The Dark Side of Halloween

WorldNetDaily ^ | October 20,2001 | Caryl Matrisciana

[MeekOneGOP]

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The dark side of Halloween

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By Caryl Matrisciana
© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com

For the fanciful child, it's a dream come true to dress up as a favorite literary character or fairy-tale heroine on Halloween. On one day of the year, children are permitted to indulge their fantasies – both costume and candy – and the streets are filled with small Snow Whites, witches and goblins. But why do we celebrate this "child's" holiday called Halloween?

Benign as it may now seem to most Americans, Halloween has its roots in ancient, occult religious practices. Donning costumes, playing "trick-or-treat" and displaying jack-o'-lanterns are all carry-overs of pagan traditions. And though our contemporary society would have us believe it is not so, pagan practices – including darker occult rituals – still occur today.

Halloween is a holy day for pagans. This Celtic "new-year's day," known to druids as "Samhaine," is celebrated on Oct. 31. Members of the Wiccan religion – a federally recognized, tax-exempt faith – and Satanists hold the day in the highest regard, performing special, often macabre ceremonies at the midnight hour. According to Paddy Slade's "Encyclopedia of White Magic: A seasonal guide," "At Samhaine the veil between our world and the Otherworld is thinnest, and it is thought to be the best time to attract those who have gone before."

Recognizing the evil behind these pagan "celebrations" of communion with nature and spirits, the Catholic Church moved its All Saints Day from May to Nov. 1. The day was set aside to honor marytred Christians. Protestants soon followed, but the occult symbols and practices of Samhaine are still dominant.

So what's a parent to do with Halloween? Before making a decision to "go along with the crowd" and celebrate this pagan holiday, I suggest you get informed. As one who was personally involved in the occult, and as a documentary filmmaker, I partnered with Cutting Edge Films to create "Halloween: Trick or treat?" The film uses actual footage of pagan rituals – not recreations – and comments from currently practicing druids and witches to explore Halloween's origins. It explains the pagan symbolism of trick-or-treating and jack-o'-lanterns, as well as other seemingly harmless "harvest" fun.

In a disturbing yet eye-opening interview included in the video, a former Satanist tells of his experience growing up in a Satanic coven. Now a committed Christian, the gentleman recalls a childhood of fear and sexual abuse. At age 11, he participated in a Halloween-night ceremony in which a young girl was sacrificed on an altar and her blood shared by adult participants. As an adult, Halloween and its "symbols of death," he says, bring back memories of abuse and horrible images.

This kind of experience is repeated year after year. As a sergeant at the Baldwin Park Police Department in Southern California and a British Parliament member point out, frightening, murderous Satanic practices take place around the world every Halloween. And yet the public dismisses reports of their occurrence, refusing to believe the holiday is anything more than child's play.

Society has become so desensitized to the occult and its high holiday of Halloween that it has even embraced a remarkably graphic and accurate children's literary series on the subject. The Harry Potter phenomenon, begun by series author J.K. Rowling of Great Britain, has spread like wildfire. Halloween is a significant day in the series, which is set in Great Britain.

Young Harry's parents, a witch and wizard renowned for their skill in the craft, were killed on Halloween by the evil sorcerer Voldemort when Harry was just a baby. On attempting to kill the infant, Voldemort was able only to leave a lightning-bolt shaped scar on the boy's forehead. Having survived the murderous plot, Harry's scar is a badge of honor in the wizarding world. And at age 11, he sets off to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – his parent's alma mater.

Potter fans dismiss claims that the fictional boy's parents were killed on Halloween, saying the book refers only to "Bonfire Night." However, those familiar with British customs understand the reference and can easily deduce the date of the Potters' deaths.

At the opening of book one of the seven-part series (four of which have already been published), the wizard world buzzes with the news of the Potters' deaths. As a result, strange happenings are observed by non-wizard people, known as "Muggles." The phenomenon is explained away by a Muggle weatherman: "People have been celebrating Bonfire Night early – it's not until next week, folks."

Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, merges in Britain with the celebration of Halloween. Bonfire Night takes place on Nov. 5 – one week after Americas' Halloween. (Surely not by coincidence, Nov. 5 is also the royal-premier date of Warner Bros.' Harry Potter movie in Great Britain.)

"But it's just harmless fantasy," say Potter fans – the same justification used by people, including Christians, who celebrate Halloween. But as I touched on above, and as "Halloween: Trick or treat?" explains more thoroughly, Halloween's "harmless fun" is actually a remnant of occult practices that are still in use today.

The world of sorcery and spells to which Harry Potter belongs is idealized in the book series. As seen in the media and various Internet chat rooms, many children who read the Harry Potter books long to attend Hogwarts, expressing their desire to learn witchcraft and wizardry. But are parents truly aware of the sinister – yes, even evil – characters of Harry's world?

In book two, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," 17-year-old student Tom Riddle (who is now the grown-up Voldemort) tells Harry about 11-year-old Ginny Weasley. The girl has been possessed by Voldemort out of his selfish desires to own her soul and body. Says Voldemort:

She opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger … telling me all her pitiful worries and woes ... I was patient ... sympathetic ... kind. ... Ginny simply loved me. ... I have always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted. ... I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her ...

After the possession, Ginny wrote in her diary "I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there ... I can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked ... There was another attack today and I don't know where I was ... I think I am going mad ... I think I am the one attacking everyone ..."

And she was. On Halloween, and under the possession of Voldemort, Ginny slaughtered the school rooster and saw to the killing of the cat. Of course, this is classic demon possession shown through a little 11-year-old's random and vicious behavior. She looses her memory, kills under the control of a spirit's instructions, showers her affections and loyalties to the evil Voldemort through her writings, emotions, imaginations, etc.

And we let our children read this for entertainment?

Though Harry Potter fans say the series is only harmless fantasy, and though Halloween is seen merely as a child's holiday, there is a darker side to both. I urge you to tune out the pressures of friends and neighbors, forget for the moment about school parties and costume selection, set aside your preconceived notions about people who condemn Halloween, and honestly examine the issue for yourself.

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"Halloween: Trick or Treat?" is available for purchase through the WorldNetDaily store.

"Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged," Caryl Matrisciana's video documentary examining the Harry Potter phenomenon, is also available at the WorldNetDaily store.

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Author and president of Jeremiah Films, Caryl Matrisciana is also a frequent talk-radio guest. Listen to her recent interview on Marlin Maddoux's PointOfView.net.

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[MeekOneGOP]

I can see it now. Articles in local papers titled: "Baby in Osama bin Laden costume beaten up".

[zook]

World Net Daily has become a parody of itself.

[wildwood]

conversely, i suppose that all people who celebrate Easter and Christmas are celebrating the resurrection and birth of Christ, not just using religious opportunities to wear their new duds.

so instead of handing out sweets and smiles to the little kiddies wearing mouse and ghost costumes, instead we should darken our windows and hide in the back of the house because one of those 6 year olds might have read a harry potter book or believe that a black cat is bad luck.

as a great fan of c.s. lewis's "chronicles of narnia" and the space trilogy, one might ponder this question: who, then, is the source of ALL magic?

[MeekOneGOP]

What will your children or grandchildren be doing this Halloween?<--------Click here to express your opinion!

Strange/skewed results:

What will your children or grandchildren be doing this Halloween?

Going to a church event 31.13% (118)
Staying at home 27.44% (104)
Trick-or-treating as usual 24.27% (92)
Other 9.76% (37)
Performing pranks in the neighborhood 3.43% (13)
Going to a costume party 2.64% (10)
Going to a celebration at the mall 1.32% (5)
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TOTAL VOTES: 379

[nevergore]

The author of this article embodies the term "some people have waaaaaaay too much time on their hands"

I guess I'll just let my son be evil on Halloween and dress up as a Fireman.......

NeverGore

[Joe 6-pack]

Anybody else remember the "King of the Hill," Halloween episode?

Trick or Treat!

[Physicist]

More evidence that one man's idea of religion is another man's good belly laugh.

How pathetically foolish.

[SamAdams76]

Harry Potter and Halloween are evil I tell you, evil! Even worse, we have a full moon on Halloween. Okay, so it's November 1 but close enough. For all practical purposes, the moon will be full on Halloween night. And Halloween is on what day? The 31st? Reverse those numbers and what do you get! The number 13. Surely there are demonic forces at work here. And thirteen days later, the Harry Potter movie will be officially opening. Okay, so it's 16 days later. But doesn't that make you wonder? Consider this, 13 (days) + the 3 (horsemen) = 16. And 16 is the number of days after Halloween that Harry Potter movie will be release. Coincidence? You decide.

[Junior]

There go the religious freaks* again.

*Anyone who worries that someone, somewhere is having a good time. Not your run of the mill religious folks who are far more likely to have a sense of humor or at least a "live and let live" attitude.

[IronJack]

Every year, we see these threads about Walpurgis Night, ancient Druid sacrifices, witches' sabbaths, etc.. I think Halloween has its roots in an ancient cult of children who liked to eat sweet stuff. Granted, in days of yore, it may have been rats dipped in chocolate, but thanks to modern technology, the treats are usually more wholesome, if less nutritious.

[DittoJed2]

I amazed at how mocking you all are regarding this article. It speaks of people actually being killed on Halloween, and you call the concern foolish. You may see nothing wrong with Halloween, but if you have studied the history of the day, you will understand that the concern displayed in this article has some basis and should at least respect people's right to dissent from what the rest of the crowd does on that night.

Incidentally, my experience is that Halloween is becoming less and less a day for little 6 year olds to come trick or treating and more of a day for 16 year old punks to dress up in morbid costumes and be rude for candy. To continue that kind of a tradition is what is foolish, not something like this article.

[TheFilter]

Oh please. Halloween has BECOME a fun holiday in which people get to dress up in silly costumes and kids get to indulge in more candy than they usually would be allowed to.

Origins, smorigins.

[knarf]

" ... understand that the concern displayed in this article has some basis and should at least respect people's right to dissent from what the rest of the crowd does on that night."

Well said.

And for those of us that 'Amen' ... Amen.

Even the 'Ameners' that ridicule threads identifying Halloween as a Satanic celebration.

I've never done a search and documentary, by I wonder how many and who are they that add their prayers to FReepers calling on prayer warriors that also are part of pooh-poohing this stream of thought and historical accuracy.

[knarf]

Then again, maybe we never see these names contributing to prayer ..... Hmmmmm.

[ODDITHER]

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. Fortunately, my children are now grown, and we only have to go through the motions of handing out candy. For the past few years we put candy out on the honor system and watch how the kids react without knowing that they are being observed. We live in a good neighborhood, we can tell because no one has broken the honor system (except taking 2 pieces instead of one.)

Our children did not trick-or-treat much prior to them growing up. Our Church has held Trunk or treats for many years.

All the parents decorate the trunks of their cars and bring them to the church. Some with mini-vans really decorate to the max. The kids come in costume and go from trunk to trunk, ending up in the church for hot chocolate and homemade doughnuts. They have apple bobbing, cookie decorating, face painting, and a haunted house in the Church building. The teenagers are in charge of those activities. Thus keeping them out of trouble and off the streets.

The main rule, since the activity now attracts many young people within the community, is that no masks are allowed as part of the costume. Can't hide bad deeds behind the mask.

[Cable225]

The second paragragh begins...

Benign as it may now seem to most Americans, Halloween has its roots in ancient, occult religious practices.

..and that's where I stopped reading. Why is it every year around this time FR starts getting clogged with these silly articles?

As so many have already said, it's Halloween, where people play dress up, kids trick-or-treat, and adults go to parties. This pagan ritual nonsense is tiresome.

[knarf]

I guess evil is only applied to overt actions and people, never to the more insidious aspect of it like, taking over the minds of children by the social engineering peoplic schools ... f'rinstance.

Naaah ... couldn't be.

[JoeMomma]

"You may see nothing wrong with Halloween, but if you have studied the history of the day, you will understand that the concern displayed in this article has some basis and should at least respect people's right to dissent from what the rest of the crowd does on that night."

They have the right to dissent about Halloween. It doesn't make them less stupid. The WND article was written by some religious fanatic who's afraid that someone, somewhere is going to have fun on a holiday with pagan roots.

There is nothing pagan about dressing up as your favourite cartoon character, asking for candy, and stuffing yourself silly with Nestle Crunch and Snickers bars.

Children aren't out there observing a pagan holiday. They're in the quest for candy. Pretty innocent, if you ask me. I wish I was young enough to still do that.

[sakic]

Halloween is the only fun holiday in America. As to the pagan references in here, Christianity placed all of its holidays on pagan holidays in order to become part of the party.