What is the day after Halloween called? | Reference.com What is the day after Halloween called? A: Quick Answer The day after Halloween is called All Saints Day. Celebrated on Nov. 1 each year, it is a Christian day of solemnity that is also referred to as Solemnity of All Saints, All Hallows or Hallowmas. Full Answer In Western Christian religions, All Saints Day commemorates all saints. The Roman Catholic religion views All Saints Day as a Holy Day of Obligation, which means that attendance at mass is required. Protestants who observe All Saints Day use it to remember all Christians, both past and present. In addition to remembering all saints on this occasion, Methodists also use this day to remember the deceased members of their local congregations. The names of those who have died during the preceding year may be read aloud and affixed to a plaque. Origins of Halloween and the Day of the Dead | EDSITEment Origins of Halloween and the Day of the Dead 'Tis night for revel, set apart To reillume the darkened heart, And rout the hosts of Dole.

'Tis night when Goblin, Elf, and Fay, Come dancing in their best array To prank and royster on the way, And ease the troubled soul. The ghosts of all things, past parade, Emerging from the mist and shade That hid them from our gaze, And full of song and ringing mirth, In one glad moment of rebirth, Again they walk the ways of earth, As in the ancient days … —J.K. Bangs, Harper's Weekly, Nov. 5, 1910. Each year on October 31st, as the ghosts and goblins of Halloween parade the streets and doorsteps of our neighborhoods, we re-enact remnants of ancient folk customs that pay homage to departed ancestors as well as to the souls of our loved ones who have died. These annual revivals of ancient rituals form the basis of our contemporary American festival. Halloween has traditionally been associated in America with dressing up in costume and with consuming sweets; however, the roots of the holiday lie in late autumn harvest rituals that correspond to natural, seasonal changes and that are expressed in commemorations of the dying year.

During this period of transition, cultures across the world remember those who have passed on by drawing an analogy between human death and the dark, cold winter months that loom ahead. While trick or treating in princess and hobo costumes, carving jack-o-lanterns and telling spooky ghost stories like Washington Irving’s tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow are traditional hallmarks of the American holiday, other cultures experience their festivals of the dead in very different forms. This EDSITEment feature can be used with students as a framework for discussing the origins and history of the Halloween festival and introducing them to the Mexican festival, the Day of the Dead (el Día de Muertos), recognizing the common elements shared these festivals of the dead as well as the acknowledging the differences between them. Here are several guiding questions you might pose to your students: Why are the Halloween and el Día de Muertos festivals held at the end of the agricultural year in conjunction with the autumn harvest? Do the Halloween traditions practiced in America today continue to carry any of their more ancient meanings or historical significance? Why might the making and offering of special foods be an important part of festivals dedicated to the dead in America as well as Mexico ?

Origins of Halloween The origin of our Western holiday known as Halloween is found in the ancient Celtic festival, Samhain (pronounced SOW-in). From present-day Ireland to the United Kingdom to Bretagne (Brittany), France, the ancient Celts marked this as one of their four most important festival quarter days of the year. Samhain commenced on the eve of October 31st, and ushered in the Celtic New Year on November 1st. The Celts experienced this as a liminal (threshold) period when the normally strict boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead became mutable. On the eve of Samhain, they believed the veil between the two realms was the most transparent, allowing the spirits of those who have died to return to visit earth. The timing of this festival coincides with an important period in the natural calendar, one to which all cultures adhered until fairly recently. It is the time of the final harvests of the year, when animals stockpile stores of food for the winter months ahead, the sun sets earlier and rises later, and the trees shed their leaves.

With the end of harvesting season, the entire natural world moves into its annual dormant state of hibernation, essentially “dying” until its annual rebirth the following spring. After the Roman conquest of much of the Celts’ lands in France and England, Samhain was affected by the advent and subsequent spread of Christianity. The Church attempted to subsume the festival under the celebration of martyrs and saints, which was established on the ancient Celtic new year — November 1st — and recast it as All Saints Day (with the following day, November 2nd as All Soul’s Day). This festival was called All-Hallows, while the evening before was called All-hallows-eve — later becoming, by contraction, our present-day “Halloween.” The many traditions associated with the contemporary American holiday, including dressing up in costume, holding parades, playing scary pranks and tricks on one another, bobbing for apples, and lighting bonfires are holdovers from the Celtic Samhain festival as outlined in The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows from the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center .

Our most popular custom of dressing up on Halloween emanates from the Celtic belief that the ghosts of the departed along with the fairy folk would be abroad roaming the fields and roads near their homes on this night. Fearful of encountering these otherworldly beings on their way to and from the celebrations, they began to wear masks and other ghostly gear in order to fool the spirits into believing they, too, were of the spirit world. Your students may trace how this holiday has evolved in America from the 19th century into the 21st century. Take a historical look back at Halloween through primary sources available at the Library of Congress (i.e., FSA photographs of children celebrating Halloween from the 1930s, to descriptions of Halloween festivities by Americans early in the 20th century.) Additional examples can be found in historical newspaper accounts, “ Superstitions and Celebrations: Halloween History in Chronicling America, ” which relate old world folklore and divination customs once commonly practiced in America. Ancient Celts in Europe and contemporary Americans are by no means the only people with long histories of acknowledging the close of the harvest season by honoring ancestors, hanging ghostly décor, and donning ghoulish apparel.

Students will find commonalities within the seasonal festivals of the dead from cultures celebrating Halloween Around the World and explore the origins of our practices in the History of Halloween . The tradition of leaving food on doorsteps on All-hallows-eve in many parts of Europe in the hopes that it might prevent wandering spirits and fairies from entering the house and placate them evolved into the practice of trick or treating. Such offerings of food for the spirits forms an integral part of many fall festivals of the dead around the world, such as the Day of the Dead, el Día de Muertos, in Mexico highlighted here. Mexico -- El Día de Muertos Yo, Netzahualcóyotl, lo pregunto. even quetzal plumes will tear. One does not live forever on this earth: only for an instant do we endure.

—Netzahualcóyotl, Aztec warrior, architect, poet and ruler of Texcoco (1402-1472) El Día de Muertos , or the Mexican Day of the Dead Festival, shares similarities with Halloween, including some similar practices, from decorating with pictures of skeletons, to ghoulishly shaped sweets, like the famous pan de muertos (bread of the dead) or the sugar calaveras (skulls). But el Día de Muertos, which may be one of Mexico’s best-known holidays, consists also of a blending of European traditions brought by the invading Spanish conquistadores and the indigenous traditions of the peoples of Mesoamerica. The Aztec Festival of the Dead was originally a two-month celebration during which the fall harvest was celebrated, and figures of “death” were personified as well as honored. The festival was presided over by Mictecacíhuatl, Goddess of the Dead and the Underworld, also known to the Aztecs as Mictlán.

In the pre-Columbian belief system, Mictlán was not dark or macabre, but rather a peaceful realm where souls rested until the days of visiting the living, or los Días de los Muertos, arrived. Over the course of the festivities, participants place offerings for the dead in front of homemade altars, including special foods, traditional flowers, candles, photographs, and other offerings. Pre-Hispanic cultures believed that during these days of the year the souls of the departed would return to the realm of the living, where they could visit their loved ones. With the arrival of the Spanish and Christianity, the new rulers of Mexico attempted to marshal the celebrations dedicated to the dead under the auspices of All Saints Day (November 1st), and All Souls Day (November 2nd). The dates of these two Catholic holidays are now celebrated in Mexico as los Días de los Muertos . November 1st is a day to remember the children who died before experiencing the joys and sorrows of adulthood. Church bells toll in towns across Mexico early in the morning, to call on the souls of deceased children, or angelitos (little angels), to visit their living loved ones early in the day.

In the evening of November 2nd, the more involved celebration begins, to welcome the visit of deceased adults. The celebration includes an invitation for the dead to return to their family home for a visit. Families welcome them back by placing photographs of their deceased loved ones on altars, and may even write and dedicate poems to them. The celebration includes offerings of cempasúchil flowers , drinks and food for the deceased placed alongside their photographs and poems. Another traditional practice is the making of the bread of the dead and the sugar, colorful calaveras (skulls), decorated and labeled with names of people (living or dead). To illustrate this somewhat playful tradition students can view this video (in Spanish, accessible to English-speakers also), Las calaveras están de fiesta (Skulls Having a Party) from the EDSITEment-reviewed site, Mis Cositas , which shows the skulls or skeletons engaged in everyday life in a wide variety of professions. The ritual has special significance for those who have lost a loved one during the previous year, since the festival provides a way of coming to terms with their departure.

Extended families will often gather in cemeteries on the eve of November 2nd, el Día de los Muertos, and congregate at the gravesite of a deceased loved one to hold a commemorative feast. The family may keep a night-long vigil by eating the foods they have made in preparation for the celebration, visiting with each other, and praying for all the members of the extended family, both living and dead. Students can actually witness this celebration in honor of the dead via this highly visual video (in Spanish) from Mis Cositas , which explores in depth the preparations for this important day in Mexican culture. The creation of the altar is an integral part of the celebration, with many of the ceremonial objects and familiar signature items of Mexican culture to many outside of the country. Altars are often decorated with flowers, whose brief life span is meant to be a reminder of the brevity of life and whose bright, earthly colors are believed to be a guide for the dead back to their loved ones. Brightly colored and intricately cut tissue paper decorates the altar, waving like multi-colored flags. Offerings of sweets, fruits, and other foods are joined by the staples of bread, salt, and water.

Grooming supplies, such as a washbasin and soap, may be provided for the spirits to tidy themselves up after their long journey. Personal possessions of deceased relatives are placed on an altar. Finally, the well-known calaveras that take their place on the altar are representations of skeletons participating in the activities of the living, like cooking, dancing, or even playing in mariachi bands. This somewhat lighthearted treatment of death is characteristic of the remaining Pre-Columbian spirit of this celebration. Additional material on el Día de los Muertos can be accessed through a number of EDSITEment-reviewed websites. National Geographic offers a pictorial spread on the celebration including questions, fast facts and vocabulary. This holiday is the subject of an ongoing exhibit at Harvard’s Peabody Museum that includes lesson plans , a fact sheet and brochures in English and Spanish . ArtsEdge provides a lesson, Tolerance: Comparing Cultural Holidays , that has students compare our Halloween holiday to the Mexican one, el Día de los Muertos by looking at traditions, music and visual art.

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s Latino Center Theater of the Dead provides an interactive experience that includes engaging lesson plans for early elementary school with Spanish vocabulary, el Día de los Muertos: Celebrating and Remembering , and for middle school, el Día de los Muertos: a Community Celebration . El Día de los Muertos is celebrated not only in Mexico, but also in neighboring countries all across Latin America, as well as in the United States. Students may be interested to learn how the festival is celebrated in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, California. The Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, Texas, sponsors community altar creations along with an annual "Viva la Vida Festival." The museum offers a comprehensive Day of the Dead Educational Activity Guide sponsored by Humanities Texas with valuable cultural background and ideas for art projects to use in classroom celebrations. Indeed, artists in cities across the United States have found innovative ways to express themselves during Día de los Muertos. Fort Lauderdale, Florida, organizes an annual Skeleton Processional in a community street festival with artists and dancers.

The SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco, California, hosts an annual Day of the Dead exhibition where artists are invited to install unique altars and expand into other forms of creation. The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago holds a Día de Los Muertos Ball along with a number of other festive offerings. Sugar skull art is an expressive medium to preserve the traditions of this holiday. Halloween in the United States Halloween in the United States Many Americans celebrate Halloween on October 31. Celebrations include costume parties and trick-or-treating. Group of children Trick or Treating during Halloween. Trick-or-treating is part of the Halloween fun. ©iStockphoto.com/ sjlocke What Do People Do? Halloween is usually celebrated amongst family, friends and, sometimes, co-workers. However, some areas hold large community events. Parties and other events may be planned on October 31 or in the weekends before and after this date. Adults may celebrate by watching horror films, holding costume parties or creating haunted houses or graveyards. Many children dress up in fancy costumes and visit other homes in the neighborhood. At each house, they demand sweets, snacks or a small gift.

If they do not get this, they threaten to do some harm to the inhabitants of the house. This is known as playing 'trick-or-treat' and is supposed to happen in a friendly spirit, with no nasty or mean tricks being carried out. However, if your children take part, it is important to accompany them and to check their 'treats' to make sure they are safe to eat or play with. Some families carve lanterns with 'scary' faces out of pumpkins or other vegetables or decorate their homes and gardens in Halloween style. These were traditionally intended to ward off evil spirits. If you are at home on Halloween, it is a good idea to have a bowl of small presents or sweets to offer to anyone who knocks on your door. This will help you to please the little spirits in your neighborhood! One cause that ties with Halloween is collecting donations for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). As children trick-or-treat on Halloween night, some of them might carry small cardboard boxes with the UNICEF logo on them and collect coins instead of the usual candy. The money collected is then given to UNICEF and used to help needy children worldwide. Public Life Halloween is not an official holiday.

Government offices and businesses are open as usual and public transit services run on regular schedules. If you drive around in late afternoon or evening, it is important to keep a careful lookout for children who are unaccustomed to being out on the street after dark. If they are wearing dark costumes or masks, they may be less easy to see than normal. They may also be excited and dart out unexpectedly from between vehicles or behind bushes. Background Halloween originated as a pagan festival in parts of Northern Europe, particularly around what is now the United Kingdom. Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is a time when magic is most potent and spirits can make contact with the physical world. In Christian times, it became a celebration of the evening before All Saints’ Day . Immigrants from Scotland and Ireland brought the holiday to the United States. The commercialization of Halloween started in the 1900s, when postcards and die-cut paper decorations were produced. Halloween costumes started to appear in stores in the 1930s and the custom of 'trick-or-treat' appeared in the 1950s. The types of products available in Halloween style increased with time.

Now Halloween is a very profitable holiday for the manufacturers of costumes, yard decorations and candy. Symbols There are various symbols associated with Halloween. These include the spooks, ghosts and walking skeletons that represent the contact between the spiritual and physical world and between the living and the dead. Human figures that are often represented on Halloween are witches and wizards, who are seen to have the power to contact the spirit world. Bats, black cats and spiders are often connected with this holiday. These animals are associated with the night and darkness and often accompany witches and wizards. There are also a range of objects associated with Halloween. These include blood, fire, gravestones, pumpkins, bones and skulls. They all have connections with death, the spirit world or protecting property from evil spirits. Many of these objects are now available in stores as decorations for the Halloween season. Where Did Halloween Come From Where Did Halloween Come From? Do you know that Halloween was introduced into the professing Christian world centuries after the death of the Apostles, yet it was celebrated by the pagans centuries before the New Testament Church was founded! How did Halloween come to America?

Here is the intriguing answer from history: ï¿½The American celebration rests upon Scottish and Irish folk customs WHICH CAN BE TRACED IN DIRECT LINE FROM PRE-CHRISTIAN TIMESï¿½ ï¿½ from paganism! ï¿½Although Halloween has become a night of rollicking fun, superstitious spells, and eerie games which people take only half seriously, its beginnings were quite otherwise. The earliest Halloween celebrations were heldï¿½ ï¿½ not by the inspired early Church, but ï¿½ ï¿½by the Druids in honor of Samhain, Lord of the Dead, whose festival fell on November 1.ï¿½ (From Halloween Through Twenty Centuries, by Ralph Linton, p. 4.) Far from being Christian, this festival is an old pagan holiday, masquerading as though it was one of the customs of the Church. And yet professing Christians allow their children to get into the spirit of this pagan custom! The Encyclopedia Americana states about Halloween that it ï¿½is clearly a relic of pagan times.ï¿½ Now notice what the authoritative Encyclopaedia Britannica says about Halloween: ï¿½It long antedates Christianity.

The two chief characteristics of ancient Halloween were the lighting of bonfires and the belief that this is the one night in the year during which ghosts and witches are most likely to wander about. History shows that the main celebrations of Halloween were purely Druidicalï¿½ ï¿½ from the pagan Druids of Northwest Europe ï¿½ ï¿½and this is further proved by the fact that in parts of Ireland October 31 is still known as OIDHCH SHAMHNA, ï¿½Vigil of Saman.ï¿½ ï¿½ Saman or Samhain was the pagan lord of the dead among the Druids. So Halloween was celebrated among the pagans long before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This pagan holiday, however, was not celebrated alone among the Druids. It was also a Roman festival! The Britannica continues: ï¿½On the Druidic ceremonies were grafted some of the characteristics of the Roman festival in honour of Pomona held about November 1, in which nuts and apples, representing the winter store of fruits, played an important part.ï¿½ Notice the widespread pagan custom to celebrate this season of the year.

Why Halloween Was Celebrated Now comes the shocking truth from history as to why this holiday was celebrated! Here are the plain facts as written in THE BOOK OF HALLOWEEN, on page 10, by Ruth Kelley: The pagan Druid priests ï¿½taught the immortality of the soul, that it passed from one body to another at death . . . .ï¿½ They believed that on the last night of the old year (October 31) the lord of death gathered together the souls of all those who had died in the passing year and had been condemned to live in the bodies of animals, to decree what forms they should inhabit for the next twelve months. He could be coaxed to give lighter sentence by gifts and prayers.ï¿½ ï¿½On the New Year, their sins being expiated, they were released to go to the Druid Heaven.ï¿½ (From Halloween Through Twenty Centuries, p. 5). Halloween was celebrated to preserve in the minds of the people the false doctrine of the immortality of the soul ï¿½ that the dead are not really dead.

Almost all heathen nations had days in honor of the dead ï¿½ days originally instituted to commemorate the death of Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10) whom Semiramis, his wife, said was still alive. Now let us understand the meaning of the word ï¿½Halloween.ï¿½ It is the eve of Allhallows or Hallowmas or All Saintsï¿½ Day ï¿½ and as such it is one of the most solemn festivals of the [Catholic] church.ï¿½ (From page 3 of Lintonï¿½s Halloween Through Twenty Centuries.) Halloween is the evening of Allhallows or All Saintsï¿½ Day, which falls on November 1. Since in ancient times, the days were customarily reckoned as beginning at sunset, Halloween was merely the evening celebration in anticipation of the great day of November 1, dedicated to the lord of the dead! Who Was the ï¿½Lord of the Deadï¿½? You will remember that shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus was questioned by the Sadduces about the resurrection.

In order to prove that there would be a resurrection from the dead, Jesus told them: ï¿½But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living,ï¿½ Matthew 22:31-32. Notice the meaning of Jesusï¿½ answer. Since the patriarches are DEAD, and since God is ONLY the God of the living ï¿½ because the DEAD serve not the Lord (Psalms 6:5, 115:17) ï¿½ then there must be a resurrection of the DEAD in order that they might live again and that God might be their God.

To make the resurrection possible, ï¿½Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living,ï¿½ Romans 14:9.ï¿½ Observe that Jesus became the lord or master of the dead because through His resurrection He gained the keys of the grave and death (Revelation 1:18) and will resurrect the dead so they may live to serve Him.ï¿½ But from whom did Jesus gain these keys?ï¿½ Who had prior mastery over the dead? Paul, in the book of Hebrews, speaks of ï¿½him that had the power of death, that is the devil,ï¿½ Hebrews 2:14.ï¿½ So the devil, Satan, was lord or master of the dead! Among the heathen Druids, Samhain or Saman, the lord of the dead, was Satan! To this day people still celebrate with frolicking fun a wild night in honor of the devil! Paul says that the heathen who thought they were worshipping the true God were actually serving demons (Gal. 4:8). Young people today who set fires on Halloween are not serving God.

But if Halloween is merely the evening in honor of the devil, how did the day ï¿½ called Allhallows or All Saintsï¿½ Day ï¿½ come to be celebrated in the professing Christian Church? The Origin of All Saintsï¿½ Day The first of November, celebrated among the pagans in honor of Samhain ï¿½ Satan ï¿½ is today celebrated in hundreds of churches ï¿½to honor all the saints, known and unknown, and according to [pope] Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithfulï¿½s celebration of saintsï¿½ feasts during the year,ï¿½ (Catholic Encyclopedia). How did the veneration of saints, supposedly alive in heaven, come to be celebrated on a day in honor of the devil? ï¿½. . . The Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all.ï¿½ Notice, what once was a memorial for each martyr on different days became a general day in honor of the dead who were believed to be alive in heaven. ï¿½Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the basilica of St.

Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary on November 1 . . . . Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church. The vigil (Halloween) seems to have been held as early as the feast itself.ï¿½ Notice that the celebration of Halloween, the eve of the day, is as old as the celebration of All Saintsï¿½ Day in the Catholic Church. On page 6 of his book, Ralph Linton says of this holiday, ï¿½All Saintsï¿½ Day was introduced into the church calendar because the year was not long enough to make it possible to dedicate a special day for each spirit of the Catholic Church . . . .ï¿½ That the day chosen was one already associated in the popular mind with a thronging of spirits of the dead which was quite in line with church policy of incorporating harmless pagan folk ideas.ï¿½ Protestants continued the celebration of Halloween partly ï¿½since it was on this day, in 1517, that Martin Luther posted his epoch-making ninety-five theses on the door of the castle church at Wittenbergï¿½ which started the Protestant Reformation.

ï¿½He chose Halloween night because he knew that the townsfolk . . . would be coming to the church that night.ï¿½ (Halloween, pp. 9-10.) Origin of ï¿½Trick or Treatï¿½ Do you know where the common Halloween prank of children knocking on doors and shouting ï¿½trick or treatï¿½ originated? Linton says: ï¿½. . . certainly it comes from pagan times.ï¿½ In Ireland up to the turn of the century, it was customary to have a procession ï¿½led by a man in a white robe wearing a horse-head mask.ï¿½ (ï¿½The horse was sacred to the Sun God,ï¿½ says Linton, ï¿½which indicated that this custom was a survival of a Druidï¿½ rite.ï¿½) The procession levied a contribution from the farmers in the perverted name of what probably was an old Druid god. Unless the procession was ï¿½treated liberally with gifts, the farmers were ï¿½trickedï¿½ with the threat of a curse that would ruin next yearï¿½s crops!

This traditional custom of having processions at Halloween is further derived from another unusual practice. Wealthy churches during the Middle Ages, copying the ancient Greek and Roman religious processions, paraded the relics of patron saints. The poorer parishes could not afford to buy relics so they used caricatures of their patron saints. ï¿½Those who were not playing the parts of the holy ones also wanted to get into the procession and so dressed up as angels or devils. The Allhallows procession around the churchyard eventually became a gay and motley parade (from page 103 of Halloween Through Twenty Centuries). The present day ï¿½trick or treatï¿½ is but a continuation of these degenerate and absurd customs which came out of paganism and have been labeled with Christian names. Is it any wonder that children and adults wantonly damage private property ï¿½ on a day originally dedicated to Satan, the Destroyer? Halloween History Halloween History The tangled origins of the October 31 holiday by Shmuel Ross The Truth About Dracula Halloween is known and loved today as a time to wear costumes, go door to door asking for candy, and watch monster movies.

But the holiday's origins go back centuries to the enactment of All Saints' Day , a Christian holiday. Along the way, it has also picked up traditions from Samhain, a Celtic festival celebrating the start of winter. All Saints' Day The name "Halloween" began as "All Hallows Eve." This became "All Hallow E'en," leading to "Hallowe'en," or Halloween. It was the evening before All Hallows Day, which was later called All Saints' Day. (In this case, "hallows" meant "saints.") All Saints' Day, a feast for all martyrs and saints, was celebrated on November 1st for the first time during the 8th century, but customs varied regarding its observance. This date was officially established for all Catholic churches in 837 by Pope Gregory IV. Starting in the 10th century, this feast was the eve of All Souls' Day , which soon came to overshadow it. All Souls' Day Taking place on November 2, All Souls' Day was a day of prayer for the dead. It was believed that the prayers of those still living could comfort dead souls, or elevate them from Purgatory .

The observances began the previous evening with prayers and the ringing of church bells. When England moved from Catholicism to Protestantism , the All Souls' Day bell-ringing was prohibited and no official services were conducted. Individuals and groups continued to find ways of observing the day, perhaps out of a feeling of obligation to their dead loved ones; reports dating to the 16th century refer to people praying in the fields by the light of torches or bonfires. Another observance involved "soul cakes." These (and alms ) were given to the poor, in return for which the poor would offer a prayer for the dead. The poor and their children in some areas would go "souling," going to the homes of the wealthy and asking for soul cakes, fruit, and alms, a practice mentioned by Shakespeare in The Two Gentlemen of Verona . ("You have learned...

to speak puling [whiningly], like a beggar at Hallowmas.") Samhain November 1st also marks an ancient Celtic festival named Samhain (pronounced sah-win), or "summer's end." While little is known for certain about its original observances, it appears to have been a pagan calendar feast on the opposite side of the year from Beltane . (Some otherwise reputable sources claim that Samhain is the name for a Celtic god of the dead. This is unquestionably false.) There has been much speculation about the relationship between the Halloween–All Saints–All Souls holidays and Samhain. Some believe that the Christian observances were deliberately moved to November in order to take over the pagan holiday. There is, however, no evidence for this. Others suggest that the pagan celebration may have gained its associations with the dead from the Christian holidays, but this is also speculation at best. Midway Through Autumn A more likely explanation may be that the turn of autumn—with the harvest finished, the days getting colder, the nights getting longer, and everybody getting ready to face the winter—naturally leads to thoughts of death and the unknowable.

Much as many different cultures mark the start of spring with light-hearted holidays and celebrations of fertility and renewal , autumn may attract holidays in which people focus on the other side of the life cycle. On the other hand, it hardly matters whether the Christian and pagan holidays were originally related to one another; the two have been intermingled in the popular imagination for a long time. Coming to America The modern observances of Halloween are more recent than one might expect. The holiday had a rebirth in North America between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, probably through an influx of Irish immigrants. They brought with them traditions that combined features of the Celtic and Christian holidays, and celebrated with feasting, divinations, and mischief making. Jack-o'-lanterns and trick-or-treating in costume both became Halloween fixtures in North America, and have since been exported back to Europe. For more on modern Halloween observances, see Halloween Traditions . Backlash There has been a backlash against Halloween by several groups in recent years.

Some Christians object to its allegedly pagan origins, or to what they see as its celebration of witches and other "evil powers." Some neo-pagans object to the alleged Christian takeover of their holiday, or to what they see as a distorted, negative view of witches and magic. And some simply don't think it's safe for children to go out after dark taking candy from strangers. (The last of those groups often proposes safer celebrations.) Still, as long as there are cold autumn nights, a steady supply of candy corn, and radio stations to play "The Monster Mash," there seems no danger of Halloween going away. More Halloween Tricks and Treats Did you know? Surprise: Halloween's Not a Pagan Festival After All - Beliefnet Beliefnet Sign up for our free newsletters and special offers! Just enter your email below. Inspiration Delivering you the best in inspirational articles, life stories, quotes and more. Bible Reading Receive a Daily Measure of God's Word and guidance straight to your inbox. Angel Wisdom Let angels be your guide with help from this inspiring and thought-provoking newsletter. Entertainment Surprise: Halloween's Not a Pagan Festival<br>After All The holiday and its customs are completely Christian, and some are uniquely American.

Excerpted from Catholic Parent magazine in 2000. We’ve all heard the allegations: Halloween is a pagan rite dating back to some pre-Christian festival among the Celtic Druids that escaped church suppression. Even today modern pagans and witches continue to celebrate this ancient festival. If you let your kids go trick-or-treating, they will be worshiping the devil and pagan gods. Nothing could be further from the truth. The origins of Halloween are, in fact, very Christian and rather American. Halloween falls on October 31 because of a pope, and its observances are the result of medieval Catholic piety. It’s true that the ancient Celts of Ireland and Britain celebrated a minor festival on October 31--as they did on the last day of most other months of the year. However, Halloween falls on the last day of October because the Feast of All Saints, or "All Hallows," falls on November 1. The feast in honor of all the saints in heaven used to be celebrated on May 13, but Pope Gregory III (d. 741) moved it to November 1, the dedication day of All Saints Chapel in St. Peter’s at Rome.

Later, in the 840s, Pope Gregory IV commanded that All Saints be observed everywhere. And so the holy day spread to Ireland. The day before was the feast’s evening vigil, "All Hallows Even," or "Hallowe’en." In those days Halloween didn’t have any special significance for Christians or for long-dead Celtic pagans. In 998, St. Odilo, the abbot of the powerful monastery of Cluny in southern France, added a celebration on November 2. This was a day of prayer for the souls of all the faithful departed. This feast, called All Souls Day, spread from France to the rest of Europe. So now the Church had feasts for all those in heaven and all those in purgatory. What about those in the other place? It seems Irish Catholic peasants wondered about the unfortunate souls in hell. After all, if the souls in hell are left out when we celebrate those in heaven and purgatory, they might be unhappy enough to cause trouble. So it became customary to bang pots and pans on All Hallows Even to let the damned know they were not forgotten.

Thus, in Ireland at least, all the dead came to be remembered--even if the clergy were not terribly sympathetic to Halloween and never allowed All Damned Day into the church calendar. But that still isn’t our celebration of Halloween. Our traditions on this holiday center on dressing up in fanciful costumes, which isn’t Irish at all. Rather, this custom arose in France during the 14th and 15th centuries. Late medieval Europe was hit by repeated outbreaks of the bubonic plague--the Black Death--and it lost about half its population. It is not surprising that Catholics became more concerned about the afterlife.More Masses were said on All Souls Day, and artistic representations were devised to remind everyone of their own mortality. We know these representations as the danse macabre, or "dance of death," which was commonly painted on the walls of cemeteries and shows the devil leading a daisy chain of people--popes, kings, ladies, knights, monks, peasants, lepers, etc.--into the tomb. Sometimes the dance was presented on All Souls Day itself as a living tableau with people dressed up in the garb of various states of life.

But the French dressed up on All Souls, not Halloween; and the Irish, who had Halloween, did not dress up. How the two became mingled probably happened first in the British colonies of North America during the 1700s, when Irish and French Catholics began to intermarry. The Irish focus on hell gave the French masquerades an even more macabre twist. But as every young ghoul knows, dressing up isn’t the point; the point is getting as many goodies as possible. Where on earth did "trick or treat" come in? "Treat or treat" is perhaps the oddest and most American addition to Halloween and is the unwilling contribution of English Catholics. During the penal period of the 1500s to the 1700s in England, Catholics had no legal rights. They could not hold office and were subject to fines, jail and heavy taxes. It was a capital offense to say Mass, and hundreds of priests were martyred. Occasionally, English Catholics resisted, sometimes foolishly. One of the most foolish acts of resistance was a plot to blow up the Protestant King James I and his Parliament with gunpowder. This was supposed to trigger a Catholic uprising against the oppressors.

The ill-conceived Gunpowder Plot was foiled on November 5, 1605, when the man guarding the gunpowder, a reckless convert named Guy Fawkes, was captured and arrested. He was hanged; the plot fizzled. November 5, Guy Fawkes Day, became a great celebration in England, and so it remains. During the penal periods, bands of revelers would put on masks and visit local Catholics in the dead of night, demanding beer and cakes for their celebration: trick or treat! History of Halloween - Halloween - HISTORY.com History of Halloween A+E Networks Introduction Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween.

Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats. Google Ancient Origins of Halloween 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. Did You Know? One quarter of all the candy sold annually in the U.S. is purchased for Halloween. 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 43 A.D., the Roman Empire 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 . On May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome in honor of all Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day was established in the Western church. Pope Gregory III (731–741) later expanded the festival to include all saints as well as all martyrs, and moved the observance from May 13 to November 1. By the 9th century the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands, where it gradually blended with and supplanted the older Celtic rites. In 1000 A.D., the church would make November 2 All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the dead. It is widely believed today that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. All Souls Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils.

The All Saints Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before it, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Halloween Comes to America Celebration of Halloween was extremely limited in colonial New England because of the rigid Protestant belief systems there. Halloween was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups as well as the American Indians meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included “play parties,” public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country. In the second half of the nineteenth century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland’s potato famine of 1846, helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally.

Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition. Young women believed that on Halloween they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings or mirrors. In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about ghosts, pranks and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything “frightening” or “grotesque” out of Halloween celebrations. Because of these efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century. By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment.

Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday. Today’s Halloween Traditions The American Halloween tradition of “trick-or-treating” probably dates back to the early All Souls’ Day parades in England.

During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called “soul cakes” in return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as “going a-souling” was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money. The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.

Halloween Superstitions Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. It began as a Celtic end-of-summer festival during which people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends. For these friendly spirits, they set places at the dinner table, left treats on doorsteps and along the side of the road and lit candles to help loved ones find their way back to the spirit world. Today’s Halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent, and our customs and superstitions are scarier too. We avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring us bad luck. This idea has its roots in the Middle Ages , when many people believed that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into cats. We try not to walk under ladders for the same reason. This superstition may have come from the ancient Egyptians, who believed that triangles were sacred; it also may have something to do with the fact that walking under a leaning ladder tends to be fairly unsafe. And around Halloween, especially, we try to avoid breaking mirrors, stepping on cracks in the road or spilling salt. But what about the Halloween traditions and beliefs that today’s trick-or-treaters have forgotten all about?

Many of these obsolete rituals focused on the future instead of the past and the living instead of the dead. In particular, many had to do with helping young women identify their future husbands and reassuring them that they would someday—with luck, by next Halloween—be married. In 18th-century Ireland, a matchmaking cook might bury a ring in her mashed potatoes on Halloween night, hoping to bring true love to the diner who found it. In Scotland, fortune-tellers recommended that an eligible young woman name a hazelnut for each of her suitors and then toss the nuts into the fireplace. The nut that burned to ashes rather than popping or exploding, the story went, represented the girl’s future husband. (In some versions of this legend, confusingly, the opposite was true: The nut that burned away symbolized a love that would not last.) Another tale had it that if a young woman ate a sugary concoction made out of walnuts, hazelnuts and nutmeg before bed on Halloween night she would dream about her future husband.

Young women tossed apple-peels over their shoulders, hoping that the peels would fall on the floor in the shape of their future husbands’ initials; tried to learn about their futures by peering at egg yolks floating in a bowl of water; and stood in front of mirrors in darkened rooms, holding candles and looking over their shoulders for their husbands’ faces. Other rituals were more competitive. At some Halloween parties, the first guest to find a burr on a chestnut-hunt would be the first to marry; at others, the first successful apple-bobber would be the first down the aisle. Of course, whether we’re asking for romantic advice or trying to avoid seven years of bad luck, each one of these Halloween superstitions relies on the good will of the very same “spirits” whose presence the early Celts felt so keenly. Tags Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? | Celebrating Holidays Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? This article was published by Angie Mosteller on October 6, 2011. Many Christians struggle to decide how (or if) to celebrate Halloween. After all, it is a holiday that seems to emphasize darkness, superstition and fear.

Personally, as I tried to make decisions about what Halloween would look like for my family, I was surprised to find some very interesting Christian history about the holiday. The name Halloween is distinctly Christian in origin; it is a blending of the words All Hallows’ and Even or E’en (referring to the evening before All Holies Day, or All Saints’ Day, which is November 1). The term hallow means “holy” – you may recall reciting it in the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). All Saints’ Day was formally established by the church in 835 A.D. as a time to remember the lives of holy men and women who had died. Some scholars claim, and many Christians have come to believe, that the church chose to commemorate the saints on November 1 in order to compete with an ancient pagan Celtic festival called Samhain (pronounced sow-in) that was celebrated on the same day. However, Samhain seems to have been a tradition limited to the Northern Celtic people (particularly in Ireland and Scotland), and since these areas were Christianized by this time, it is difficult to substantiate this assertion.

Scholar Francis X. Weiser believes that November 1 was chosen so that the many pilgrims who traveled to Rome to celebrate the saints could be easily fed after the harvest.1 Whatever claims are made about the ancient pagan celebration of Samhain are purely speculative. There were no written records among the northern Celtic people prior to their Christianization in the 5th century. What we do know, however, is that the Celtic people viewed Samhain as a change of seasons. The name itself is derived from Old Irish that roughly means “summer’s end.”2 The change of seasons brought increasingly long and cold nights that drew people around their hearth fires. Combined with a Christian holiday that focused on the dead, there developed a perfect setting for colorful storytelling about ghosts, goblins and superstitions. Now it comes as no surprise that nonbelievers would associate a holiday for the dead with darkness, mystery and fear.

However, even among Christians there developed a host of wild and terrible descriptions about the afterlife – particularly regarding the “punishments, torments and pains” of purgatory.3 Such beliefs, particularly the connection between purgatory and indulgences, are what motivated Martin Luther to post his famous 95 Theses to the door of All Saints’ Church on October 31, 1517. The date was not coincidental. For more information on the association, see our Halloween and Reformation Day page. To address much of the misunderstanding about the afterlife among Christians, Reformers emphasized that the Bible addresses all believers as “saints,” even “the muddled and sinful ones to whom Paul writes his letters.”4 Furthermore, the Reformers argued that, biblically, there are no distinctions made between the destination of “heroes of the faith” and the rest of Christian souls; they all enter the presence of the Lord immediately after death.5 For as Jesus says to the criminal on the cross, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

We Christians can truly celebrate our dead, for we know that “death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). And, though our bodies die, our spirits dwell with Christ (Philippians 1:23) until He returns to earth to make all things new (2 Peter 3:13) and to clothe us with glorious bodies (Philippians 3:20-21). What a message of hope! So, though we mourn the loss of our loved ones, we do not “grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). In light of the history of Halloween, here are some ways that I have decided to celebrate with my family: (1) Remembering Heroes of the Faith: Since All Saints’ Day was intended to celebrate heroes of the faith, I find that it is a perfect time to read biographies about Christians who have demonstrated exceptional faith and courage. These stories inspire us to “live up to what we have already attained” in Christ (Philippians 3:16).

Furthermore, if we choose to wear costumes for Halloween, we have a wealth of Christian heroes to choose from who represent virtually every time period, every geographic area, and a wide variety of professions (yes, even princesses and warriors). (2) Remembering Our Loved Ones: October 31 is Reformation Day (in honor of Martin Luther posting his 95 theses on this day). One important aspect of the Reformation was the emphasis that all believers are saints and “citizens of heaven” (Philippians 3:20); the destination of our loved ones who died in Christ is no different than that of the “heroes of the faith.” Remembering our loved ones connects our hearts to heaven in a more intimate way, and it can motivate us to explore the Scriptures and learn what they teach about the afterlife. What a perfect time to reflect on what our loved ones might be experiencing in heaven and to acknowledge our longing to be reunited with them under the perfect lordship of Jesus. (3) Remembering the Lost: It should come as no surprise that a holiday celebrating death would come to be associated with darkness and fear. We live among so many people who don’t know Christ.

To many of them, death is mysterious and even terrifying. There is a desperate need for light in our dark world, and the Bible says we are to “shine like stars in the universe as [we] hold out the word of life” (Philippians 2:15b-16a) to those who are perishing. So many aspects of Halloween are natural starting points for spiritual conversations: “Why do you think Halloween is such a ‘dark’ holiday?”; “Do you believe in ghosts?”; “Are you afraid of death?” Halloween provides a rare opportunity to discuss the reality of the spiritual world which is so often neglected or ignored in a materialist culture like ours. In summary, I pray that God will help us to be light in the darkness and to find ways to creatively bring the “hallowed” back into Halloween. This page was created by: Back to main Halloween Articles page. We welcome your ideas! If you have suggestions on how to improve this page, please contact us . Some of the content on this page is drawn from a Rose Publishing pamphlet, Christian Origins of Halloween ; it has a copyright © 2012.

You may freely use this content if you cite the source and/or link back to this page. Sources: 1 Weiser, Francis X. Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs. Deus Books, 1963 (original 1952), p. 188. 2 Rogers, Nicholas. Halloween, From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 11. 3 Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. Question 2, Articles 2 and 6. 4 Wright, N.T. For All the Saints? Remember the Christian Departed. Morehouse Publishing, 2003, p. 22. 5 Westminster Confession of Faith, 1646, Chapter XXXII. You May Also Like: Where did Halloween come from? Can a Christian celebrate it? | CARM Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry Where did Halloween come from? Can a Christian celebrate it? by Matt Slick 12/11/2008 Halloween is celebrated by millions of people in multiple countries as a fun time for kids by putting on costumes and going door-to-door to get candy.

But it is also known as a time of witches, ghouls, goblins, and ghosts. On one hand, some Christians see Halloween as a harmless time of fun and on the other, a ghastly and demonically inspired night that should be avoided. As Christians , there is a lot of debate on whether or not we should participate in Halloween. Is it alright to go trick-or-treating? Can we dress our kids up in costumes and send them out door-to-door? If we do any of this, are we celebrating an evil holiday? Halloween's Origins The word Halloween is derived from the term, "All Hallows Eve," which occurred on Oct. 31. "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows Day" was the next Day, Nov. 1st. Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day. Some say that the origins of Halloween can be traced back to ancient Ireland and Scotland around the time of Christ. On Oct. 31st the Celts celebrated the day because it was when animal herders would move their animals into barns and pens and prepare to ride out the winter. This was also the time of the crop harvests.

This annual change of season and lifestyle was marked by a festival called Samhain, pronounced 'sow-ane' which means 'end of summer.' Sow rhymes with cow. There was much superstition associated with this time of change, including the belief in fairies and that the spirits of the dead wandered around looking for bodies to inhabit. Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and frighten the spirits away. In addition, the new year began for the Celts on Nov. 1. So, the day of Samhain was believed to be a day that was in neither the year past or the year to come. Since it was in between, chaos ruled on that day. Often, people would pull practical jokes on others as a result. Later, around the 5th century, as the Catholic Church developed and moved into the area, instead of adding a new day to celebrate, it took over the Samhain celebration. Nov. 1st became "All Hallows Eve" where all the saints of the Catholic church were honored. A later custom developed where people would go door-to-door on Nov.

2 requesting small cakes in exchange for the promise of saying prayers for some of the dead relatives of each house. This arose out of the religious belief that the dead were in a state of limbo before they went to heaven or hell and that the prayers of the living could influence the outcome. This may have been the precursor to Trick-or-Treat. The Jack-O-Lantern apparently comes from Irish folklore about a man named Jack who tricked the devil into climbing a tree. Once the devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross on the trunk preventing the devil from coming down. The devil then made a deal with Jack not to allow Jack into hell after he died if only Jack would remove the cross from the tree. After Jack died, he couldn't go to hell; and he couldn't go to heaven. He was forced to wander around the earth with a single candle to light his way. The candle was placed in a turnip to keep it burning longer. When the Irish came to America in the 1800's, they adopted the pumpkin instead of the turnip. Along with these traditions, they brought the idea that the black cat was considered by some to be reincarnated spirits who had prophetic abilities.

So, it appears that the origins of Halloween are a mixture of old Celtic pagan rituals superstition and early Catholic traditions. What does the Bible say about Halloween? What does the Bible say about Halloween? Nothing. But it does speak concerning witches, the occult, and paganism. Exodus 22:18, "You shall not let a witch live." Deut. 18:10-12, "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD..." The Bible definitely speaks negatively about occultic practices, spirits, and witches and condemns not only the practice but also the people who are involved in it. As Christians, we are to have nothing to do with the occult. Tarot Cards, contacting the dead, séances, lucky charms, etc., are all unbiblical and can harm a Christian's fellowship with God and open the Christian to demonic oppression. Most Christians know this and avoid these activities.

But, the question still remains. Since there are ancient pagan connections and modern day occultic connections, what is the Christian to do? Can the Christian celebrate Halloween? The answer is simple: Yes and No. Let’s look at the negative first. The Christian is not to be involved with or support the occult, witchcraft, demonism, or any other thing that uplifts the occult. To do so is to contradict God’s word, dabble in the demonic, and invite judgment from God. If a Halloween celebration is centered on demons, devils, spirits, etc., I would say don't have anything to do with it. On the other hand, it isn't wrong to dress up in a costume and go door-to-door saying "Trick or Treat." Provided that the costume isn't demonic, I can't see anything wrong with this. It's just fun for the kids. Take a look at the Christmas tree. It was originally an ancient fertility symbol. Yet, it has become a representation of Christmas and the place where gifts are placed. Are the Christians then paying homage to an ancient pagan fertility god? Not at all. They do not consider it pagan and are simply joining in a cultural event and giving no honor to anything unscriptural.

Think about this. In the Bible in 1 Cor. 10:23-33, Paul speaks about meat sacrificed to idols. This meat was often sold in the meat market; and the question arose, "Should a Christian eat such meat?" Paul said in verse 25, "Eat anything that is sold in the meat market, without asking questions for conscience' sake." This is most interesting. He says it is okay to eat the meat bought in the market place even though that meat may have been sacrificed to idols. Then in verses 28-29 he says, "But if anyone should say to you, 'This is meat sacrificed to idols,' do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience' sake; 29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?" (NASB). Paul is saying that if you find out the meat was sacrificed to idols, don't eat it--not because of you but because of the other person. In other words, eating that meat won't affect you. But, it may affect the attitude of another who does not understand the freedom the Christian has in Christ.

Is it any different with Halloween (or Christmas)? No. Even though Halloween has pagan origins and because of your freedom in Christ, you and/or your kids can dress up in costumes and go door-to-door and just have fun. However, if you are not comfortable with doing this, then you should not. If you know of a person who would be hindered by doing it, then you shouldn't either.

Question: What holiday comes the day after Halloween?
Answer: All Saints' Day