How the hell did Satan take over Halloween?
Most of the young trick-or-treaters walking around in the twilight of Halloween don’t really care much about the background of the holiday/holy day they’re celebrating. Dressed in various costumes such as goblins and ghosts, heroes or villains of old, these children unwittingly act out ancient traditions that began with a Celtic pagan festival some 20 centuries ago in Europe and gradually became a Catholic holiday on the eve of All Saints’ Day. However, much of the tradition has been eclipsed by the relentless passage of time and fading memories.
One thing is certain about the celebration: the devil had no part in it. It was later added to the celebration gradually after St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland in 432 AD. Up to this time the Irish and other Celtic peoples such as the Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Bretons and others had no idea of a devil in their worship.
But they had a strong sense of the afterlife, which was simply called “the afterlife.” The Irish Celts called it “Tir na Nog” (land of eternal youth). It was a joyful place. It was more of a land of enchantment and a paradise in the West Sea.
Over this nether world reigned Samhain (pronounced “sow-en”), who was known as “Lord of the Dead.” But he had no dealings with the devil.
Even today in Ireland, one of the Celtic countries where ancient customs still survive, All Saints’ Eve (Halloween) before All Saints’ Day is known as Samhain Eve. The following day marks the beginning of the Celtic New Year, November 1, and also marks the end of the grazing season and the gathering of all crops for the winter.
According to ancient Celtic custom, all fires had to be extinguished and new ones lit to usher in a new year of abundance and light and another victory of the sun over darkness.
For the ancient Celts, Halloween could also be a night of danger and terror as a time when the spirits of the other world roam free. The Celts left “treats” on their doorsteps for the spirits of their ancestors and carved huge rutabagas or turnips and placed a candle inside these “spirit lights” to guide their ancestors home. It can be a night of happiness or discomfort depending on the relationship between the families and their ancestors.
Spirits from the afterlife could also return even to an old score to demand justice for a previous injustice done to them. Therefore, the Celts began to wear costumes and masks to hide from the vengeful ancestors. It was also a time when the future could be understood by following certain practices, such as searching for apples. When caught, the apple was peeled, and the skins were thrown over the shoulder. After that, the barks had to indicate the name of the future spouse or other important information.
The Celts also believed that black cats crossing a person’s path would bring bad luck. The Celts believed that black cats were former beings who had been turned into animals as a form of punishment for having done evil. The Celts also believed that spirits lived in trees and would therefore “knock on a tree” to ensure that their luck would continue. This may be part of the understanding of the use of the term “Luck of the Irish”. But it is also used to explain their great success as immigrants, especially in the United States.
Before coming to America as a holiday, Halloween had another religious origin. There is still much debate about how the feast of All Saints replaced the old Celtic festival. Around 610 AD, the Roman Emperor Phocas presented Pope Boniface IV with the Roman Pantheon – the temple where pagan Roman gods and goddesses were worshipped. The Pantheon was then rededicated under the title “Santa Maria ad Martyres” (Saint Mary of the Martyrs). The consecration ceremony took place on May 13, and its anniversary was celebrated each year with great ceremony. Some historians consider this to be the origin of the feast of All Saints.
Other scholars insist that Pope Gregory III initiated the holiday when he dedicated an oratory of All Saints in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It seems that from this point on, at least in England, the holiday was celebrated on November 1st.
The famous scientist J. Hennig, however, rejects both explanations and places the origin of the date on November 1 in Ireland. According to this theory, the holiday passed from Ireland to Northumberland in England, and then to the continent of Europe, where other Celtic peoples would also align it with the celebration of the New Year. It should also be noted that by this time the Irish missionaries had already begun their journeys to England and the Continent and had a great influence on ecclesiastical affairs in that area.
Whatever the exact pagan Celtic or Christian origins of Halloween, we can thank their modern Irish and Scots-Irish counterparts for preserving such a joyous childhood holiday.
The Irish were largely responsible for or brought their customs and celebrations to America in the mid-19th century when thousands of them flocked to the shores of the United States after the Great Famine of 1847-50 in Ireland. They had spread their empire and customs from the islands of the Atlantic to the Black Sea and from the Mediterranean to the North Sea.
These energetic and inventive people have given the world a zest for life, an incredible supply of sages and legends, and great modern literature by writers such as Shaw, Yeats, O’Casey, Beckett, Joyce and others.
And also with all this, they gave a Catholic/Christian meaning to an ancient holiday and brought Halloween to America to be enjoyed trick or treating all over the land.
But they did not bring Satan or devil worship to the joyous celebration of the Celtic New Year, November 1st.
#hell #Satan #Halloween
