| It's my favorite time of year again. | | | | satanic ritual.? Ironically, to a modern |
| There is a crisp sting to the weather | | | | day Satanist, the most important day of |
| that is invigorating after the heat of | | | | the year is not Halloween but his/her |
| summer. Beautiful splashes of fiery reds | | | | individual birthday. October 31rst is |
| and oranges appear in the foliage, as | | | | not the important date for Satanists |
| the trees prepare for their descent into | | | | that Christians assume that it is. |
| winter hibernation. Along with autumn | | | | Catholics have long reserved a day, All |
| comes my birthday, Halloween. Yes, I was | | | | Saints Day, to celebrate Christian |
| born on the day that fundamentalists | | | | Saints who had died, both known and |
| rail against as being somehow | | | | unknown. Originally the day was |
| demonically derived. Every year, I | | | | celebrated on May 13, but in the 8th |
| listened as some panic stricken person | | | | century Pope Gregory IV moved the day to |
| details the evils that this wonderful | | | | November 1. The night before All Souls |
| holiday is supposed to promote. | | | | day was an important Catholic holiday |
| Does Halloween actually have pagan | | | | and was called All Hallowed Eve. The |
| origins or is this connection to | | | | word Hallowed means sanctified. |
| paganism an urbane myth? The Christian | | | | A portion of the Halloween panic is has |
| Fundamentalists state that Samhein was | | | | its roots in Catholic bashing. ?The |
| the Celtic God of Death, and that he | | | | concept of purgatory, the belief that |
| demanded human sacrifices on the night | | | | the living could assist the condition of |
| of Halloween. Yet according to The | | | | the dead by praying for them, and the |
| Dictionary of the Gaelic Language the | | | | notion that saints could function as |
| word Samhein-or samhuin-only means | | | | intercessors between humans and Christ |
| summer's end. Samhein was neither the | | | | or the Christian god, were all doctrines |
| Irish nor Celtic god of the dead. | | | | condemned by Protestants, and so this |
| Because neither of these groups left | | | | complex of rituals was bound to run into |
| written records, we aren't even certain | | | | trouble as soon as the latter took |
| how they celebrated summer's end. Was it | | | | control.? says Professor Ronald Hutton. |
| a wild, uncontrolled celebration, or a | | | | Halloween and Christmas were both banned |
| dark, somber one? All that we know for | | | | by the Puritans because these holidays |
| certain is that like almost every | | | | appeared too Catholic. Ironically, one |
| agricultural society world wide, the | | | | of the reasons that the pilgrims broke |
| Celts had some sort of harvest festival. | | | | with the Church of England to begin with |
| The truth is that any claims about what | | | | was that they believed Anglicism had not |
| occurred at this time, are purely | | | | completely purged itself of its Roman |
| speculative. Most of the ideas that have | | | | Catholic roots. Halloween was not |
| sprung up among both Christian and | | | | widely celebrated in the United States |
| NeoPagans as to what occurred during the | | | | until the potato famine forced the Irish |
| Celtic end of year festival are not | | | | to immigrate to America. At that time |
| based on any archeological evidence. | | | | the new arrivals brought their |
| Many of the activities surrounding | | | | traditions and holidays with them. |
| Halloween have a medieval, not pagan, | | | | It is no coincidence that the more |
| basis. ?In this way the opening of the | | | | extreme websites denouncing Halloween |
| season of darkness and cold had been | | | | also link to web pages dedicated to |
| made into an opportunity to confront the | | | | disparaging Roman Catholicism. The |
| greatest fear known to humans, that of | | | | cartoon pamphlets by Jack Chick are a |
| death, and the greatest known to | | | | classic example. In one tract entitled, |
| Christians, that of damnation.? writes | | | | The Trick, ancient Druids are drawn |
| Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at | | | | leaving a jack-o'-lantern fashioned from |
| the University of Bristol and in his | | | | human fat on a doorstep in exchange for |
| book Stations of the Sun. | | | | a child or virginal woman. This |
| Trick-or-Treat for example, originated | | | | salacious and completely imaginary event |
| in the British Isles, when the poor | | | | is reported as historical fact. Never |
| would travel door to door-called | | | | mind that pumpkins were unknown in |
| souling- and receive food in exchange | | | | England until the discovery of the New |
| for a promise to pray for the dead on | | | | World, or that human fat would make a |
| All Souls day. In Shakespere's Two | | | | lousy candle fuel. These truths do not |
| Gentlemen of Verona the practice is | | | | get in the way of Mr. Chick's bizarre |
| refrenced when the servant Speed accuses | | | | assertions about Halloween. Equally |
| his master of "puling [whimpering, | | | | telling is that his website exhibits |
| whining], like a beggar at Hallowmas." | | | | tracts and comics containing offensive |
| Even if a pagan connection can be found | | | | and sick accusations against Roman |
| with the Halloween, my response is, ?So | | | | Catholics. |
| what?? Christianity, of course, did not | | | | In this article I have attempted to |
| invent culture from scratch. Instead the | | | | dispel some of the widespread urbane |
| first Christians built on the culture | | | | legends that have tenaciously taken hold |
| about them. We still have many reminders | | | | of the both the imagination of the |
| of our pagan past incorporated into our | | | | American Fundamentalist Christian and |
| culture. The days of the week and months | | | | the greater public at large. Far from |
| of the year are named for Greek and | | | | being a diabolical conspiracy, Halloween |
| Norse Gods. Yet, we seem to have enough | | | | is a positive holiday: a time to connect |
| common sense to realize that being | | | | with our neighbors and enjoy the |
| thankful that Friday has rolled around | | | | merriment of childhood. And on a much |
| is not the same as worshipping the Norse | | | | deeper level, it is the holiday when we |
| Goddess, Freya. | | | | are allowed to symbolically confront and |
| Another common fear is that on Halloween | | | | defeat our fears. |
| Satanists run amuck, determined to | | | | References: |
| sacrifice innocent children and virginal | | | | The Dictionary of the Gaelic Language |
| maidens. According to Kenneth V. | | | | Gentlemen of Verona by William |
| Lanning, a Supervisory Special Agent at | | | | Shakespeare |
| the Behavioral Science Unit at the | | | | Halloween Errors and Lies by Isaac |
| National Center for the Analysis of | | | | Bonewits |
| Violent Crime, he has been unable to | | | | Halloween History Hysteria by Jennifer |
| document one satanic ritual murder | | | | Emick |
| committed on Halloween in the United | | | | Religious Tolerance.org |
| States. Agent Lanning narrowly defines | | | | Signs of the Sun by Professor Ronald |
| ritual satanic murder as involving more | | | | Hutton |
| then one individual who can rationally | | | | My website can be found at: |
| plan the crime and ?whose primary | | | | . |
| motivation is to fulfill a prescribed | | | | |