People claim that Halloween came from a pagan Irish festival of the dead called Samhain. But that claim did not appear until the mid-20th century, and there are no records of the celebration of Samhain until the 10th century, almost 600 years after the coming of Christianity to Ireland. Even then, Samhain was a seasonal festival, the end of the harvest and beginning of winter. There ARE records of Irish Christians celebrating All Saints Day in 843 AD, however.
Halloween is based on All Saint’s Day, not the other way around. Everything you read about October 31 being the time when ancient Celts believed the spirits walk the earth and must be placated with food or they will play tricks, and the living must dress up in disguise to fool the evil spirits–none of it is true. There is no primary-source evidence for it, and plenty that shows that this was something made up in the 20th century. There were indeed ancient Celtic festivals of the dead/spirits but they were not near the day we know as Halloween.
It is also not true that the Church tried to take over this supposedly-popular ancient Irish holiday of Samhain and “Christianize” it, stealing it from the non-Christian Irish. Pope Gregory III moved Hallowmas (what we know as All Saints’ Day) to November 1st in the *8th century*, when leaders in Rome did not care one bit what the backwater Irish were doing. Before that, All Saints had been celebrated in May, and had been celebrated since the 2nd century. Keeping in mind calendar changes (Julian to Gregorian) and the fact that Samhain was a lunar festival, not solar–there is no evidence to support the fixed date of October 31 as being anything other than the Eve of All Hallows, shortened to “Hallow E’en.”
Halloween is great fun and a favorite holiday for many. But the traditions and backstory most associate with it are both modern and Anglo-American, they are 20th century inventions of ancient pagan roots portrayed in the media and popular culture. Don’t believe everything you watch on the “History” Channel: Halloween is [truly] a child of the Church.
Christians should absolutely be free to observe Halloween, and All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2) as a time to give thanks for the saints, and for all our beloved dead, and to tweak the nose of Satan, too, knowing that no matter what beasties and creepy clowns and ghosts may be lurking in the dark night, Christ always has the final victory over the devil, and death has no power over us ever again!
By Lutheran Pastor Rev. Pari Bailey STS
