Topic: Halloween
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The Specific Customs of Halloween and Pagan Beliefs
Since Halloween itself originated with paganism, it is hardly surprising that its customs
are related to pagan belief. According to the
Encyclopedia Britannica,
In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic Festival of Samhain was observed on October
31 ...
Halloween symbols, customs and practices undoubtedly have had a variety of influences
upon them historically. For example, in early American history Halloween was not practiced
nor is it primarily an English or Protestant holiday. It was not widely observed until the
twentieth century. Initially, it was only practiced in small Irish Catholic settlements until
thousands of Irishmen migrated here during the great potato famine and brought their
customs with them. To some degree, our modern Halloween is an Irish holiday in origin
going back to the Celtic festival. (Ireland is the only place in the world where Halloween is
actually a national holiday.) Coincidentally, the rise in popularity of Halloween in America
coincides roughly with the national spiritist revival that began in 1848.
The Jack-oâ -lantern. The carved pumpkin may have originated with the witchesâ use of
a skull with a candle in it to light the way to coven meetings. But among the Irish, who, as
noted, prompted the popularization of Halloween in America, the legend of â Irish Jackâ
explains the jack-oâ -lantern. The legend goes: There was a stingy drunk named Jack who
tricked the devil into climbing an apple tree for an apple but then cut the sign of a cross into
the trunk of the tree preventing the devil from coming down. Jack forced the devil to swear
he would never come after Jackâ s soul. The devil reluctantly agreed. Jack eventually died
but was turned away at the gates of heaven because of his drunkenness and life of selfish-
ness. He was next sent to the devil who also rejected him, keeping his promise. Since Jack
had no place to go, he was condemned to wander the earth. As he was leaving hell, the
devil threw a live coal at him. He put the coal inside a turnip he had been eating, and has
since forever been roaming the earth with his â jack-oâ -lanternâ in search of a place to rest.
Eventually, pumpkins replaced turnips since it was much easier to symbolize the devilâ s
coal inside a pumpkin.
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Source: www.johnankerberg.org
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