discussion Do modern Christians know Halloween is actually a Christan Holiday?

[Armani?]

Apparently Catholics still celebrate All Saints Day but other Christians seem to be oblivious to the fact it's actually a Christian holiday to honor dead Saints, instead calling it satanic & evil in nature

[X~MoviePoP]

No, its because the world and media have twisted Halloween into something blasphemous and weird. Of course Christians arent going to celebrate it.

Edited October 8, 2023 by X~MoviePoP

[Istan4R]

Well Halloween does contribute to obesity and people not wanting to be their authentic selves;  dressing up as others to mask their identities

[Tropez]

10 minutes ago, X~MoviePoP said:

No, its because the world and media have twisted Halloween into something blasphemous and weird. Of course Christians arent going to celebrate it.

Christmas and Easter are also very commercialized. 

[Alldeezy]

why does every holiday have to be a some sorta god related thing 

 

I know Easter & Christmas is ... but never thought Halloween was 

[Devin]

Halloween is meant to be fun & harmless, people take the fun outta it.

[Communion]

15 minutes ago, X~MoviePoP said:

No, its because the world and media have twisted Halloween into something blasphemous and weird. Of course Christians arent going to celebrate it.

Isn't the nation where Halloween is the most celebrated largely.... Christian? 

[Raver]

You should go to a Christian church tomorrow morning and remind them 

[Armani?]

12 minutes ago, Alldeezy said:

why does every holiday have to be a some sorta god related thing 

 

I know Easter & Christmas is ... but never thought Halloween was 

Hallow means holy or Saint nnn

 

The scary connotations of the holiday come from Pagan traditions I guess lol. But lighting candles & praying for the dead in a graveyard is still in that realm I guess

[terrorblade]

isn't it catholic

[dumbsparce]

There are many divisions of Christianity. Devilish-looking pumpkins seem suspicious to eastern orthodox christians or 7th day adventists.

Edited October 8, 2023 by dumbsparce

[truthteller]

it doesnt fit the narrative that they keep pushing so.... 

[Folklore89sm]

Halloween started as an ancient pagan Celtic festival in Ireland called Samhain (pronounced Sa-win). It was October 31 each year and it was the last night of their calendar year. They believed that on the night of Samhain, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thinner, and spirits - both good and evil - could cross over. Bonfires were lit to warn off the dark spirits and welcome in the good, and costumes were worn to scare off the bad ones. Samhain was also celebrated as it marked the end of the harvest and was the last holiday before the beginning of the cold, harsh winter season began, when the chance of not surviving the cold months was high.

 

As Christianity spread, the leaders in Ireland had originally had the Christian ‘All Hallows Eve ’ equivalent holiday in May, but moved it to October 31 to coincide with the pre-existing, thematically similar holiday (likely to draw in more members of the faith). 
 

All Hallow’s Eve then was eventually shortened to Halloween, which was spread to America and the rest of the world mostly when the Irish immigrants travelled to escape the famine.

 

edit: I’m an irish catholic and here at least, Halloween and All Saints Day/All Souls’ Day (November 1 and 2) don’t really overlap.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Folklore89sm

[Mirtilo]

Neo-charismatics tend to be against Catholicism

[Folklore89sm]

Also Jack-o-lanterns were originally carved out of turnips and the candle was originally a glowing piece of hot coal. Again, the purpose was to warn off evil spirits (one particular spirit in Irish folklore is called Stingy Jack, who found himself roaming the earth for all eternity after making a deal, and ultimately being tricked, by the devil). When traditions spread to the US, the opted for pumpkins as they were more readily available and easier to carve).

[Communion]

17 minutes ago, Folklore89sm said:

Halloween started as an ancient pagan Celtic festival in Ireland called Samhain (pronounced Sa-win). It was October 31 each year and it was the last night of their calendar year. They believed that on the night of Samhain, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thinner, and spirits - both good and evil - could cross over. Bonfires were lit to warn off the dark spirits and welcome in the good, and costumes were worn to scare off the bad ones. Samhain was also celebrated as it marked the end of the harvest and was the last holiday before the beginning of the cold, harsh winter season began, when the chance of not surviving the cold months was high.

 

As Christianity spread, the leaders in Ireland had originally had the Christian ‘All Hallows Eve ’ equivalent holiday in May, but moved it to October 31 to coincide with the pre-existing, thematically similar holiday (likely to draw in more members of the faith). 
 

All Hallow’s Eve then was eventually shortened to Halloween, which was spread to America and the rest of the world mostly when the Irish immigrants travelled to escape the famine.

 

edit: I’m an irish catholic and here at least, Halloween and All Saints Day/All Souls’ Day (November 1 and 2) don’t really overlap.

 

13 minutes ago, Folklore89sm said:

Also Jack-o-lanterns were originally carved out of turnips and the candle was originally a glowing piece of hot coal. Again, the purpose was to warn off evil spirits (one particular spirit in Irish folklore is called Stingy Jack, who found himself roaming the earth for all eternity after making a deal, and ultimately being tricked, by the devil). When traditions spread to the US, the opted for pumpkins as they were more readily available and easier to carve).

Oooh I love ATRLers being well-read and teaching fellow users something new. Never knew any of this. Thank you for posting it!

[byzantium]

1 hour ago, Armani? said:

Apparently Catholics still celebrate All Saints Day but other Christians seem to be oblivious to the fact it's actually a Christian holiday to honor dead Saints, instead calling it satanic & evil in nature

All Saint’s Day is Nov. 1st. Halloween is just the Eve of that day.  I think it had roots as a pagan holiday that the church just incorporated into its practice but it has always been semi-non Christian and not really deeply rooted in Christianity.  

[Armani?]

7 minutes ago, byzantium said:

All Saint’s Day is Nov. 1st. Halloween is just the Eve of that day.  I think it had roots as a pagan holiday that the church just incorporated into its practice but it has always been semi-non Christian and not really deeply rooted in Christianity.  

Neither is Jesus being born in December yet they still celebrate it

[byzantium]

11 minutes ago, Armani? said:

Neither is Jesus being born in December yet they still celebrate it

I mean there is about 1/12 chance he was born in December.  No one ever said the day in which you celebrate something has to be the anniversary of something.  It’s highly likely Jesus did not die on the first Friday after the first full moon after the spring equinox as well.  
 

But to suggest that the celebration Christmas is not a holiday deeply rooted in Christianity is a bit of an odd claim to make. 

[Armani?]

10 minutes ago, byzantium said:

I mean there is about 1/12 chance he was born in December.  No one ever said the day in which you celebrate something has to be the anniversary of something.  It’s highly likely Jesus did not die on the first Friday after the first full moon after the spring equinox as well.  
 

But to suggest that the celebration Christmas is not a holiday deeply rooted in Christianity is a bit of an odd claim to make. 

I said the date/season is not rooted in Christianity 

 

The date they chose to celebrate the birth of Christ was another Pagan holiday, the Saturnalia festival & a sun God called Mithra 

[byzantium]

1 minute ago, Armani? said:

I said the date/season is not rooted in Christianity 

 

The date they chose to celebrate the birth of Christ was another Pagan holiday, the Saturnalia festival & a sun God called Mithra 

Yah, most of the religious holidays were.   But Christmas is a much more important religious holiday than the day before All Saints’ Day. 

[KOMH]

Hallowe'en has been celebrated here in Ireland for over 1,000 years. We called the festival Samhain, or Oíche Shamhna as it is currently called in Irish Gaelic, and it marked the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter, i.e., the darker half of the year. This is the festival from which the modern holiday of Halloween was spawned. The vast majority of modern Halloween traditions were inherited from Irish and Scottish immigrants. 

 

Do your research.

[Frozen99]

6 hours ago, Folklore89sm said:

Halloween started as an ancient pagan Celtic festival in Ireland called Samhain (pronounced Sa-win). It was October 31 each year and it was the last night of their calendar year. They believed that on the night of Samhain, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thinner, and spirits - both good and evil - could cross over. Bonfires were lit to warn off the dark spirits and welcome in the good, and costumes were worn to scare off the bad ones. Samhain was also celebrated as it marked the end of the harvest and was the last holiday before the beginning of the cold, harsh winter season began, when the chance of not surviving the cold months was high.

 

As Christianity spread, the leaders in Ireland had originally had the Christian ‘All Hallows Eve ’ equivalent holiday in May, but moved it to October 31 to coincide with the pre-existing, thematically similar holiday (likely to draw in more members of the faith). 
 

All Hallow’s Eve then was eventually shortened to Halloween, which was spread to America and the rest of the world mostly when the Irish immigrants travelled to escape the famine.

 

edit: I’m an irish catholic and here at least, Halloween and All Saints Day/All Souls’ Day (November 1 and 2) don’t really overlap.

6 hours ago, Folklore89sm said:

Also Jack-o-lanterns were originally carved out of turnips and the candle was originally a glowing piece of hot coal. Again, the purpose was to warn off evil spirits (one particular spirit in Irish folklore is called Stingy Jack, who found himself roaming the earth for all eternity after making a deal, and ultimately being tricked, by the devil). When traditions spread to the US, the opted for pumpkins as they were more readily available and easier to carve).

it's funny to me that we were taught that at school and i'm from czechia but americans who actually spread the holiday across the world aren't aware of it

[Embustera]

Every year on All Saints Day I go to my grandmother's grave, to celebrate her life. 

[Rep2000]

8 hours ago, X~MoviePoP said:

No, its because the world and media have twisted Halloween into something blasphemous and weird. Of course Christians arent going to celebrate it.

Hm, this is rich considering that Christianity stole, hijacked and whitewashed all its holidays from paganism in the first place.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Rep2000