How Hallow an Eve?
Author: Mackenzie Carpenter Source: The Post-Gazette Title: HOW HALLOW AN EVE? Besides objecting to the holiday’s secular, overtly commercial character and increasing emphasis on violence and evil, some Christians are uncomfortable with what they perceive as Halloween’s pagan origins. While the Internet is rife with Web sites reporting on these pagan roots, some scholars say the connection is overstated. Many of the rituals of the holiday — trick-or- treating and the carving of jack-o’-lanterns — stem from medieval Christian traditions which replaced earlier pagan ones, said Hans Broedel, a professor of medieval history at Hamilton College. “There was a concerted effort in the 19th century by scholars interested in paganism to connect Halloween with ancient Celtic traditions, but most Halloween traditions are Christian. In fact, efforts to connect it with paganism may have been a form of stealth Catholic bashing,” Broedel said.
