It's Time for Catholics to Embrace Halloween

The descent of Halloween into the madness of an annual fright fest is a relatively recent development, but the true substance of Halloween belongs to the Church.

Really? So the Church definitely didn't steal it, at all, from the Celtic holiday of Samhain then? Right... I'll believe that when me shit turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbet!

Since I met my catholic ‘in-laws’ back in the 70’s they never had a problem celebrating Halloween... Course the ‘church’ I was taken to were absolutely against any kind type or sort of Halloween celebration... I cannot keep up with what is was or will be Catholic.

Halloween started in the Middle Ages as time for caution and reflection (believing that evil is always trying to attack good) on the eve of All Saints Day - one of the most important holy days of the Church.

Halloween wouldn’t exist without the Church, although like everything today, its become completely unmoored from its Christian and spiritual roots.

Halloween started when the Church encountered the Celts and needed to borrow some of their holidays to help convince the locals to convert. Hence, Samhain, the end of summer / harvest festival.

Most Christian holidays have roots that go back to pagan/ancient stuff.
St Valentine's Day? Pope trying to get rid of a Roman fertility party.
Christmas? Roman party of Saturnalia, the winter solstice.
Yule logs, Christmas trees, mistletoe - all come from when Christmas later collided with the Nordic tribes.
Easter - while most of this holiday is Christian-originating, much of the associated stuff like the Easter Bunny, painted eggs, etc is pulled from elsewhere (German/Persian for those two).
St Paddy's Day - This one is primarily Christian, it's pretty much a victory over Irish paganism holiday. But again. symbology like the shamrock or leprechaun is definitely not Christian origin.

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