Does Halloween have pagan origins. The quick answer….No… not really.
The word Halloween basically means All Saints Eve. It is the day preceding All Saints Day. The word hallow mean holy…the word saint means holy. There a many sites on the web that refute the pagan origin Halloween myths, so don’t take my word for it! Just do a little research.
The facts are that All Saints Day was celebrated various times of the year depending on the location that one lived. Halloween has no direct connection to Samhain, the pagan holiday that is supposedly its origin, as it was celebrated on different days of year in many locations. In Ireland where Samhain originated, All Saints Day was practiced in April until it was changed to its current date. Undoubtedly some of these myths are anti-Catholic in origin and meant to steer people away from the truth.
Undoubtedly some of the practices today are commercial in origin and have no real connection to the original feast.
Having a feast to honor our brothers and sisters in Christ who have passed on to their reward is not pagan. Even if the date of a pagan feast was changed to a Christian feast celebrating our Christian brothers and sisters would not indict the feast day itself. In fact, the day would become sanctified in the name of Jesus Christ.
Much like music styles of our day have ”pagan” origins, the music in itself can be offered to the Lord in his honor and be sanctified because of this. The same can be said of any day of the year. This reminds me of some recent discussions on this blog with some who think that the word Christian is of pagan origins. I like to think of 1 Peter 14:16 and apply it to the feast of All Saints Day and any other Christian holiday.
yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God.
Hey… let us use this day to glorify Jesus Christ and honor our brothers and sisters who have been perfected in Christ!
Like 1 Corinthians 12:26, let us all rejoice in the honor that is given to the Saints who are in heaven.
or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
This Halloween and the following days let us remember the true origins of the feast days of All Saint and All Souls and remember all our departed brothers and sisters in heaven and purgatory.
I am so sorry, dear sister. You are incredibly wrong. Halloween, does indeed mean — “All Hallows Eve”. However the correct name for the Sabbat — and yes I am Pagan, and yes that is spelled right — is Samhain — pronounced “sow-in”, like a female piggy. And it means, “End of Summer.”
And I have no idea where you get your very incorrect idea that Samhain is/was celebrated in April…unless you are speaking of southern hemispheres, and even then that would be May, the time when northern hemisphere Catholics celebrate May Day in honor of Mary (see, I know what I am talking about) and northern hemisphere Pagans celebrate Beltane — in honor of the Lady and the fertility of the land. I was raised Catholic, and trust me – it is totally a co-opted version of Paganism.
Let’s see…
We have altars. You have altars.
We have candles. You have candles.
We have Gods and Goddesses. You have saints.
Incense? We have incense.
The Catholic/Christian version of our very sacred Sabbats were invented — yes, I said “invented” — to make it easier to convert the “poor misguided Pagans” (with a capital yes) and divert the better part of their monies to the Catholic Church to support their (un)holy wars.
Now. You go do “your” research, mkay?
Thanks for the post.
I am not a sister. My icon is not about me as a person.
First of all I do not think you read my entire post. All Saints day was celebrated on different days of the year until it was moved to November 1. Samhain was practiced in Ireland. Catholicism was not practiced in only Ireland. The day Halloween has not all that much to do with Samhain.
Jews had altars and are not considered pagan so there goes another theory of yours.
If you read my post you can see that even if the Church converted days to Christian Feasts which some were done this way, this does not mean that they are somehow pagan.
The Jews also had feasts that were on or near days of Pagan feasts. Pagans do not have a monopoly on days of the year or ends of seasons.
I do pray you read on the persecutions that Christians went through at the hands of Pagan Rome.
Here is a link about some of the myths
http://www.wyrdwords.vispa.com/halloween/history/index.html
http://www.featherlessbiped.com/halloween/hallows.htm
Christopher
A few more comments as I wrote my first reply quickly in the morning earlier this week.
Saints do not equal gods or godesses. There is one God and only one God.
Candles and insense were used in the Jewish religion in which Christianity/Catholicism was derived just as an altar was.
Sorry the connection just does not add up.
There is one thing that your relgion does not have. It does not have Jesus Christ who became man and lived on earth and who was a historical figure and who died for the sins of mankind. Without him you cannont be saved.
His sacrifice is what the Catholic Church re-presents on its altars as the prophesy of Malachi said would happen.
Malachi 1:11:
For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.