All Saints day, Pooky, Puca (A Mischievous spirit) Hallows Eve, All Souls Eve, All Hallows Even, are all given names for Halloween (Haela'win) an ancient pagan festival held usually on the 31st October. It began in Ireland in the 18th Century, the Celts, Britain, France were the instigators, a harvest festival in Fall (Autumn) where masks were worn to scare of evil spirits so the crops wouldn't be hindered, they called it
'Samhain' and in Welsh 'Clan Gaea .
In the 19th century immigrants bought different versions of the traditions to North America and today in most Western countries to some degree in some form'' Halloween' has been integrated into the culture, in America it was the pop culture. All Saints Day or Eve was a holiday a day of religious festivities held in Northern Europe with different pagan traditions, however, it was later adapted by missionaries who put a
Christian slant on it. In European circles it was considered to be a time when the spiritual world made contact with the physical world and where magic was at its most strongest. Today its celebrated by people wearing grotesque masks, costumes, where bonfires, fireworks happen, and 'Trick or Treating', where children dress up and go door to door wanting sweets,money,nuts, even at one time salt, was put on children's hair to guard of evil spirits, also sometimes in earlier years like in Ireland songs were sung.
In homes in Ireland and to some degree America they are decorated with pumpkins, turnips, which had been fashioned into frightening faces, games are played as well at the festival. The game 'Bobbing of Apples' where adults children with their hands tied behind their backs, and a bucket filled with water, with their mouth obtained apples then commenced to peel them in the belief if the peel formed a letter it was the initial of the persons' true love, this was played in Britain.
It has become popular and is increasing in popularity Halloween with countries like New Zealand, where in the past it has been a non event now held on Guy Fawkes night on November 5th and it goes under the name 'Mischief Night' or 'Danger Night.'
Here are three peoples opinions and feelings on Halloween firstly,
Ken aged 56 lives in Little Rock in the U.S.A. When asked about Halloween his reply was strong,
“ I HATE it.” He continued on to say
“ I don't recognize it on the calender at all.”
I asked ken, “What does Halloween mean to him,?”
' To me it means people are more interested in the dark side of life.”
When asked if churches in the U.S.A agree with this event his comment was,
“” They try to compromise and turn it into a fall harvest party.
It is a very profitable business like the business of Christmas which was once an Holy day which now is simply another day to celebrate.
Next Candace Virginia retired in upstate NY aged 56 had this to say,
' I have always celebrated it, been in my family forever, as far back as I can remember, though I don't know if my father did.”
I asked her, What did it mean to her as a child?”
“ Dressing up, candy, scaring your friends, parties and going to church for hot cocoa and dough nuts.”
Her perspective on Halloween was its for,
“ The little ones”
Ginny went on to say she felt that it was spoil today. I asked her what made her think this way her reply was,
“ By adding the devil stuff with it, its for fun. We use to in our teens fool around by doing things like soaping up windows., no one got hurt. We would go out for lunch, then go out for the goodies.”
What did schools think about Halloween there?
“ In grade school they had parties and a walk around to show off what the kid's were dressed up as.”
I asked her how she felt about Halloween becoming commercial her response was,
“ It makes me mad”
Thirdly in Waimate
In Waimate in the South Island of new Zealand a small rural town with a population of 3,500 the Ministers Fraternal of the town have felt concerned about the increased popularity of Halloween about five years ago a couple called Jennifer and Roger Donaldson came up with an alternative answer to Halloween they started a party called,
' Life, Hope and Happiness '
The group started in their home and to their immense surprise 70 children turned out, then it grew to where after two years time it went to the local Salvation Army hall and where it now being held at the Stadium the large local community venue. The children are encouraged to dress up,however,the stipulation being is they're not to wear Halloween costumes The group is predominately funded by two main churches in the town; it is very much a community minded event with the Fire Brigade, Ambulance, Police involved by the offering of their vehicles for fun rides and their presence at the event. The chairperson of the Ministers Fraternal Pastor Selwyn Long recognizes people are allowed their own beliefs and rightly so, he sees this event as providing another healthy, positive alternative thus giving more choice which is only beneficial to all.
Whether one thinks that Halloween is harmless fun or occultism it still is controversial and is still alive and well, and flourishing as a business in the western world hence it raises the question,
'Do we know the foundation on which we as people are building our fun on? “
Like the old Sunday school song,
'The foolish man bought his house upon the sand and when the rains and the floods came it disappeared.' is Halloween disguised as an attractive package and inside simply sand ? “
Foundations are important they hold us house up and make it last for life, so our belief systems are like foundations it begs perhaps the essential question,
'Where will this belief take us as individuals, as a society? “
It is something to think about anyway.
AH! i HEAR Ginny's sigh!
It use to be fun it should be fun.
