De-Paganizing Halloween (Again)
The conservative Christian mindset can often be a funny one. When Christmas rolls around you’ll hear talk of “defending” the holiday and “keeping Christ in Christmas” and so on. Often this rhetoric is backed up with the claim that all religious faiths should have the freedom to express itself in public (so long as that faith is Christianity of course). But come Halloween a different tune is hummed. Then you hear Christian pundits bemoan the resurgence of Paganism, often by telling lies about ancient paganism, and great expense is put into evangelical efforts so their community is spared even a whiff of “pagan” things.
Catholics are quick to point out that they Christianized the ancient pagan holidays around October 31st – November 2nd first. As such, they call for a renewed interest in All Saints’ Day and All Souls Day.
“If the world has abducted another feast and made this one an occasion for witchery and paganism, families must say: ‘This is a Catholic feast. Let’s celebrate it as such.’ Oct. 31 is a hallowed evening because it’s the evening before All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1…” – Father Kevin Barrett
I love it when Pagan reclamation is labeled “abduction” don’t you? But at least the Catholics try to focus on their own. Evangelicals, unburdened of such tradition and culture, take the fight straight to the “pagans” by telling outright lies about ancient paganism (in hoping to convert us today I suppose). Extreme nut-job Pastor Tara Lewis wins the lies about ancient Celtic holidays trifecta!
“The origin of Halloween is the Celtic festival of Samhain, lord of death and evil spirits…Druids in Britain, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, and other Celtic countries observed the end of summer by making sacrifices to Samhain…They believed that Muck Olla, their sun god, was losing strength and Samhain, lord of death, was overpowering him…Druid priests would lead the people in diabolical worship ceremonies in which horses, cats, black sheep, oxen, human beings and other offerings were rounded up, stuffed into wicker cages and burned to death.”
Debunking that entire quote would be an entry to itself, so I’ll let Isaac Bonewits do the heavy lifting for me on that one. Lewis even trots out former Pagan (and utter liar) Tom Sanguinet to back up her claims.
“Giving Halloween candy is symbolic of a sacrifice to false gods. You are participating in idolatry.”
No wonder Paganism is on the upswing! All those sacrifices all over the world! Maybe a reporter can try to validate evangelical fears by citing a flawed survey on American religion?
“But the re-emergence of neo-paganism, has many evangelicals worried. Practices such as witchcraft and spells have gained in popularity. Surveys confirm that paranormal beliefs are alive and well among U.S. citizens. According to a recent Baylor University survey, 28 percent of Americans consult horoscopes, 22 percent have lived or visited a house they believe to have been haunted, and 43 percent had a dream that came true.”
I love it when a plan comes together. Even the Church of England is getting into it! Witness this story about a Vicar in Middleton Junction.
“Halloween has never been a Christian holiday and it has no place in the life of a born again believer in Jesus Christ. In fact, it is an abomination to God and we should take our stand firmly against it.” – Reverend Ian Cook
They, like many churches in America and the UK, are holding alternate Christian-themed events in an attempt to convince children that there is nothing fun about Halloween. Since there is nothing nutty Christians like those listed above do better than suck the fun out of things, perhaps their attempts to “de-paganize” Halloween will be successful (at least until the kids are old enough to realize what they are missing out on).
13 responses so far
I never heard of a god named Muck Ola have you? It sounds like something people say when it’s not polite to say “crap,” doesn’t it?
I find it interesting when someone like you makes this issue black and white, this side or that and evangelicals against the world.
Let’s be honest here; what you’re doing is the exact polar opposite of the extremist Christians that you’re talking bad about.
You said, “They, like many churches in America and the UK, are holding alternate Christian-themed events in an attempt to convince children that there is nothing fun about Halloween.”
Does this statement even make sense? Are parents across the world in a united effort to make life miserable for their children? Is it possible that they’re holding alternative events because they don’t agree with themes of the holiday (interesting term in this context, huh?) and would rather provide an alternative event so kids can have fun under their guidelines and not some pre-supposed or pop-culture tradition? I think you’re giving the holiday traditions more credit than their worth. Perhaps people just want to celebrate differently. Don’t I have a right to disagree with traditions and create my own? Why do I have to buy into a tradition based on a culture for which I have no allegiance?
Why can’t we all have differing opinions and create traditions base on what we believe in? If a person isn?t Catholic why do they have to buy into a tradition of celebrating saints? If a person doesn?t believe in wearing costumes why convince them that they?re somehow missing the point. How about we find it in ourselves to allow people to adopt what they want out of the holidays and make it what they want and let the rest be?
And by the way, it?s agreeable to disagree, right?
Jason Furtak, Crazed American Parent
“..what you’re doing is the exact polar opposite of the extremist Christians that you’re talking bad about.”
I find the “your an extremist” too argument pretty flimsy. I don’t tell lies about the Christian faith, nor do I work to eliminate traces of Christianity from my community. I have an opinion that Christian “harvest festivals” are boring, because I seen them and talked to people who have attended them. These things hardly paint me as an “opposite” to the nuts profiled here.
“Why can’t we all have differing opinions and create traditions base on what we believe in?”
Indeed, why can’t we? Are you going to help me convince Christians to celebrate their “harvest festivals” in a private manner and not use the holiday as a means towards evangelization? Are you going to work towards correcting the outright falsehoods Christians tell about the origins of Samhain?
Jason (nice name by the way), you have every right to disagree with me, and you have every right to throw whatever kind of “festival” you want on any day you want. But I also have the right to criticize those who deem themselves experts on my religious heritage and set themselves up as “warriors” against our “influence”.
Fair enough. Thanks for sharing.
Don’t you find it interesting that Christians would be celebrating a “harvest festival” as an alterntive to Halloween? Follow me here: In their context Halloween is from All Hallows Eve’ning the night before All Saints Day. Now they feel that Halloween has been brought back to the pagan origins so they respond by having a Harvest Festival. What was it again that the pagan traditions where celebrating? You get where I’m going here.
Nice, chatting with ya.
Jason Furtak, “Believer” of Something better
“Don’t you find it interesting that Christians would be celebrating a “harvest festival” as an alterntive to Halloween?”
…and they say irony is dead.
… “believer” in something better: Arrogance!
No, just a lable branded on my back.
My hope is in something better than what this world provides. I’m not certain why anyone would find arrogance in this statement.
Debates on non-essential issues just fills the time.
Jenn –
Apparently, Muck-olla is miss sited as a “boogy-man” of halloween. The following article meantions it:
http://altreligion.about.com/library/weekly/aa101502a.htm
“There was a very minor Celtic god of herders called Samhain or Saman, but the Celtic God of the dead was called Gwynn ap Nudd. A creature named Muck-olla did exist, but was a havoc wreaking mythological bull out of much later Welsh legend.”
Hope this helps,
~Jason Furtak~
To further clarify the quote from the above article.
“Samain” or “Sawan” was minor hero in Irish Celtic myth notable only for having his magical cow stolen by Balor. There is no proof that “Samain” was a god or worshiped in any fashion.
Gwynn ap Nudd was perhaps a Celtic god of the dead. He was Welsh, not Irish in origin.
While the Celts are all linguistically linked, different regions had different gods (and myths about those gods). There are few proven “pan-Celtic” deities.
Hey Jason,
Nice chatting with ya. Perhaps we’ll cross paths again.
Regards,
~Jason Furtak~
Where did you see “Sawan” or “Samain” presented as a minor hero in Irish mythology? I have never heard of this.
An entry for “Sawan” does appear in Mike Dixon-Kennedy’s “Celtic Myth and Legend” where he is described as brother to Cian and Gobban. He was in charge of a magical cow which was stolen by Balar. I haven’t found anything further in my library. But then my area of study in Celtic myths was mostly in the Welsh and Gaulish.
That would appear to be the only reference to Sawan based on what I’ve dug up. Quite minor, in short, and hardly anyone someone who studies the lore with a less prejudiced eye than a fundamentalist Christian would conflate with a holiday. I’ve also seen commentary that some writers have tried to claim Crom Cruach’s other name was Samhain, but this is completely unsupported conjecture on their parts.