All Hallow's Eve, the point in the year when the veil between the living and the dead is at it's thinnest point. Have we forgotten it's original intent?

From my days as a Catholic, I remember that All Saints Day (November 1) was a “Holy day of obligation”, one of those days on which you either went to Mass or faced the threat of burning in hell for eternity. In truth it was another one of those “pagan” holidays co opted by the Church to divert the populace from their traditions. I think Halloween was originally about thanking the gods for a successful harvest.

All Hallows is a Christian holiday meant to take the place of Samhain, the harvest festival during which time it was believed the veil between this world and the Other was thinned, and the souls of the Dead would visit and seek hospitality. The Aos Si – some of the fairy folk – would threaten the harvest and winter stores, so offerings were left for them.

Otherwise, yay bonfire and party!

Then the Christians had to come around with their solemn “let’s pay for the faithful departed” All Souls… bor-ring

Samhain was also a turning point where preparations for winter should all be in place and ready. If I remember right it’s basically a festival of summers passing with other northwestern european traditions.

Apparently during Samhain, beggars and thieves would don freaky costumes and steal the offerings, leading more credence to the already superstitious beliefs. Hence the practice of dressing up today. don’t quote me, but I read this somewhere

Also lol; cemetery of the dead. I mean, what else is it gonna be a cemetery of?

Halloween is the product of an amalgamation of multiple celebrations and traditions, some pagan and some Christian. The idea that it was merely an attempt by the Catholic Church to co-opt Samhain is a gross oversimplification.

I’ve read that Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t observe Halloween, for the very reasons you’ve listed. They also don’t acknowledge Christmas, which replaced pagan celebrations of the winter solstice.

I’ve never understood why birthdays are verboten. A baby’s birth is a joyous occasion, not something sinful or desecrating. But, to each his own…

I’d love to get back to holiday traditions that were connected to nature like the solstice and equinox. Everything is so commercial and bastardized now.