Halloween has a history of evolving to the loudest social beliefs and opinions of the day. If you have questions about how or if you should celebrate it, if you wonder why one Christian takes it so seriously they ban it, and another treats it as harmless and enjoys it, review Halloween's path through our culture.  The choice on what to do with this commercial holiday depends on which point you embrace it's history - from it's origin, or from it's adaptations.

Oct. 31 - 2000 years ago

• Samhain (pronounced "sow-in" ) Festival of Celt and Druid priests
• the night the boundary of the world of the living and the dead is blurred
• food and wine left for visiting evil spirits, costumes to hide from them

• Roman traditions added -  commemorate goddess of fruit and trees -  bobbing of apples

• Christian reaction to Samhain becomes All Saints Day - to honor saints and martyrs (middle english term) All-Hallows-Eve becomes Halloween

• Beggars given Soul Cakes - treats for praying for the dead

Oct. 31 - 1840

• Irish immigrants popularize it
• house to house asking for food or money & costumes

• Public emphasis on community and neighborly get together
• pressure to ban ghosts, witches, pranks and frightening things (moral voices and newspapers inspired this campaign)

• Vandalism becomes the emphasis of Halloween

• Trick or Treating tradition revived.

• Town leaders return Halloween to an emphasis for the young

• Emphasis on death, demonic and horror

• $2.5 billion spent, the second largest commercial holiday.

• trick or treating
• community /school party
• church party
• family alternative