The Devil's Birthday??

Halloween! The very word conjures up images of ghost and ghouls, of bubbling cauldrons stirred by cackling witches, of chainsaw wielding maniacs and things that go "bump" in the night. While most people view these things as nothing more than an innocent thrill, a safe way to explore our fears and examine our own mortality, there are those that describe a much more sinister meaning to this celebration.

My wife is a school teacher, and every year she tells me that some child in her class will announce that Halloween is actually the Devil's Birthday. This floored me! Never mind that in the biblical sense, the Devil is actually a fallen Angel, and as thus, can't have a "birthday", but what really drives me nuts is that someone is actually telling children this ridiculous lie.

First, the facts. All Hallowed Saint's Day originated around 609, and was initially celebrated in May. (In some cultures, it still is) Sometime in the mid 700s, Pope Gregory III moved it to November 1. Here in Bavaria, this is an important holiday where businesses close, ofttimes for the entire week. Families celebrate by visiting the graves of their loved ones, often decorating the graves with candles. The night before this holiday was known as All Hallows Eve, which contracted to Hallows e'en and eventually became Halloween.

So, I'm pretty sure the Roman Catholic church wouldn't create a holiday on the Devil's Birthday.

Okay, Mark, thanks for Etymology lesson. But how does that have anything to do with ghosts and goblins? Glad you asked. For the answer to that, we have to go back a bit further...

The ancient Celts of Britain and Ireland (going back to say 5th century BC) celebrated their New Year with a 3 day festival, the middle day of which was called Samhain, literally "summer's end" and October 31 marked the end of this season, and the onslaught of winter. Harvests were gathered, livestock was brought in from the pasture, weak animals were slaughtered, meat dried for the winter, and a great feast was had before the hard, hungry days of winter.

They also believed that on this night the veil between this world and the faery world was at its thinnest, and the mischievous denizens of the otherworld could cross over and wreak havoc on the living.

Some scholars believe that the wearing of masks and costumes was sort of a safety measure - the spirits wouldn't bother you they thought you were one of them.


Trick or treating may be linked to the practice of leaving food outside to appease these spirits, or as offerings for ones relatives. Similar things are done during the Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, and the Obon festival in Japan. Having lived in Japan for two years, I witnessed them leaving altars outside their homes stacked with food, and lit in the evenings by paper lanterns to help guide their loved ones home. Could jack-o-lanterns have had a similar purpose?

Another possible origin for trick or treating could be the Medieval Christian practice of "souling", carried out on November 2, when people went door to door begging for soul cakes in return for prayers.

These harvest festivals were vitally important to ancient rural cultures, and I suspect the Pope's moving of All Saint's Day from May to November was an attempt to put a Christian spin on a secular festival. But, no matter how you look at it, historically, Halloween has nothing to do with the Devil. For any associations our culture has in that regard we can thank Hollywood.

Now for the rant!

This Devil's Birthday thing angers me, not cause I love Halloween, but because it feels like a lie being told to gullible parents and their children to try and control them through fear. And fear is the root of all evil, in my opinion. But that is a topic for another day.

Nothing has any meaning but the meaning we give it! If you choose to believe that Halloween is evil, then for you, that becomes a reality. But you can just as easily believe it is nothing more than an American tradition, tracing its roots back to a time when harvests and the cycles of the moon literally meant survival for an agricultural people. Only thanks to rampant capitalism and the American Candy industry - Snickers Bars now takes the place of apples and pears!

I know people who won't have a Christmas tree in their house because 1000 years or so ago, this was a Scandinavian fertility symbol! But the meaning we give it TODAY is a symbol of peace on earth, good will toward men. The meanings of ancient times have no bearing on symbols today. The Swastika has been around for thousands of years and in dozens of cultures, but no matter its origin, TODAY it represents Nazi oppression and death. But it only means that, because we attach that meaning to it.

So you can believe that children dressing up as Spiderman and visiting their neighbors for a lollipop is inherently evil, but personally I'd worry more about the hours they spend watching some of the garbage on TV.

Now if parents are telling their kids this Devil's Birthday crap, it's bad enough, but if this lie is coming from the Church, it's twice as bad. It raises the question, if they'll lie about something so simple, what other lies are they telling people?

It reminds me of when that movie "The Golden Compass" came out, and Christian groups got up in arms, warning parents not to allow their children to see the film, that it was anti-god, and watching it would surely condemn your soul to hell. Now, I never read the book, and I know the author readily admits to being an atheist. However, the movie adaption seemed to me more about censorship. The "evil organization" in the film preaches conformity without question, don't think for yourself or you'll stray to the dark side. They sought to control the people's thoughts by not allowing them to hear other views. And the Church in real life acted exactly like the "bad guys" in the movie! Telling people not to even SEE the movie due to its "terrible" message.

I think it is the responsibility of parents, teachers, ministers, everybody - to teach children to think! Not just to regurgitate our own opinions so we feel significant, but to weigh varying views, consider alternate possibilities, and then make their own decisions.

I believe that the Truth will always prevail, and that it's tough enough to handle a bit of dissension. Seek out different ideas, and weigh them against your own. How can you know you're right, if you've never even heard other views?

Rant off! Your turn, now! Leave a comment and let me know you're take on this!