Celebrate Halloween?
It was lunchtime in my primary Catholic school in Argentina, when I received a slit of paper from a teacher stating “All Colegio Inmaculada students are prohibited from celebrating and affiliating themselves with Halloween.” I was extremely confused. How could candy apples, costumes, skeletons, and jack-o-lanterns be harmful?
That is when I decided to do some research.
Halloween
Halloween owes its exotic traditions to the ancient European and British Celtics. The Celtics were pagan Druids whose major celebrations were marked by the seasons. From October 31 to November 2, they celebrated the final harvest, the onset of winter, and death in what was called the “Samhain” festival. They believed that during this day, both the harmful and harmless spirits of the “Otherworld” were allowed to roam around the living. In order to avoid harm, many Celtics carried lanterns made of vegetables, and disguised themselves as harmful spirits with costumes and masks, a tradition that is prominent in our society today.
The Christian effort to replace the pagan tradition has been alive since early times. In the 9th century, Pope Gregory IV moved the Christian celebration of All Hallows to November 1, right in the middle of Samhain. Yet, as time went by, All Hallows Eve and Samhain mixed, becoming “Halloween”.
Even in 2010, there are many Christians who try substituting Halloween with their own festivals. Many churches hold “Harvest Festivals” and “Reformation Festivals”, where the kids dress up as Bible characters, or Reformation heroes, and have treats for needy families. Others try to avoid Halloween completely; they don’t want their children to be part of activities that could compromise their spiritual safety, such as trick-or-treating, or carving pumpkins.
Halloween
Over this topic, I have to side with those who celebrate the healthy side of Halloween. Ever since Halloween spread to America in the 19th century, it has become more of a secular tradition. As long as its pagan roots are not being celebrated, Halloween is just a day for people to be creative, have fun, and embrace the famous holiday that America is known for. And for those Christians who feel guilty about celebrating Halloween, you should know that there are many important Christian figures, such as Father Gabriele Amorth, himself a Vatican-appointed exorcist in Rome, who have said, “if English and American children like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem. If it is just a game, there is no harm in that.”
Pictures:
http://images.elfwood.com/art/j/a/jadegoblin/samhain_elfwood.jpg
http://www.catholichomeandgarden.com/images/pumpkin%20with%20cross.jpg
Growing up, all we thought about was the candy and dressing up. I had always went as a princess. I guess that is what I wanted to be when I grew up. Today it is pretty much the same. Kids having fun getting dress and going out to get candy.