[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

Like I said, very little connection.

Maybe read it again.....or just watch the video "Bet You Didn't Know" On This Link Below..

Must Turn OFF ADD blocker


http://www.history.com/topics/hallow...f=1&free=false

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by tomwed

That's very interesting. Thank-you for looking it up and passing it on. Do you know if our customs in the US of trick or teating, dressing up kids, and putting out pumpkins resembles any other country's customs?

Answers to all your questions are here on this link below. There are 8-10 videos on everything from pumpkin carving to all about Halloween..Click on the ones you want to watch..

May not run if you have add blocker activated..

Bet You Didn't Know: Halloween Video - History of Trick-or-Treating - HISTORY.com

ANCIENT ORIGINS OF TRICK-OR-TREATING
Halloween has its roots in the ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on the night of October 31. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, believed that the dead returned to earth on Samhain. People would gather to light bonfires, offer sacrifices and pay homage to the deceased.

Did You Know?
Although it is unknown precisely where and when the phrase “trick or treat” was coined, the custom had been firmly established in American popular culture by 1951, when trick-or-treating was depicted in the Peanuts comic strip. In 1952, Disney produced a cartoon called “Trick or Treat” featuring Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie.

During some Celtic celebrations of Samhain, villagers disguised themselves in costumes made of animal skins to drive away phantom visitors; banquet tables were prepared and edible offerings were left out to placate unwelcome spirits. In later centuries, people began dressing as ghosts, demons and other malevolent creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This custom, known as mumming, dates back to the Middle Ages and is thought to be an antecedent of trick-or-treating.

[lynxville]

Yes if your a Wicca

[graciegirl]

NO. Halloween is not a religious holiday. Yes. All Saint's Day is a religious event for some of us.

Some folks call Halloween "The Devil's Holiday" but I don't. I can't see evil in it at all.

I am still ****ed over the fact that in order to appease a few people it was decided to stop letting our kids wear costumes to school on Halloween. It was so innocent and so much fun.

Now it is called a "harvest festival" and you can come in costume as long as it is a leaf or a corn stalk.

Reason for this thread?

Ahhhhh...I get it! It's the CANDY!!!

Last year's thread on kinda the same subject by the same poster;

What do kids learn from the Halloween experience?

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

Bet You Didn't Know: Halloween Video - History of Trick-or-Treating - HISTORY.com

That was pretty good. I guess there aren't very many posters from other countries. I would enjoy hearing about their country or their experiences.

[Polar Bear]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

NO. Halloween is not a religious holiday. Yes. All Saint's Day is a religious event for some of us...

Pretty much sums it up.

[gamby]

The Bible does not mention Halloween. However, both the ancient origins of Halloween and its modern customs show it to be a celebration based on false beliefs about the dead and invisible spirits, or demons.—

The Bible warns: “There must never be anyone among you who . . . consults ghosts or spirits, or calls up the dead.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, The Jerusalem Bible) While some view Halloween as harmless fun, the Bible indicates that the practices associated with it are not. At 1 Corinthians 10:20, 21, the Bible says: “I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too.”—New International Version.

Halloween history and customs
1.
Samhain: The origin of Halloween can be traced to this “ancient pagan festival celebrated by Celtic people over 2,000 years ago,” states The World Book Encyclopedia. “The Celts believed that the dead could walk among the living at this time. During Samhain, the living could visit with the dead.” However, the Bible clearly teaches that the dead “are conscious of nothing at all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5) Thus, they cannot contact the living.

2.
Halloween costumes, candy, and trick or treat: According to the book Halloween—An American Holiday, An American History, some of the Celts wore ghoulish costumes so that wandering spirits would mistake them for one of their own and leave them alone. Others offered sweets to the spirits to appease them. In medieval Europe, the Catholic clergy adopted local pagan customs and had their adherents go from house to house wearing costumes and requesting small gifts. The Bible, on the other hand, does not permit merging false religious practices with the worship of God.—2 Corinthians 6:17.

3.
Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies: These have long been associated with the evil spirit world. (Halloween Trivia) The Bible clearly states that we should oppose wicked spirit forces, not celebrate with them.—Ephesians 6:12.

4.
Halloween pumpkins, or jack-o’-lanterns: In medieval Britain, “supplicants moved from door to door asking for food in return for a prayer for the dead,” and they would carry “hollowed-out turnip lanterns, whose candle connoted a soul trapped in purgatory.” (Halloween—From Pagan Ritual to Party Night) Others say that the lanterns were used to ward off evil spirits. During the 1800’s in North America, pumpkins replaced turnips because they were plentiful as well as easy to hollow out and carve. The beliefs behind this custom—the immortality of the soul, purgatory, and prayers for the dead—are not based on the Bible.—Ezekiel 18:4.

[tucson]

Thanks for your post above, there's too many people who think Halloween is a innocent thing to celebrate. They don't know what God forbids because many do not read or know the Bible and they're opening themselves and their children and grandchildren up to the demonic realm by doing so. (I can just see all the mocking of this post now....:-) But, I have to speak the truth whether they like it or not.

[jbdlfan]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

Answers to all your questions are here on this link below. There are 8-10 videos on everything from pumpkin carving to all about Halloween..Click on the ones you want to watch..

May not run if you have add blocker activated..

Bet You Didn't Know: Halloween Video - History of Trick-or-Treating - HISTORY.com

ANCIENT ORIGINS OF TRICK-OR-TREATING
Halloween has its roots in the ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on the night of October 31. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, believed that the dead returned to earth on Samhain. People would gather to light bonfires, offer sacrifices and pay homage to the deceased.

Did You Know?
Although it is unknown precisely where and when the phrase “trick or treat” was coined, the custom had been firmly established in American popular culture by 1951, when trick-or-treating was depicted in the Peanuts comic strip. In 1952, Disney produced a cartoon called “Trick or Treat” featuring Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie.

During some Celtic celebrations of Samhain, villagers disguised themselves in costumes made of animal skins to drive away phantom visitors; banquet tables were prepared and edible offerings were left out to placate unwelcome spirits. In later centuries, people began dressing as ghosts, demons and other malevolent creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This custom, known as mumming, dates back to the Middle Ages and is thought to be an antecedent of trick-or-treating.

Great site for info. I often use these videos in my class for culture discussions.

[Tweety Bird]

Originally Posted by 2BNTV

For some, "Halloween is revered for horror, and partying".

Religious, NO!!!!!

Agreed. Reveres the dead...skeletons. We have enough horror in this world without promoting this crap.

[Chi-Town]

Halloween is a multi billion dollar industry. One reason is that it is just sheer fun, no religious or reverent holiday remembrances, just a fun time. Kids love it, and adults can be kids again. Here are some statistics:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...umes/16453637/

[Polar Bear]

For most, I agree that...

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

Halloween...is just sheer fun, no religious or reverent holiday remembrances, just a fun time. Kids love it, and adults can be kids again...

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

Halloween is a multi billion dollar industry. One reason is that it is just sheer fun, no religious or reverent holiday remembrances, just a fun time. Kids love it, and adults can be kids again.

I tend to agree that it's just a fun time for kids; no disrespect meant to religion or the dead.
Kinda like wearing a new hat on Easter Sunday.

[graciegirl]

When I was a kid in central Ohio there were two days of celebration; the night BEFORE Halloween when kids went door to door was called "Beggars Night. We weren't allowed to go out on Halloween night itself because that was when people soaped windows and threw corn and beans on peoples porches and did other pranks.

We didn't say "Trick or Treat", we said; "Tonight is beggars night and we have come to beg a bite". We were given apples a lot, and some candy, but not big candy bars in our neighborhood. Our costumes were homemade and there were a lot of "bums" because that was easy to do.

People did feed "bums" a lot when I was a kid and they would come to the back door and say "Do you have any work to do, Missus?

I don't recall Halloween having anything to do with REALLY scary things or the undead or horror back then. But my older cousins TRIED to scare us....and succeeded with me, the wuss.

It is interesting to see how people have varied views on things, but back then even the kids who were very conservative Christians went out "begging".

There was a big move later at some time called "Fun without Distruction" because I guess the folks who went out on Halloween night were going too far. No self respecting mom on our street would allow their kids to go out on Halloween night.

I think that how we look at things or are taught to look at things adds the connotations of bad or good. No bad thing was associated with Halloween to me ever and still is not, but I was surprised here when I hung some Halloween treats on neighbors doors in Hadley and one was returned and she explained her religious feelings.

Again I say that whether it was wiccan a long time ago doesn't make it evil to me. I was not taught to interpret Sacred Scripture in that way either. I won't change.

We got to wear our costumes to school and all the kids got to parade through the other kids classrooms and show off their costumes. As a teacher, I dressed up too. It was only in the eighties that Halloween was "shut down" in public schools where I lived.

[tomwed]

When I was a young teacher, the teachers all dressed up in high school too. The kids liked it. The uncool teachers were always fussed over the most. It was like a scene from that movie "Freaks" a million years ago. With the kids being the ones saying "You're one of us".

As we "matured" and times changed we started an Ugly Christmas Sweater Day contest right before the break. Some teachers didn't need to visit an Aunt or head for the Goodwill. They could just go deep into their closet and pick something out.

Thanks for the memories.