Conservative Christian’s ‘War on Halloween’ fails in court

[Caladan 19]

Wasn't most of the 'poisoning the candy' hysteria shown to be mostly just that--- hysteria? You get a bunch of nasty old candy sometimes, but razor blades and needles seem to be the sort of thing that people worry about more than there's actually a risk.

In any case the court decision, Gary & charles, said that Halloween WASN'T a religious holiday, not that it was, and so the decorations were permitted. Sounds about right to me.

then why, pray tell, are some above talking about it being a pagan holiday?

I don't know. Maybe I'm the only one that read the article.

[Jasman0717 9]

Need to go after Harry Potter next

[Mags 112]

Need to go after Harry Potter next

There are certain areas that have already gone after HP. He has been banned from libraries, schools etc

[Dan J 277]

Need to go after Harry Potter next

Already done, take a look at this list: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek...tfrequently.htm

[Fuzzness 2]

Halloween decorations are fine because they are not of a religious nature. Some christmas decorations are fine for the same reason. I don't think anyone ever had a problem with Santa decorations.

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

Halloween decorations are fine because they are not of a religious nature. Some christmas decorations are fine for the same reason. I don't think anyone ever had a problem with Santa decorations.

seriously, you'd be surprised.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This country is full of a55holes who try to impose their values on the rest of us. The beauty of the system we live under is that they all get to duke it out in court and not on the streets, like they do in many other parts of the world.

It's all good, people.

[isleta521 5]

Well, all this person can say is throw another log on the fire, pass me a cold bottle, and when they knock on the door. Give em a shtload of sweets.

trick or treat

[KarenCee 3]

These Conservative Christians are the some of the same ones that would love to eliminate rock music as well, calling it evil and sadistic. Some would love to go further by banning mixed "bathing" (swimming as we know it) and dancing (can't have bodies touching you know). Even going to movie theatres, to some of these christians, is wrong as well...the way they see it money paid to see a "G" rated movie goes to the production of "R" rated movies and other "filth". The church my parents went to when I was a child preached this constantly. Hallowe'en was thought of as the Devil's Holiday, something NOT to be mentioned at all. They would instead hold Fall Festivals to combat this heinous and evil day. Christmas was okay, except no mention of Santa was allowed because in ages past Santa, who was actually Saint Nicholas, was pagan...a most evil belief.

No, I don't go there anymore...legalism isn't my thang. Hallowe'en is a great time, full of fun and naturally full of candy. My husband and I fail to see what is so evil about it. We love Christmas and in our house we still believe in Santa (we have an 8 year old). If that makes me heathen or pagan, so be it.

Well, I do have to say this though...the only thing about Hallowe'en that isn't so great is the next day...when I have a classroom full of sugar laden kids to deal with...now that's magical!

Edited September 30, 2007 by KarenCee

[Reba 2]

Halloween is not a religious holiday. It is a secular day that the early Christians replaced All Soul's Day with.

from The History Channel:

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

The early, mostly Protestant settlers to the US however, did not celebrate All Saints Day, because they do not revere Saints as Catholics do. From Halloween-History.org:

In the 1500's, Martin Luther created the Protestant Church, which had no saints, so no All Hallows Day was allowed. On November 5, 1606, Guy Fawkes was executed for attempting to blow up England's Parliament. Fawkes, along with an extremist Catholic organization he belonged to, wanted to remove the Protestant King James from his throne. The English wasted no time to have a celebration to replace All Hallows Day, so Guy Fawkes Day was celebrated from then on. Many traditions of All Hallows Day were practiced, such as bonfires, and children asking for money, but the reasons why were different. Bonfires were known as "bone fires" originally, because they were lit in order to burn an effigy of the Catholic pope, burning his "bones". Two hundred years later, the effigy of the pope was replaced by an effigy of Guy Fawkes, prompting children to go door to door, asking for a "penny for Guy", so they could make their effigy to burn. In the New World, the colonists celebrated Guy Fawkes Day for a while, but as the colonies became the United States of America, Guy Fawkes Day fell by the wayside.

In the United States

Halloween was not a popular observance in early United States history, as most of the early settlers were Protestant. At the time, Halloween was considered mostly a Catholic, Episcopalian, and Pagan holiday, and therefore largely ignored. In the southern colonies, such as Virginia and Maryland, there were some Halloween customs observed. The first common events were called "play parties". These parties got neighborhoods together to celebrate the harvest, dance, sing, tell stories of the dead, tell fortunes, and have pageants for children in costume. By the mid 1800's, immigration increased, and many Irish immigrants, mostly Catholics fleeing the potato famine, brought many Halloween traditions with them. Jack o'lanterns found a new face, the pumpkin, which was very plentiful in the New World. Catholics and Episcopalians sought to preserve their traditions, so started an effort in the late 1800's to popularize and make their holidays known to the general population. By campaigning to put these holidays (Halloween and All Saints Day) on public calendars, magazines and newspapers started to publicize these holidays, and soon became popular in the United States more as a community and family holiday, rather than one of great religious and supernatural importance.

ergo...Halloween is not a religious holiday. Samhain is a holiday to those of us who are neo-Celtic or Wiccan, but the two are different in nature and celebration. They just happen to fall at the same time on the calendar.

Edited September 30, 2007 by Reba

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Halloween is not a religious holiday. It is a secular day that the early Christians replaced All Soul's Day with.

from The History Channel:

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

The early, mostly Protestant settlers to the US however, did not celebrate All Saints Day, because they do not revere Saints as Catholics do. From Halloween-History.org:

In the 1500's, Martin Luther created the Protestant Church, which had no saints, so no All Hallows Day was allowed. On November 5, 1606, Guy Fawkes was executed for attempting to blow up England's Parliament. Fawkes, along with an extremist Catholic organization he belonged to, wanted to remove the Protestant King James from his throne. The English wasted no time to have a celebration to replace All Hallows Day, so Guy Fawkes Day was celebrated from then on. Many traditions of All Hallows Day were practiced, such as bonfires, and children asking for money, but the reasons why were different. Bonfires were known as "bone fires" originally, because they were lit in order to burn an effigy of the Catholic pope, burning his "bones". Two hundred years later, the effigy of the pope was replaced by an effigy of Guy Fawkes, prompting children to go door to door, asking for a "penny for Guy", so they could make their effigy to burn. In the New World, the colonists celebrated Guy Fawkes Day for a while, but as the colonies became the United States of America, Guy Fawkes Day fell by the wayside.

In the United States

Halloween was not a popular observance in early United States history, as most of the early settlers were Protestant. At the time, Halloween was considered mostly a Catholic, Episcopalian, and Pagan holiday, and therefore largely ignored. In the southern colonies, such as Virginia and Maryland, there were some Halloween customs observed. The first common events were called "play parties". These parties got neighborhoods together to celebrate the harvest, dance, sing, tell stories of the dead, tell fortunes, and have pageants for children in costume. By the mid 1800's, immigration increased, and many Irish immigrants, mostly Catholics fleeing the potato famine, brought many Halloween traditions with them. Jack o'lanterns found a new face, the pumpkin, which was very plentiful in the New World. Catholics and Episcopalians sought to preserve their traditions, so started an effort in the late 1800's to popularize and make their holidays known to the general population. By campaigning to put these holidays (Halloween and All Saints Day) on public calendars, magazines and newspapers started to publicize these holidays, and soon became popular in the United States more as a community and family holiday, rather than one of great religious and supernatural importance.

ergo...Halloween is not a religious holiday. Samhain is a holiday to those of us who are neo-Celtic or Wiccan, but the two are different in nature and celebration. They just happen to fall at the same time on the calendar.

Very interesting. Thank you, Reba.

[Mags 112]

ergo...Halloween is not a religious holiday. Samhain is a holiday to those of us who are neo-Celtic or Wiccan, but the two are different in nature and celebration. They just happen to fall at the same time on the calendar.

Again, I'll say that I know many pagans who DO celebrate Hallowe'en as a religious holiday. It is a major part of their calendar and they do special things on that night. Many will set a table place for departed relatives at dinner, some will leave a candle burning over night as a mark of respect to the dead, others do rituals celebrating the harvest. It varies between person to person and which path they follow.

So, Hallowe'en might not be an officially recognised holiday, but it is still celebrated as one by many Pagans.

[GaryC 7]

I know to Luz All Hallows Day is a very real religious holiday. She said that on that day they go to visit the graves of loved ones. She didn't observe Halloween much but does see it as a day the spirits of the dead walk the earth. So to her because All Hallows day is a religious holiday then Halloween is also a religious holiday, just one she didn't observe the same way we do.

BTW, she is really having fun with the decorations. I can't wait to scare the sh!t out of her at a good haunted house.

[Mags 112]

I know to Luz All Hallows Day is a very real religious holiday. She said that on that day they go to visit the graves of loved ones. She didn't observe Halloween much but does see it as a day the spirits of the dead walk the earth. So to her because All Hallows day is a religious holiday then Halloween is also a religious holiday, just one she didn't observe the same way we do.

BTW, she is really having fun with the decorations. I can't wait to scare the sh!t out of her at a good haunted house.

I';m loving all the decorations aswell.

In Malta the 1st of November is a religious holiday too (Catholic country) where everyone goes around all of the cemeteries. Everyone's grave in Malta has a little picture of the departed on it, this is mainly so that the residents can see who it was and "catch up" on who has died. It isn't just seen as a religious holiday, it is a social gathering where the families all congregate in the cemeteries, chat about their deceased relatives and so on.

[Jasman0717 9]

I love Halloween!!

I am so excited about my first Halloween here. Mel goes all out for the decorations- he turns the whole yard into a grave yard and we have a huge blow up haunted house that the kids walk through.

I love handing out the candy.

Fun for young and old