Halloween, What does it mean to you? Options

History

Halloween has been twisted and turned into something totally different than what it had been.

Centuries ago Halloween, or "Samhain (which is the origicanal Celtic word)" was a Pagan holiday practiced in Ireland, where the dead were roaming the earth and peace and understanding would take place between the living and the dead.

They had many practices and rituals held on the day of Samhain, which were also all meant for pleasure and fun.

Due to outside religious influences, Samhain was turned into something totally different, meant to be "spooky" or scary, where people claimed that Witches and Demons would scour the earth to do harm unto humans. Of course, all of this was false, as almost all Spiritualist knows.

Trick or Treat?

Trick or treating originated when beggars went door to door on October 31st, asking for handouts. The gifts were for "Muck Olla" a God who was said to destroy the house of anyone who was not generous.

Jack-O-Lanterns? also had their origin in Ireland; named for a man named "Jack." The story goes that Jack was a miser and when he died, he was not allowed into heaven and he also played jokes on the Devil, so he was not admitted into Hell either, but was doomed to walk the Earth forever. He only had a litle lantern to light his way and this is why he came to be called Jack-O-Lantern. Of course, the spooks, vampires and ghouls were associated with this holiday because of the natural human fear of death and Samhain was a holiday of death.

Now Halloween is just a way for people to express themselves, it is rather a "fun" holiday. Sadly people do not know, and many do not care to know about the true origins of Halloween.

What does Samhain mean to you? How will you celebrate Samhain? Depending on your costums/traditions/religious background/origins?


DeathStalker

This post has been edited by DeathStalker: Oct 29 2006, 03:56 AM

Well, for me Halloween is quite exotic as we don't celebrate it in Poland (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) However, US traditions tend to spread all over the world. It's so easy to 1.) make a celebration, tradition, holliday commercial and 2.) export it overseas. It reminds me of Coca-Cola Santa in Japan... So, as European kids watch U.S. cartoons, read magazines that give Halloween presents etc. this custom is likely to gain some popularity (I remember making a Jacko-O-Lantern with my younger brother a few years ago) despite being absolutely alien to our culture. . In a definitely Catholic country that day is supposed to be a sad time when we remember our late family members - not a horror-like cartoon-ish festival.
Well, it's sure that there won't be any trick-or-treating (not in this culture, not in this life (IMG:style_emoticons/default/13.gif)) but other elements can of that custom can be adopted. Hey, there was a time when no-one heard of St. Valentine's Day as we know it today and millions of people either celebrate it or hate it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Maybe now it's Halloween's time?