Ghouls, Ghosts and Goblins

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Ghouls, Ghosts and Goblins

It seems like such harmless fun–children dressed as witches, skeletons or Darth Vader ringing the doorbell, enthusiastically announcing, "Trick or treat!" But is this preoccupation with the dead, witches and demons really harmless? And do you realize that Halloween was originally an important religious holiday–and still is in many parts of the world?

by Gary Petty

There’s the occasional prank that goes awry, or a sadist who puts razor blades in trick-or-treat candy, but for the most part the American celebration of Halloween seems like fun for everyone. Customs surrounding the holiday range from neighborhood haunted houses to employees at department stores and fast-food restaurants dressing up as witches, monsters and cartoon characters to bobbing for apples and masquerade parties. Variations of these celebrations are observed in Britain, France, Germany
and many other nations.

However, some Christians express uneasiness with Halloween’s emphasis on witchcraft and demons. Should they?

Is there something sinister about accepting, even celebrating, the dark side of horror?

Halloween derives its name from the Catholic celebration of All Hallows’ or All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1. The evening before, Oct. 31, was viewed as merely the "eve" of the same day. But Halloween’s origins are more ancient than those of All Saints’ Day.

Centuries before Jesus, the Celtic peoples of Western Europe celebrated Nov. 1 as the feast of Taman, the Celtic new year and a sacred day in honor of the sun god, while they observed the previous evening as the festival of Samhain, the lord of the dead.

The ancient Celts believed that at death the souls of sinners were trapped in the bodies of animals. It was on this day that Samhain judged the dead and could be persuaded to free some departed souls from their animal prisons.

In Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, author Lesley Bannatyne gives this background:

Read the full article at www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn42/ghosts.htm