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Halloween Is Not Evil

Samantha Rinne

Resident Genderfluid Writer/Artist
The whole idea comes from a Protestant movement against what was actually a largely Catholic holiday.

A Catholic's Guide to Halloween

The early Catholic church had a great number of martyrs. Why, you ask? Because of early Roman persecution. Christians were sent to be eaten by lions. Put on the cross. Forced to stand in cold water for hours on end, freezing to death, and hopes they would recant. Instead, they made converts of the Romans during these spectacles. Who in turn were subjected to this for years and years.

They had festivals of each major saint who had a major leadership role in the church. However, the number of martyrs were simply too numerous to count, so a day was set aside, All Saints Day, to honor their sacrifice. The day after that is All Hallows Eve (All Hallows Eve -> Hallow Even -> Hallowe'en -> Halloween). Halloween didn't come from Samhain. It may have, possibly, have been influenced from a Christian attempt to reach pagan crowds, hence the specific choice of date (originally All Saints was May 13). But it is also distinctly Christian, even though pagans can celebrate it, just as some celebrate Yule AND Christmas.

In fact, the whole "demonic" smear about Halloween is a direct result of Protestants being against Catholicism and all its saint statues. It's super popular, and they can't seem to get rid of it, so they tell people it's "evil" and "pagan". And yet, the Day of the Dead, celebrates matters exactly as this article describes, and it's celebrated in largely Catholic countries.

Christians, This Is Our Night

I'm Protestant btw. But I've learned the story of the early martyrs. It's time to learn the True Meaning of Halloween. That it is not about evil, demons, or death, but about the triumph over such things. This is biblical.

So yeah, Halloween is commercial. But it's also an opportunity to share the Gospel.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
Those who are desperate to see the "Devil" in anything not inside their personal beliefs will surely find him outside their belief structure. Strange that.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Halloween (now, Oct. 31) is the advent of winter. 3,000 years ago, it was at the time of autumnal equinox (now, Sept. 23). It has slipped by more than a month because of precession of equinox. It has nothing to do with Saints and Satan.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
The whole idea comes from a Protestant movement against what was actually a largely Catholic holiday.

A Catholic's Guide to Halloween

The early Catholic church had a great number of martyrs. Why, you ask? Because of early Roman persecution. Christians were sent to be eaten by lions. Put on the cross. Forced to stand in cold water for hours on end, freezing to death, and hopes they would recant. Instead, they made converts of the Romans during these spectacles. Who in turn were subjected to this for years and years.

They had festivals of each major saint who had a major leadership role in the church. However, the number of martyrs were simply too numerous to count, so a day was set aside, All Saints Day, to honor their sacrifice. The day after that is All Hallows Eve (All Hallows Eve -> Hallow Even -> Hallowe'en -> Halloween). Halloween didn't come from Samhain. It may have, possibly, have been influenced from a Christian attempt to reach pagan crowds, hence the specific choice of date (originally All Saints was May 13). But it is also distinctly Christian, even though pagans can celebrate it, just as some celebrate Yule AND Christmas.

In fact, the whole "demonic" smear about Halloween is a direct result of Protestants being against Catholicism and all its saint statues. It's super popular, and they can't seem to get rid of it, so they tell people it's "evil" and "pagan". And yet, the Day of the Dead, celebrates matters exactly as this article describes, and it's celebrated in largely Catholic countries.

Christians, This Is Our Night

I'm Protestant btw. But I've learned the story of the early martyrs. It's time to learn the True Meaning of Halloween. That it is not about evil, demons, or death, but about the triumph over such things. This is biblical.

So yeah, Halloween is commercial. But it's also an opportunity to share the Gospel.
It's not the day after All Hallows, it is the eve of All Hallows, i.e. the day before.

Just as Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas Day.

All Saints' Day (Toussaints) is 1st November.

You re confusing Halloween with All Souls' Day, which is 2nd November. This is the day on which in Catholic countries such as France, people traditionally go to tidy up the graves of their dead relatives, plant flowers and pay their respects.

In fact it seems that All Hallows Eve, all Saints Day and All Souls Day originally constituted a triduum: Allhallowtide - Wikipedia

Sadly now all we are left with is a tacky, commercialised relic of this rather moving annual commemoration of the dead.

But thanks for pointing out that it is not, at least in origin, an evil festival.
 
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Kangaroo Feathers

Yea, it is written in the Book of Cyril...
The whole idea comes from a Protestant movement against what was actually a largely Catholic holiday.

A Catholic's Guide to Halloween

The early Catholic church had a great number of martyrs. Why, you ask? Because of early Roman persecution. Christians were sent to be eaten by lions. Put on the cross. Forced to stand in cold water for hours on end, freezing to death, and hopes they would recant. Instead, they made converts of the Romans during these spectacles. Who in turn were subjected to this for years and years.

They had festivals of each major saint who had a major leadership role in the church. However, the number of martyrs were simply too numerous to count, so a day was set aside, All Saints Day, to honor their sacrifice. The day after that is All Hallows Eve (All Hallows Eve -> Hallow Even -> Hallowe'en -> Halloween). Halloween didn't come from Samhain. It may have, possibly, have been influenced from a Christian attempt to reach pagan crowds, hence the specific choice of date (originally All Saints was May 13). But it is also distinctly Christian, even though pagans can celebrate it, just as some celebrate Yule AND Christmas.

In fact, the whole "demonic" smear about Halloween is a direct result of Protestants being against Catholicism and all its saint statues. It's super popular, and they can't seem to get rid of it, so they tell people it's "evil" and "pagan". And yet, the Day of the Dead, celebrates matters exactly as this article describes, and it's celebrated in largely Catholic countries.

Christians, This Is Our Night

I'm Protestant btw. But I've learned the story of the early martyrs. It's time to learn the True Meaning of Halloween. That it is not about evil, demons, or death, but about the triumph over such things. This is biblical.

So yeah, Halloween is commercial. But it's also an opportunity to share the Gospel.
I even know plenty of protestants who are fine with Halloween. This whole "Halloween is evil!" thing seems largely to be an invention of the more extreme and fundamentalist denominations, and fairly recent, too.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
I even know plenty of protestants who are fine with Halloween. This whole "Halloween is evil!" thing seems largely to be an invention of the more extreme and fundamentalist denominations, and fairly recent, too.
In Scotland you can still find people who think celebrating Christmas is evil! So they all get plastered on New Year's Eve instead. Mush more Chrishtian, you shee.

All this brings to mind the reasons why the people of England invited Charles II to return, after enduring the misery of Puritan rule during the Commonwealth.
 

Kangaroo Feathers

Yea, it is written in the Book of Cyril...
In Scotland you can still find people who think celebrating Christmas is evil! So they all get plastered on New Year's Eve instead. Mush more Chrishtian, you shee.

All this brings to mind the reasons why the people of England invited Charles II to return, after enduring the misery of Puritan rule during the Commonwealth.
Well, Scotland really is the New Zealand of Europe, so I can't say I'm surprised.
 

Holdasown

Active Member
It's not the day after All Hallows, it is the eve of All Hallows, i.e. the day before.

Just as Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas Day.


All Saints' Day (Toussaints) is 1st November.

You re confusing Halloween with All Souls' Day, which is 2nd November. This is the day on which in Catholic countries such as France, people traditionally go to tidy up the graves of their dead relatives, plant flowers and pay their respects.

In fact it seems that All Hallows Eve, all Saints Day and All Souls Day originally constituted a triduum: Allhallowtide - Wikipedia

Sadly now all we are left with is a tacky, commercialised relic of this rather moving annual commemoration of the dead.

But thanks for pointing out that it is not, at least in origin, an evil festival.

Just like Christmas, Halloween is what you make it. I hate when people blame their poor observance of the day on society. It's your house.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
Halloween (now, Oct. 31) is the advent of winter. 3,000 years ago, it was at the time of autumnal equinox (now, Sept. 23). It has slipped by more than a month because of precession of equinox. It has nothing to do with Saints and Satan.
Because the full precession takes 25,772 years, in 3,000 years the slip would be 42 days, not the 38 you claim. Not a huge difference, but too much to establish the movement you claim. :shrug:

.
 
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Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
OK. Perhaps the tradition is exactly 2714.2857 years ago (not counting the Roman habit to fiddle with calendar). ;)

"The system of aligning the year through intercalary months broke down at least twice: the first time was during and after the Second Punic War. It led to the reform of the 191 BC Acilian Law on Intercalation, the details of which are unclear, but it appears to have successfully regulated intercalation for over a century. The second breakdown was in the middle of the first century BC and may have been related to the increasingly chaotic and adversarial nature of Roman politics at the time. The position of Pontifex Maximus was not a full-time job; it was held by a member of the Roman elite, who would almost invariably be involved in the machinations of Roman politics. Because the term of office of elected Roman magistrates was defined in terms of a Roman calendar year, a Pontifex Maximus would have reason to lengthen a year in which he or his allies were in power or shorten a year in which his political opponents held office."
Roman calendar - Wikipedia
 
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