Long Held Halloween Beliefs
An annual celebration, Halloween has been called demon worship, as its roots are pagan. The word itself has its roots in the Catholic Church, and it’s a contraction of ‘All Hallows Eve’.
In the fifth Century, Celts in Ireland officially ended summer, with ‘Samhain’, the Celtic New Year. Fresh living bodies were said to be occupied by the dead at this time, as their hope for the afterlife. Celtic beliefs that laws of space and time were muted, and the spirit world came into the living world.
The living of course, did not want to be possessed, so the rituals of Halloween were initiated to prevent this. Fires were extinguished to make homes uninviting, and noisy parades drove off spirits. A Druidick fire was kept buring at Usinach, from which others then lit their fires again.
Burning at the stake of those thought to be possessed is one myth, as a lesson to the spirit world. Romans adopted Celtic practices, and ‘Samhain’ was incorporated into Roman traditions. Honoring Pomona, the Roman Goddess of fruit and trees is one of these, and bobbing for apples sprang from this.
Ritualized celebrations became common, and dressing up in costume became prevalent. Irish immigrants in the 1840s that fled the potato famine brought trickery with them, and the 9th Century custom of ’souling.’ Begging for ’soul cakes’ by beggars would result in prayers for the dead, as the dead were said to be in limbo until enough prayers were said.
Irish folklore is probably responsible for the Jack-o-Lantern, as a drunkard named Jack was suspended from both heaven and hell for tricking the devil. He traveled through time with a lantern in his hand made from a coal from hell. Jack captured the devil in a tree and refused to let him down bringing the wrath of both God and the devil on himself. Jack’s lantern was undoubtedly a turnip, but was replaced in tradition by the more attainable pumpkin.
Halloween is not an evil practice, but rather a cultural holiday that is enjoyable for merriment overall. Even churches today have Halloween parties, and events for children.
