halloween, I have briefly addressed the homogenisation process from Paganism to Christianity in one of the blogs regarding Easter. If it�s of interest I�ll provide a link below. The actual Halloween festival dates back to Celtic days.

http://bigworldsmallboat.blogspot.com/2006/04/ celebrating-easter-twice.html

These amalgamations move between celebration feasts leading to All Souls Day. Several years ago I spent All Souls in the Philippines. It was a lovely transition to spend the day in the cemetery, cleaning stones and �communing� with passed family members as my Philippine hosts invited me to their family picnic there.

Fr Bill

[Quizmonster]

Click for stacks of information. In Scotland and Ireland, there is a long tradition of children dressing up, carrying horrifying 'neepie-lanterns' etc. That idea went to America with the mass migrations of earlier centuries where it became transformed into the appalling 'trick-or-treat' experience which has now returned to Britain to - dare I say it? - 'haunt' us!

[Quizmonster]

Oops...rather overdid the link, I'm afraid!

[Octavius]

Look, to some Christians it is considered abhorrent and dabbling with the occult, devilish behaviour if you like. That�s fine, let them stay at home and peak nervously through the curtains whilst the dark forces play in the dead of night.

For them, I guess, it�s a bit like you refusing to go to Midnight Mass at Christmas when invited.

[cj69]

Thanks for the answers everyone, it seems like the christians tried to hijack another pagan festival, like they did for christmas and easter, maybe they get upset about this one because they failed.

[Octavius]

Errr, no. You complain when they allegedly take a pagan festival, and then complain when they don�t go to a party on a purely pagan festival. If they can�t have it both ways then why should you? Do you even actually know what pagans were? Perhaps you are more Christian than you realise.

[cj69]

Wasn't complaining, just commenting. Though I must admit to some bias, (a dislike of religion in general
I don't realy think I can be more christian than I realise as I don't believe in god at all.

[4GS]

Bet you still take christian holidays tho eh? Christmas and Easter or do you work those?

[cj69]

Take Christmas day but will be inbe work chrismas eve and boxing day, take easter sunday, but only because the god squad insisted on stores over 280 sq metres close on that day when the sunday trading legislation was revised.

[4GS]

Not the triple time pay then?

[cj69]

I should be so lucky, I am on salary so get paid the same whatever time or days i work.

[pinkkitty]

The Pagan/Wiccan festival of Samhain comes from an old celtic word, Samhain (pronounced sa-ween) literally means "summers end"

It's the Pagan "new Year". Wiccan's see the year as a "wheel" which is constantly turning, Samhain is at the end of that wheel, and so the next Sabbat, Yule, is seen as part of "next year's" celebrations. This all dates back from before the time when man had invented the concept of the calendar. Samhain is recognised by Wiccans as an intercalary day - a day when the veil between our world and the world beyond is at its thinnest, and is therefore a great day for divination - tarot readings, seances, scrying etc.

I think that where Christians (or anyone else from any other religion for that matter) have a problem with Samhain is that it's a night where the spirits of those who have passed on are supposedly most likely to be summoned, and in the burning times witches were alleged to be in league with the devil, so samhain was the most "evil" day imaginable.