Halloween, Pagan or Catholic Custom?

Every year around this time in Chile, advertisements in TV, Radio, markets and special offers in Discoteques and Pubs talks about a singular conmemoration. Excited children and even adults are dressed up as witches, pirates, devils, ghosts, Dracula and other creatures, and they go from door to door shouting, "Trick or Treat”. But… Do we know what is the Halloween? How did this peculiar custom originate? Is a pagan or catholic custom?

The word itself “Halloween” actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a play on words of “All Hallows Eve” (“All Saint Day”), celebrated on November 1st in honour of saints and martyrs, introduced by Pope Gregory IV. But the celebration has its origins in pagan practices.

In the 5th Century B.C., celtic people celebrated the end of the summer and beginning of the winter, a time of the year associated with death. The holiday was called “Samhain” (sow-en), the Celtic New Year.

The Celts believed that on that night, the boundary between the worlds of the life and death were thin, and the bodiless ghosts came back in search of living bodies to posses them. Obviously, the still-living did not want to be possessed and they dressed up as someone or something so that the devil or ghost could not identify them. The Druids priests, commemorated the event; It was a night for striking up communications with the death, there were several forms of divination, like animal sacrifices; prophecies, and sexual rituals. For that reason was pagan.

Also, they went from house to house asking for dead animals, black sheep, and human beings. Those who gave were promised prosperity and those who refused to give were cursed and threatened. In addition, it was likely that all of the "bodiless ghosts" would get hungry. If they set out a treat for them, they would not trick or curse you. That is the origin of TRICK OR TREAT. Another pagan ritual.

When the Romans occupied Celtic territory, several Roman traditions were also incorporated into the festivals. Feralia, a day celebrated in late October by the Romans for the passing of the dead as well as a festival which celebrated the Roman Goddess Pomona, the goddess of fruit were incorporated into the celebrations. The symbol of Pomona was an apple, which is a proposed origin for the tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.

As European immigrants came to America, they brought their varied Halloween customs with them. Parties focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes and it has continued to grow.

Two years ago, in some Chilean catholic churches, people are celebrating the All Souls feast day, in Halloween night, where children dress up as saint, angels and they give saint cards and peace messages.

Finally in my own point of view, I think the catholic is only the word but the custom is pagan because in halloween it is conmemorated the death, the underworld, where we can see and observe violent fancy dresses, blood, monsters and even inmoral figures. Let’s stimulate the catholic practice!

RELATION BETWEEN FRANKESTEIN AND THE MONSTER

Victor Frankestein was a scientist who grows up in Geneva in a family composed by his parents, his adopted daughter Elizabeth, with whom he had a closed relationship and his servants, Justine and her mother. His father was a doctor and Victor wanted to be as good as him. He read several works of ancient alchemist but after his mother died giving birth to his young brother, he became fascinated with the secret of life and death and after attending university at Ingolstadt, he obsessed with the idea of creating life in inanimate matter through artificial means.

Monster is Victor Frankestein’s creation, assembled from corpse body parts and strange chemicals. It has a grotesque appearance, ugly and awkward or clumsy. After to see himself, he escaped and took refuge in a poor peasant’s house. He wanted to have a family. He doesn´t want to be alone.

First, when victor created the monster he felt like God because he had brought the creature to life and fascinated because he had verified that he could give life. However, after to see him, he immediately regretted and he tried to destroy each test of his creation.

Although Victor and the Creature grew up in distinct environments, both of them value companionship, understanding that friendship is a source of comfort and development. It was a relationship with two different points of view: creator-invention for Victor and father-son for the monster, due to Victor had created him.
on the one hand, from the Victor’s point of view, it was a creator-invention relationship, on the other hand, from the monster point of view, it was a relation father-son

The Creature murdered Henry and Elizabeth to show his dislike of Victor’s refusal to create a companion for him. Sensing Victor’s refusal as an insult, the Creature “resolved that [the murder] should be accomplished” and killed Elizabeth, Victor’s wife, on their wedding night. If only Victor would have created a female for the Creature, the murders of Victor’s family would have been avoided.

Victor “succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life, and became capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter”, which destroyed his own life and family.

By realizing this character relationship between Victor and the Monster, I understand how two individuals can become one regardless of their outside differences. Frankenstein opens up my mind to make friends, not by skin color but by inner self, in our diverse society.