Evil Ritual or Clean Fun?

Every year in early October, Halloween props, decorations, and costumes begin to flood the entrances and isles of malls, departments stores, and grocery stores. Advertisements for haunted houses, costume parties, and other events begin popping up all around us. As we are reminded of the Halloween season, the debate about Halloween festivities starts brewing. Is Halloween a wicked ritual based on satanism and witchcraft or is it a time to have some harmless fun with family and friends? The debate rages on.

Halloween is celebrated on the night of October 31st. Many people love Halloween time and enjoy dressing up as their favorite character, taking their children trick-or-treating, eating candy, and going to costume parties and think of it as just good clean fun. However, others think of Halloween as an evil ritual based on satanic activities and should be avoided at all costs. This brings up an interesting discussion with heated and passionate arguments on both sides of the issue.

Good Clean Fun

If you are like many people, you have fond memories of Halloween . You remember picking out the costume of your favorite super hero or your mother making a scary ghost outfit made of a white sheet with some holes cut out for the eyes. With a plastic jack-o-lantern or paper sack, you frolicked about the neighborhood with your friends going door to door quoting the well known phrase "trick or treat". You were excited to see what kind of candy or treat you would get. Sometimes you would eat some of the candy while you wandered the neighborhood even though your parents told you to save it until you got home where they could ration your consumption (while they picked through some of the "good stuff" for themselves). You remember costume parties, hayrides, and visiting the local haunted house or haunted woods. You watched Halloween television specials and just had a lot of fun with your friends and have special memories of this scary holiday.

Evil Tradition

While many people find no harm in Halloween, there are also many that stay away from any activity or get together that has anything to do with Halloween. Many believe that the origins of Halloween are based on witchcraft and satanic rituals and any participation or celebration in Halloween festivities is condoning satanism, witchcraft, and other evil based traditions.

Conflicting Beliefs

There are conflicting beliefs on the history of Halloween. One belief is that it began as a Celtic pagan celebration originally named Samhain in Ireland where Celtic priests (known as Druids) performed rituals by offering sacrifices or crops, animals, and supposedly even humans to please the gods. This was done to ensure the sun would return when the winter season ended and the evil spirits would be frightened away. Another belief is that much of the information about the origins of Halloween are based on myths, inaccuracies, and other fiction and that no historical proofs link Halloween to witchcraft or satanism.

So, is Halloween an evil ritual? Is it good clean fun? Is it what we make of it now regardless of it's origins? Should we totally avoid it at all costs? Should we celebrate it as a time of plentiful harvest? What is your opinion? The debate continues...

About the Author

Matt is the developer of the dynamic homemade Halloween decorations website ComputerHalloween.com.

Article Source:
http://www.articletrader.com/society/religion/evil-ritual-or-clean-fun.html