Hint: it’s NOT pagan.
It’s a copy of a pagan holiday. Well more like the Catholic Church copied it then the two blended together over time into what is now Halloween. Just like almost every single Christian holiday. Easier to convert those pagans if your holidays are just like theirs.
This site disagrees.
Quote: Is it true that the Catholic celebration of Halloween has some pagan roots?
-
Halloween is a Catholic holiday. It does not have origins in paganism, Samhain, Druidic festivals, the occult, or Satanism . This common misconception is relatively new anti-Catholic propaganda, with roots going back to the Protestant Reformation. It has no basis in historical fact.
-
Many people see the coincidence of dates between Samhain and All Saints Day and presume a connection. However, it turns out the date is just that: a coincidence .
1 Like
Looking at your own wikipedia article, I think that the SECOND sentence here is correct:
Quote: It is widely believed that many of the modern secular customs of All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) were influenced by the festival of Samhain.[104][105] Other scholars argue that Samhain’s influence has been exaggerated, and that All Hallows’ also influenced Samhain itself.[106]
So you see, the Catholics didn’t copy the pagans.
In this case…the pagans copied the Catholics!
The Washington Post agrees.
Halloween is more Christian than Pagan.
There’s little to no evidence that Samhain influenced it at all.
The reason the Catholic Church embraced secular things thru out history was to not become closed off to the world. They thought they could better reach people by being part of the whole. One reason priests became educated was centuries ago, someone said what does a dumb priest know? After that they started getting degrees so that they knew as much or more than others in all areas.They then started creating catholic universities all over America. They have to have a bachelors degree then 4 more yrs and many have masters degrees or more so they understand math, science etc. A Protestant preacher might not need any formal training to start a church where as priests have to have certain credentials. It goes back centuries ago when they said what does a dumb priest know so they countered it by going to school.
There has been a lot of work put into trying to make it seem like Christian days of significance weren’t moved or changed to better coincide with pagan holidays/celebrations. I guess because Christians think that would make them less significant? I don’t get it. Religion was around for thousands of years before Christianity. Every religion in existence was built with ideas from previous ones. The pope moved the holiday to a date that was right there with a celebration that is believed to be around for hundreds of years before? The smell test doesn’t seem right on that. I am sure you will find many, many more articles written by Catholics that will “back up” that its just a coincidence. The fact that all legit history sources will say Samhain was there first when no body even cares about the holiday tells me all I need to know.
Either way, today’s Halloween is about as far from Christianity as it can get. Girls dress slutty, teenagers pull pranks and break the law, movies with killing are glorified, people dress up as demons/devils/witches, and its another holiday excuse to get drunk. If that is what Catholics are proud of starting, take all the credit!
2 Likes
You’re saying this like these are bad things…I mean breaking the law is in fact bad. But the rest of the stuff?
2 Likes
As far as the way girls dress for Halloween, it’s the sign of the times from decades ago from the sexual revolution not really the Catholic Church pushing that part of it.I do agree that halloween is anti Christian in many ways but so is society in many ways if we want to debate it that far. I like Halloween because it’s fun so.
1 Like
Tell me this guy isn’t religious! You secular zealots!!
1 Like
Dress up and have fun FFS.
I was looking at it from a true Christian’s perspective. From mine? You don’t want to go down that dark, dark hallway.
Give that All Saint’s Day dates back to the 7th century (albeit on a different date), any contention that the Catholic Church simply adopted a pagan holiday (for which there’s no mention prior to the 9th century) strains the limits of credulity.
It’s definitely Christian, not pagan.
I wouldn’t say adopted, they adjusted the holiday to align with a pagan one. The costume side of Halloween definitely didn’t start from All Saint’s Day. But the original idea was influenced from pagan festivals too, Lemuria seemed to be a major one used. I can understand the push to “take back” the holiday since almost no body considers it a Christian holiday anymore, but that doesn’t mean its origins are purely Christian. Give credit where it is due, a lot of holidays and festivals were there before it. The Catholic Church did popularize the holiday, so that could be the best argument for Halloween being a Christian holiday.
The costume thing is mostly a rip off from Guy Fawkes day, not a Pagan holiday.
During Samhain they literally went door to door in costumes for food! LMAO!
Just like Guy Fawkes Day!!!
Halloween is simply NOT pagan, no matter how much people may insist otherwise!
1000 years later. You’re starting to sound like a religious bigot. Those religions deserve their credit for us getting to see women dress slutty and an excuse to overconsume candy.
Except that, as I said, All Saint’s Day PREDATED Samhain, making it impossible for Halloween to have been ripped off from Samhain.
Ignoring that evidence is religious bigotry, in my view.
As for masks, costumes, and trick or treating, that’s a rip off from Guy Fawkes Day, NOT a pagan holiday.
I quoted a religion Professor above. She says Halloween is more Christian than pagan, so I stand by my authority.
