Comments on: 7 Burning Halloween Questions: Answered!

By: Megan

Megan — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:00:33 +0000

I live in suburban Chicago, and I’d never heard of smashing pumpkins as anything other than a band until college, when my roommate said she hated Halloween b/c theirs always got smashed.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:23:37 +0000

Whe I was a kid, I read a series of books called “The All-of-a-kind family” It was about a Jewish family on the lower East side in about 1910. The children of the family wear costumes for Purim and go around with Purim baskets, recieving money and nuts from friends and relatives. I wondered if this Jewish holiday was adopted by the wider community?

By: Lola

Lola — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:13:09 +0000

@David,
THANK YOU for posting this.
I don’t know how accurate the info is–as usual, I suspect it lies somewhere in the middle–but I’m thrilled that someone is trying to dispel the idea that Halloween is some satanic holiday.

I get in a fight with one of my coworkers on this subject every year.
I don’t see her waging a war against Easter, which has obvious pagan origins.

By: Logan

Logan — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:13:00 +0000

Sorry, David, going to have to disagree. Oct 31st was the New Year, as the Celtic calendar was a LUNAR one.

Then again, don’t believe everything you read on the internet…(as both your sources are).

By: David

David — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:45:00 +0000

I am afraid the historical information about Hallowe’en is close to 100% wrong.

The supposed Celtic feast of Samhain was NOT a “Festival of the Dead” and there is no evidence that it was the Celic New Year. It is known only from accounts of celtic myths written down in the 11th Century in which it describes a warrior’s get together thus: “It was their custom to hold that festival in order to give account of these combats, and the manner in which they gave that account was this: Each man used to cut off the tip of the tongue of a foe whom he had killed, and he bore it with him in a pouch.”

From Luminarium . org – “the sick bed of Cuchulainn”

THere is no evidence of celts EVER dressing up. The word Samhain comes from Ireland and the Romans never invaded Ireland. There is no evidence that the Romans ever had a Pomona festival.

The Christian festival of All Sainst (the genuine origin of Hallowe’en – All Hallows Eve) was founded in c 735 AD in ROME as a local feast when Ireland had been Christian for centuries. It only spread more widely 100 years later – by whic time Ireland had been sending out Christian missionaires for over 200 years.

You are right about Puritans suppressing the Catholic feast – they did, after all, hate Catholicism. But the Puritans are also responsible for it being known as a Pagan festival – they described anything “un-biblical” as pagan – especially if it came from the Pope in Rome.

This is a classic case of being suckered by an Urban myth – or a neopagan one at any rate.

Try this site (not mine) for a summary:
google “A Heretical History of Halloween ” (with quotes)

By: Isabelle

Isabelle — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:18:00 +0000

I thought of fruitcake as well, as others did, when they mentioned candy corn in such frightful terms. Why do people hate fruitcake so much? And moreover, why do people feel such aggressive WRATH towards it? I mean honestly, how many people have actually EATEN it? I find it weird . . . but then again, I actually like it. And candy corn.

By: Craig Milo Rogers

Craig Milo Rogers — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:35:00 +0000

Might want to double-check the “turnips, beets and potatoes” reference. Potatoes, like pumpkins, are a New World crop. potatoes were introduced to Europe in 1536, so they wouldn’t have been carved in Britain before then. Turnips and beets, on the other hand, appear in ancient Greek and Roman records.

By: Chelle

Chelle — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Kikadee: Don’t know where you live, but most big cities have party/candy stores that supply holiday goodies all year round. Could be worth the Google if you love it so much.

By: rob

rob — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 01:02:00 +0000

I gorge on candy corn this time of year. I don’t know why anyone doesn’t like the stuff!

By: Kikadee

Kikadee — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:20:00 +0000

I adore candy corn, but I have to nibble at it, biting off each section of colour. Waxy or soft, stale or fresh, I would happily eat those sweet little kernels all the year round, if I could.

Actually, I’ve seen a Christmas version (white, red, green) but I don’t believe it would taste the same.