| Hallowmass The time between October 31 and November 2 is a sacred time. To most, the time encompasses the three holidays, Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day. This time period as a whole is called Hallow Tide. Of course the coincidence of Samhain, the Celtic fire festival, can't be ignored. Samhain was the time of year when the veil that seperated the lands of the dead from the lands of the living. It is important to note that there was never a Celtic god of the dead called Samhain. Samhain (pronounced Sow-in) means "end of summer". Jack o' Lanterns, apples, and 'trick-or-treating' come from various interpretations of Celtic life and folklore. October 31 didn't become a day of darkness until Christianity became dominant. Suddenly, the pagans, whom medieval Christians always labeled as followers of Satan, were accused of performing human sacrifices. Oddly, with all the history we know, Halloween is still the time of year when alternative religions recieve the most rhetoric from Christianity. The Christian Broadcasting Network links non-Christian deities with Satan: "Stonehenge, the mysterious ancient stone formation in England, is often the site for bizarre gatherings of occultists, some of who believe they are modern-day Druids. (Many people believe that Stonehenge was a Druid religious site.) And evidence persists that some Satanist and voodoo groups offer sacrifices -- usually animals, but, possibly, human babies." (http://www.cbn.org/bibleresources/teaching/ts-halloween.asp). Chick Publications states, "Halloween is an occasion when the ancient gods (actually demons) are worshiped with human sacrifice." (http://www.chick.com/seasonal/halloween/celebrate.asp) Chick Publications even has a flyer they distribute equating celebrating Halloween as turning your back on Christ. During this time of year, outright lies and propaganda are spread. For the truly spiritual, this is a time when one can remember that which has been lost in the past year, that which will come and a time of year to come together in community. In the United States, Halloween is the most decorated holiday following Christmas. It has evolved from a children's holiday to a time for adults to celebrate. Communities bothered by the inherent dangers of children going door to door, have developed new customs: throwing block parties for children. In all of these, we are possibly getting back to the original meaning of this time of year. When the cold winds bring the snows, we need to know our community is strong and safe. Dressing up, lighting jack o'lanterns, and visiting haunted houses will not damn your soul. Those alternative religions that take Oct 31 as a special night don't sacrifice human babies. When the rhetoric begins, stop and think for a moment. Are these cultists and pagans so skilled that they have NEVER been caught? If human sacrifice was so common - there would be more evidence to the fact. The darkness that comes from this time of year doesn't eminate from the celebrations, it comes from the closed minded and intolerant. |