How the Devil Did Satan Take Over Halloween?

Most of the young trick-or-treaters, prowling thewere changed into animals as a form of
dusky gloom on Halloween, don't really care muchpunishment for having done evil. The Celts also
about the background of the holiday/holy daybelieved that spirits lived in the trees, and would,
they are celebrating. Dressed in various costumestherefore "knock on wood" to assure that their
as goblins and ghosts, heroes or old-time villains,good luck would continue. This may well be part
these children unwittingly act out ancient traditionsof the understanding of the use of the term "the
that began with a Celtic pagan festival some 20luck of the Irish." But it was also used to explain
centuries ago in Europe, and gradually evolved intoaway their great success as immigrants, especially
the Catholic celebration on the eve of the feastin the United States.
of All Saints. Much of the tradition, however, isBefore coming to America as a holiday, Halloween
obscured by the relentless passage of time andhad other religious origins. There is still much
fading memories.debate as to how the feast of All Saints came to
One thing is certain about the celebration: the devilreplace the old Celtic festival. About 610 A.D. the
had no part in it. He was later added to theRoman Emperor Phocas presented Pope Boniface
celebration gradually after St. Patrick broughtIV with the Roman Pantheon-the temple where
Christianity to Ireland in 432 A.D. Up to that time,pagan Roman gods and goddesses were
the Irish and other Celtic peoples such as theworshipped. The Pantheon was then rededicated
Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Bretons and others had nounder the title "Santa Maria ad Martyres" (St.
notion of a devil in their worship.Mary of the Martyrs.) The dedication ceremony
But they did have a strong sense of an afterlifewas held May 13, and its anniversary was
which as called simply "otherworld." The Irish Celtsobserved each year with great ceremony. Some
called it "Tir na Nog" (land of eternal youth). Ithistorians consider this to be the origin of the
was a joyous place. It was more a land offeast of All Saints.
enchantment and a paradise in the Western Sea.Other scholars insist that pope Gregory III
Reigning over this otherworld was Samhainoriginated the feast when he dedicated an oratory
(pronounced "sow-en) who was known as theto all saints in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It
"Lord of the Dead." But he had no relationshipseems that from this time on, at least in England,
whatever to the devil.the feast was celebrated on Nov. 1.
Even today in Ireland, one of the Celtic countriesHowever, noted scholar J. Hennig rejects both of
where the ancient customs still survive, All Hallowsthese explanations and places the origin of the
Eve (Halloween) before All Saints' Day is knownNov. 1 date in Ireland. According to this theory,
as Samhain Eve. The following day marks thethe feast passed from Ireland to
beginning of the Celtic New Year, Nov. 1, and alsoNorthnumberland in England, and then to the
marks the end of the grazing season and thecontinent of Europe where other Celtic peoples
gathering of all crops for the winter.would also align it with their New Year's
According to ancient Celtic custom, all fires had tocelebration. It should also be noted that at this
be extinguished and new ones lighted to set off aperiod Irish missionaries had already begun their
new year of abundance and light, and anothertravels to England and the continent, and had
victory for the sun over darkness.great influence in church matters in that area.
For the ancient Celts, Halloween could also be aWhatever the exact pagan Celtic or Christian
night of danger and dread as a time whenorigin of Halloween, we can thank their modern
otherworld spirits roamed freely. The Celts leftcounterparts, the Irish and Scots-Irish for
"treats" on their doorsteps for the spirits of theirpreserving such a joyful children's feast.
ancestors, and carved out oversized rutabagas orThe Irish were largely responsible or bringing their
turnips and placed a candle inside these "spiritcustoms and celebrations to America in the
lights" to guide their ancestors home. It could be amid-19th century when thousands of them
night of either happiness or discomfort dependingcrowded the shores of the United States
on the relationship between families and theirfollowing the Great Famine of 1847-50 in Ireland.
ancestors.They had spread their empire and customs from
The spirits of the otherworld could also return tothe islands of the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea,
even an old score to demand justice for aand from the Mediterranean to the North Sea.
previous injustice done to them. Hence the CeltsThese energetic and inventive people have given
began to wear costumes and masks as a way tothe world a zest for living, an incredible supply of
hide from vengeful ancestors. It was also a timesages and legends and a great modern literature
when the future could be understood by followingfrom writers such as Shaw, Yeats, O'Casey,
certain practices such as bobbing for apples. WhenBeckett, Joyce and others.
one was caught, the apple was peeled and theAnd also with all that, they gave a Catholic
skins thrown over one's shoulder. The peels wereChristian meaning to an ancient holiday and
then supposed to indicate the name of a futurebrought Halloween to America for the enjoyment
spouse or other important information.of trick-or-treaters all over the land.
The Celts also believed that black cats crossing aBut they didn't bring Satan or devil-worship to a
person's path would bring bad luck. The Celtsjoyous celebration of the Celtic New Year, Nov. 1.
believed the black cats were former beings who