Censoring Halloween
Censoring Halloween refers to the ongoing debate surrounding the celebration of Halloween, particularly within religious and educational contexts. Originating from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, Halloween has historical roots tied to themes of death and the supernatural. The celebration evolved over centuries, blending pagan customs with Christian traditions, notably through the establishment of All Saints' Day.
In contemporary society, Halloween faces scrutiny, especially from some Christian Fundamentalists who argue that its associations with the occult and supernatural entities pose risks to children's moral development. They express concerns that Halloween promotes ideas linked to Satanism and the macabre, leading to calls for its restriction, particularly in schools. In response, some evangelical Christians allow limited participation, encouraging costumes that avoid otherworldly themes, while others create alternative, family-friendly events. This tension creates a complex cultural landscape, where Halloween is viewed by some as a harmless secular holiday and by others as a potential threat to religious values. The debates surrounding Halloween highlight the intersection of cultural traditions, religious beliefs, and societal norms, reflecting diverse perspectives on the holiday's significance.
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Subject Terms
Censoring Halloween
Definition: Secular holiday celebrated on October 31
Significance: Some Christian Fundamentalist groups have tried to suppress Halloween believing that it promotes witchcraft and satanism
The Celtic festival of Samhain is probably the source of Halloween, as it is known in the United States. The Celts lived in Great Britain, Ireland, and northern France more than two thousand years ago. Honoring Samhain, the Lord of Death, the celebration marked the beginning of a season of cold, darkness, and decay, so it was naturally associated with death. The Celts believed that Samhain allowed the souls of the wicked who had died during the previous year to return to their earthly homes for this one evening.
The Druids, the priests and teachers of the Celts, ordered the people to extinguish their hearth fires, then built huge bonfires of oak branches, which they considered sacred. They burned animals, crops, and even human beings as sacrifices. Then, each family relit its hearth fire from the community bonfire. During this celebration, people wore costumes made from animal heads and skins, and told fortunes about the coming year by examining the remains of the animals that had been sacrificed.
Many Celtic customs survived even after the Celts became Christians. During the 1800’s Roman Catholic churches established All Saints’ Day on November 1. People then made the old pagan customs part of this Christian holy day. The Mass that was said on this day was called “Allhallowmas,” and the eve before All Saints’ Day became known as All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween.
Because many early American settlers had strict Protestant religious beliefs, Halloween celebrations did not become popular until Roman Catholic immigrants from Ireland and Scotland introduced their Halloween customs. Eventually, there was no clear distinction between sacred and secular in Halloween celebrations. Christian Fundamentalists believe that events linked to Halloween violate their rights. Some want to see it banned, especially from the schools because they believe it exposes children to Satanism and that notions about things such as witches, evil spirits, ghosts, demons, and vampires destroy children’s minds. Halloween celebrations heighten awareness of the macabre and pique curiosity about the occult.
Supporters of Halloween celebrations, on the other hand, believe that its pagan history is irrelevant and that it is a harmless, secular holiday for children. Debates about Halloween have created tensions in public schools, religious schools, churches, and day-care centers.
Faced with resistance to their appeals to end school and community Halloween celebrations, Christian Fundamentalists have been varied in their responses to the holiday. Some evangelical Christians allow their children to participate in trick-or-treating but only dressed in costumes that do not depict otherworldly beings such as devils or ghouls; instead, book characters and biblical figures are among those often deemed acceptable. Many churches host alternative, concurrent events for children and families with traditional harvest-themed activities, such as bobbing for apples, or Bible-based games. Others have staged controversial "hell houses," haunted-house analogues that feature grim dramatizations of punishment for various perceived sins, as a means of proselytizing to nonbelievers.
Bibliography
"Don't Be Scared of Halloween." U.S. Catholic 74.10 (2009): 32–34. PDF file.
Morton, Lisa. Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween. London: Reaktion, 2012. Digital file.
Rogers, Nicholas. "Halloween at the Millennium." Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night.Oxford: Oxford UP, 2002. Digital file.
Samuels, Adrienne P. "Reinventing Halloween: Churches Carve Out Alternatives to the Holiday." Ebony 62.12 (2007): 176–77. PDF file.
Taylor, Barbara Brown. "Hell House." Christian Century 123.24 (2006): 41. PDF file.