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Halloween

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Samhain/halloween/samhuinn... whatever you wish to call it, it's October the 31st and perhaps one of the more controversial holidays on the calender. After all it's a night of ghosts and ghouls and demons and witches isn't it? And according to the Christian calender it's also two days before All Saints day. But what are the roots to this holiday? And furthermore, why would a nation that seems within the majority Christian (and has a fundamentalist leader) celebrate (or is commercialise a better word?) a pagan holiday?

So I'm going to write a little about the roots and about how neo pagans celebrate today. Also, I'd be interested on what people on these boards think about witchcraft and paganism and wicca. Just to make sure you guys know....
  • A witch in simple terms is a person who lives their life practicing magick. Witchcraft is a way of life more than a religion although it is often firmly based around appreciation of the goddess and the horned god (not satan, surprisingly enough).
  • A pagan is a person who falls under a fairly broad definition. The term 'pagan' originally came from the Latin word for 'peasent' or 'countryman' and it encompasses all people who follow a non-judeo-Christian polytheistic religion or path of belief. So this can include discordianism, wicca, druidry, paths such as the golden dawn and traditional witchcraft. Most pagans also tend to worship the horned god and the goddess.
  • Wicca... despite many wiccan kids believing that their religion is as old as time itself or that 'wicca' is a term for white magick... Wicca is actually an eclectic religion that came about in the 1960s and was created by Gerald Gardner and it involves a hishhash of druidry with the odd Eastern influence and the worship of the triple goddess and the horned god. Wicca, in my opinion is quite snobby.

Now the origins. The festival of samhuinn/samhain (pronounced 'sow' as in pig and 'en'... 'sow-en') originated from a celtic festival that took place from October 31st to November 2nd.
Samhuinn, from October 31st to November 2nd, was a time of no-time. Celtic society, like all early societies, was highly structured and organised - everyone knew their place. But to allow that order to be psychologically comfortable, the Celts knew that there had to be a time when order and structure were abolished - when chaos could reign. And Samhuinn was such a time. Time was abolished for the three days of this festival, and people did crazy things - men dressed as women and women as men. Farmers' gates were unhinged and left in ditches, peoples' horses were moved to different fields, and children would knock on neighbours' doors for food and treats in a way that we still find today, in a watered-down way, in the custom of trick-or-treating on Hallowe'en. Taken from the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.

Samhain is also the beginning of the Celtic new year, the beguinning of the cider season and a rite and festival of the dead. At this time witches honour the deceased. However, the dead are not honoured and feasted as the dead but as living spirits. The veil between the living world and the world of the dead is at its thinnest and the Druids took advantage of this, believing that it would help them contact and learn from their ancestors.

It is also the time for getting rid of weaknesses. One mini tradition pagans can do is to write their weaknesses on paper, meditate over them and then burn them in the ritual fire. Then they'd thank the god and the goddess (or 'lord and lady' depending on what they'd like to call them).

A witch might celebrate by setting a free space at the dinner table for a dearly departed one. Others light candles in rememberance. Some people even make masks or play games to celebrate.

So the above is a very brief overview of the celebration and, well I'd like to hear some people's opinions on it if that's alright. Firstly, if the America and the UK are supposedly Christian, or at least their leaders are then is it really alright to celebrate and commercialise a pagan religion without giving publicity to its roots and to what it really means? Surely if they started commercialising a Jewish or Muslim celebration there would be a slightly different reaction to it all.

Secondly, there are pagans out there... but should we have to hide our spirituality from people because of fear of discrimination? Should we have the same rights to celebrate our festivals, to wear our pentacles and pentagrams without getting called 'witches' or 'heathens' and to be represented fairly and in a non discriminating way in the media?

Personally I have to hide the fact that I'm pagan in work because of the fact that people might discriminate as we have a lot of older Christians in. People have recognised my pentacle however, although they usually relate it to witchcraft or patronise me saying that I watch too much Buffy or that I'm not very bright and don't understand religion... however, paganism is very very deeply intellectual on some levels... and surely we deserve equal rights to jewish, Muslim and Sihk people.

(Just to note, this post isn't to promote what I believe and I don't want people saying "oooh you're thick/weak/ding it for the trend" I'm just enquiring on people's opinions and attitudes to paganism)

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Halloween

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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Re: Halloween
    Originally posted by girl with sharp teeth

    don't reply with "pagan festivals stolen by christians" please.

    why? i hope your not one of those chrisians who don't like the ...truth?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    All I know is, its my birthday. Surely that in itself is worthy of a national holiday.:D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Captain Slog
    All I know is, its my birthday. Surely that in itself is worthy of a national holiday.:D
    happy birthday cap'n!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Re: Re: Halloween

    .
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And why would you react so negatively toward someone who did state that fact?

    Its my mom's birthday too, she always told us she was going to ride around on her broom but she never did. lol.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Clandestine

    Its my mom's birthday too, she always told us she was going to ride around on her broom but she never did. lol.
    and a happy birthday to mrs clandestine senior!
    we'll be able to have a party in here at this rate!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hehe, Mother Clandestine thanks you for your thoughtfulness!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Happy birthday Slog............. :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Indeed, Happy Bday!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Re: Halloween
    Originally posted by girl with sharp teeth
    what are christmas and easter if not hugely commerical christian celebrations?

    don't reply with "pagan festivals stolen by christians" please.

    i don't care if someone's a pagan or not. i don't care what religion anybody is, as long as i don't get it shoved down my throat all the time, which is where many pagans seem to fall down.

    Nah, they only set the dates near the times of Yule (where Christmas is) and Eostre (where easter is) in an attempt to attract and convert pagans back in the time of early Christianity. I wouldn't say the festivals were stolen or that any faith is better than another. :p

    But what I mean is, why celebrate halloween as it's a pagan festival? If a society is not pagan? Does that not go against Christianity? I'm pretty sure (and I shall find a quote later) that Christians and pagans don't get on (and yeah, some pagans piss me off with anti-Christian views too).

    Along the same lines... how many people turn around and say religion is bullshit, yet still give and recieve presents at Christmas and buy easter eggs? maybe commercialism is our new religion...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    .
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yup, but then all three days were originally used by the celts as a celebration :p

    Didja know that a new day according to the celts starts when the sun goes down, not when it rises? Thus all hallows eve is one of the only celebrations that celebrates the true beginning of the celtic day.
    well the whole easter egg ritual is not christian in origin

    Neither are the colours of halloween, the mistletoe we kiss under at Christmas and the holly and ivy.
    christians can find plenty of excuses to celebrate halloween

    Or perhaps it's the government and toy companies cashing in on the celebration and not the Christians.

    Why don't we celebrate Jewish, Muslim and Hindu festivals as well? I'm sure they can be bastardised to make money and then in future years, celebrated by people who don't know the meaning of them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Like St Patricks Day celebrations in England.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Saint George lived in the middle east apparently.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by MoonRat
    Saint George lived in the middle east apparently.

    and chased the dragon ...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I can see where you're coming from. Most of my friends are openly scornful of the Christian religion, yet still celebrate Christmas (or rather, that delightful notion of Xmas :rolleyes: ).

    I don't like how bastardised commercialism can ruin it for those who still value the original meaning.
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