Halloween: who's holiday is it.

Halloween has been one of the most misunderstood holidays in history. Some self proclaimed Christians will tell you it is a pagan holiday and even satanic, Wiccans will tell you that it is a festival to celibate a good harvest, and the stories can differ depending on the people you ask. So, who is right on what Halloween really means.

The simple answer is they are all partly right and all partly wrong. As with most holidays Halloween has been merged into so many religions over the centuries that it combines forms of all of them.  The basis of what it called Halloween most likely started with the Celtic people 2,000 years ago as  the festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) that was held at the end of their lunar year October 31. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
During this festival it is speculated that they wore costumes and lit bonfires. 

Later, when the Romans took control they meld some of their own traditions into the festival. The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

Then, after that the Catholics put in some of their more religious elements, such as, all saints day on November 1, which was a day to remember the Christian martyrs, and making October 31all hallows eve. In 1000 A.D., the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead.

I heard one reverend talk about a new tradition that he was trying to establish called Jesus-ween and instead of candy we should hand out Christian objects,such as, bibles and crosses. I would be ok with the churches doing that for the people that identified themselves as someone wanting to go that route. Just as trick-or-treats let you know why they came around, the people  that want Jesus-ween, which I do think they need a better name, should say 'Christ-treats' or something.

The bottom line is that through time Halloween (all hallows eve) has been maligned, changed and mixed up so much that it is a holiday that holds parts of all religions. Just as many other holidays they aren't christian, Pagan, or just any one religion but an amalgamation.