Hallowe’en

Libertine has been discussing the Christians’ somewhat ambiguous relationship with the festival of hallowe’en. Indeed, their reaction to this festival is bordering on the schizophrenic.

“About ten years ago, the fundamentalist complaint du jour in my town was Halloween. They asserted that Halloween was an evil, Satanic holiday designed to turn children into godless demons. At that time, they made a lot of trouble for local public schools, harassing them about school Halloween decorations and celebrations.

In reaction, many fundie churches began sponsoring what they called “fall festivals”. These were children’s parties at the church with pumpkins and other harvest/autumn decorations, but no witches, devils, ghosts or goblins. Most of the churches allowed the kids to dress up in non-spooky costumes, but a few of the more extreme ones banned all sorts of costumes.”

Now the Church of England comes up with this.

“Hallowe’en has become associated with the occult and should be reclaimed by Christians and even renamed “Lite-Nite”, a Church of England bishop says.

The Bishop of Bolton, the Rt Rev David Gillett, says that Hallowe’en was not originally an occult celebration but has picked up “dangerous” traits over the centuries.”

Yet the good bishop is well aware of the roots of hallowe’en:

“The bishop says the origins of Hallowe’en can be traced back more than 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of summer and the gathering in of the harvest.

“There has been a widespread increase in New Age spiritualities and connections with dark occult happenings have surfaced in certain areas,” he says. “Hallowe’en has, in many ways, reverted to its pre-Christian days.””

As he himself points out; Celtic mythology predates Christianity somewhat. So the idea of “reclaiming” hallowe’en for Christianity, or that it was not originally a non-Christian festival is rather absurd. And so what if it has reverted to its Pagan roots? What is the problem with that? Christianity is just another religious cult; it has no claim over pagan festivals, nor rights to judge them.

However, I do agree with the Bishop when it comes to that nasty little practice of blackmail or extortion with menaces masquerading as a childish game; “trick or treat”.

“In an article in Crux, the Manchester diocesan magazine, he says that many people worry about intimidation and violence when they open their doors.”

Whether or not there is violence, the whole concept of demanding something with the threat of mischief if the demand is refused is repugnant. It may appear to be a game, but underlying it is a nasty message indeed. We do not comply with “trick or treat”. We simply do not open the door.