Have you ever celebrated Easter Day with Good Friday and Holy Saturday?
Read on for the roots and transformation of All Hallows' Eve.
Around this time of year, you might be hearing of outspoken church families admonish the festivities of Halloween (short for "All Hallows' Eve") as a day of satanic worship, ritual, and the conjuring of evil and demonic spirits. In the church of Christianity's attempts to discard Halloween, they have only transformed it. Hallows' Eve roots date back 2,000 years to the days of the Celtic Samhain (pronounced "Sow-in") festival, which marked the end of the summer harvesting season (hence the pumpkin) and the beginning of winter when people are more likely to stay in doors and feed on harvested goods.
With the abundance of harvested crop, Celtic tradition has it that wandering sprits would go around in their communities approaching homes that were lit up and where food and drink were laid out. This was practiced to please these wandering spirits that might play tricks on the family while passing from home-to-home. The term "trick-or-treating" or "guising" is the disguised "challenger's" (disguised as a spirit) ultimatum upon approaching the home to either "deliver the goods" or "face mischief." If the challenge is satisfied the wandering "spirit" goes away whereas unsatisfied challengers smash pumpkins and toilet paper (TP) parties result.
The Catholic church communes between 31 October (All Hallows' Eve) and 1 November (All Saint's Day) to celebrate those families whom pleased the wandering spirits (stuck in purgatory) so as to compel off mischief from the communities.
In pagan cultures, the Spring season begins during the Easter celebration to take pride in the re-birth (breeding season) of nature on earth and the Winter season begins during the Christmas celebration to celebrate the re-birth of the Sun from being "entombed" in the 3-day and 3-night winter solstice.
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