Every year, on the night of Oct. 31, kids all over the globe dress up as their favorite characters, animals, and people, and greet generous strangers on their doorstep, arms outreached, anticipating free candy. Halloween is meant to be a night of fun and goofing around, yet many parents are often concerned with the so-called demonic connotations of the holiday.
The holiday often involves more spooky themes, including things such as ghouls, skeletons, ghosts, witches, and more. These common costumes and decorations have led some parents and others to be concerned about the “demonic” nature of the holiday’s characteristics.
When following the history of Halloween, it seems to have first begun as a Celtic festival, Samhain, that celebrated the passing of fall to winter. The day was said to bring those who had died closer to the world of the living. This here is what most likely brought on the themes of ghosts and skeletons common on Halloween today.
From the festival, Halloween then transitioned into a Christian holiday, All Hallows Eve. This holiday is right before the Christian All Saints Day. This day is meant to commemorate all saints that have died and passed on to Heaven, which is similar in the ways of Samhain. Eventually, All Hallows Eve was referred to as Halloween, and since then, has been celebrated as a night of fun and feasting.
The origins of the holiday are somewhat scattered and molded together, creating what we have today. Yet, specifics about the pagan festival and deathly eerie themes have turned many away from Halloween, disregarding the involved Christian history as well.