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Halloween isn't a Christian holiday, at least not originally. Tom Send a noteboard - 01/11/2011 10:26:58 PM
It wasn't by coincidence that the Church chose to celebrate All Saints' Day on November 1, or Candlemas on February 2.

The Celtic pagan holidays were taken over and Christianized, and the placement of the Christian holidays had nothing to do with celebrating an event at the anniversary of its actual occurrence (except Easter, which was tied to the Jewish Passover and so happened at the right time of the year without fail). It is likely that Jesus was born in the Spring if the Gospels are to be believed; in the Near East shepherds would only watch their flocks by night in the early Spring when the lambs were born.

All Saints' Day, a day venerating a number of people, didn't happen to fall on Samhain, the feast for the dead. It was specifically chosen for that day, just like the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple was called Candlemas in honor of the traditions of Imbolc. Beltaine was never really subsumed by a Christian holiday and everyone just kept celebrating May Day. Lughnasadh was turned into Lammas-Day, the day on which the harvest was blessed.

Each of those days was halfway between an equinox and a solstice, and based on old solar calendars. That would have nothing to do with the roots of Christianity, since Judaism followed a lunar calendar, and no particular significance would attach to solar calendar breaking points.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.

ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius

Ummaka qinnassa nīk!

*MySmiley*
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It's so weird trying to explain Halloween to people who didn't grow up with it - 01/11/2011 02:26:52 PM 706 Views
For a sec I was gonna go into the specifics for you... - 01/11/2011 04:32:18 PM 334 Views
But its always just been an excuse to make a fire on the top of a hill. - 01/11/2011 05:32:57 PM 323 Views
Yup. I know there are various pagan origins, but honestly, fuck'em - 01/11/2011 08:17:12 PM 323 Views
I'm not going to do a history lesson, but... - 01/11/2011 09:22:59 PM 353 Views
What would you say is the proper plural form of Jesus? - 01/11/2011 09:51:31 PM 357 Views
Claudii is an established plural, actually. - 01/11/2011 10:02:52 PM 418 Views
I want to reread Lamb: The story of Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal now - 01/11/2011 11:38:26 PM 421 Views
Jesī *NM* - 01/11/2011 10:06:29 PM 197 Views
Minor addendum: it seems to be a defective fourth declension. The plural should still be Iesūs. - 01/11/2011 10:44:08 PM 319 Views
Ah, interesting. - 02/11/2011 10:22:37 AM 297 Views
The source? Any good Latin grammar should do. *NM* - 02/11/2011 05:06:31 PM 131 Views
Also, a massive number of names follow 3rd declension. - 02/11/2011 05:30:16 PM 255 Views
He is singular in nature - 01/11/2011 10:08:43 PM 346 Views
Ha. - 01/11/2011 10:14:25 PM 273 Views
Re: Ha. - 02/11/2011 01:12:22 AM 347 Views
Lots of Mexican guys in one room could still be "Jesuses". *NM* - 01/11/2011 10:47:03 PM 105 Views
So is it Jesūs, Jesii, or Jesuses then? - 02/11/2011 01:04:58 AM 268 Views
maybe his name is a plural anyway *NM* - 01/11/2011 11:13:03 PM 132 Views
Halloween isn't a Christian holiday, at least not originally. - 01/11/2011 10:26:58 PM 341 Views
I was giving the abrigded version - 02/11/2011 01:01:07 AM 258 Views
Oh, well of course not. - 02/11/2011 01:08:33 AM 281 Views
I know all of this, and care not. - 01/11/2011 11:37:12 PM 254 Views
Again halloween is a world thing, not US property - 02/11/2011 12:01:25 AM 282 Views
I honestly wasn't making it a US thing - 02/11/2011 02:43:59 PM 339 Views
Thanks, Isaac - 02/11/2011 03:08:14 AM 283 Views
- 02/11/2011 03:34:26 PM 255 Views
LMAO! That's great! *NM* - 03/11/2011 01:24:09 PM 114 Views
Pet Peeve: Halloween isn't a holiday...its a celebration *NM* - 01/11/2011 10:00:35 PM 131 Views
US Halloween is neither... - 01/11/2011 10:08:10 PM 319 Views
It seems internationally understood from what I can tell. - 01/11/2011 10:48:02 PM 310 Views
Aren't morbid celebrations to ward away spirits pretty common throughout the world? *NM* - 01/11/2011 11:20:45 PM 131 Views
That's not what Halloween is in the US, though. Not anymore. *NM* - 01/11/2011 11:34:27 PM 117 Views
But Halloween isn't the property of you guys. - 02/11/2011 12:00:11 AM 279 Views
I honestly wasn't making it a US thing - 02/11/2011 02:50:08 PM 314 Views

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