HALLOWEEN TIP SHEET
"Halloween is not Satanic," says Medieval Historian
"Halloween is not satanic," says Hans Broedel, a medieval historian at Hamilton College. "They have absolutely nothing to do with one another. Halloween was originally the Celtic New Year which was Christianized in the Middle Ages." Broedel explains that one of the hallmarks of Christianity is that Christians have adopted other holidays, such as Easter, as their own. He says, "The Celtic New Year became All Saint's Day, then All Souls Day, which later became Halloween. There is nothing Satanic about it at all."
Broedel explains that the association of fear with Halloween evolved from the legendary Celtic belief that once a year the deceased were permitted to returned to earth. He says, "The reason that Halloween is spooky is that in Celtic tradition the dead are allowed to come back to earth on New Years Day. As in Dickens' A Christmas Carol, the ghosts love coming for special holidays, however, most Halloween traditions are Christian." Broedel explains that trick-or-treating emerged from the practice of collecting alms for the poor "in order to save your soul."
Goblins, Witches, Ghosts, Returning Dead and "Things That Go Bump in the Night"
In the Celtic tradition, it was believed that many ghosts were friendly, coming back in the form of animals, including crows and cats. "Ghosts in the form of people, such as those we see in movies, are a contemporary phenomenon," Broedel says. "All except the grumpiest, scariest medieval 'ghosts' who were called 'revenants' and were the animated corpses of the returning dead." Witches were a 15th-century creation and at first took the form of their "familiars" --cats, bugs and toads. The notion of a witch as a woman who flies through the night, with the big hat, green face and evil agenda is relatively recent folklore.
Turnip Jack-O-Lanterns?
Broedel explains that although many misconceptions about medieval spiritual life are rampant today, some Celtic Halloween practices have been preserved, such as making jack-o-lanterns, although with a bit of a twist. They used turnips instead of pumpkins.
"They carved jack-o-lanterns out of turnips. So teach children a little history lesson and preserve Halloween fun at the same time: try a turnip-carving session," Broedel says. "One of the nice things about jack-o-lanterns made from turnips is that you can actually use them as lanterns. Children suspend the carved root from string or a forked stick and carry it around when they go out at night."
Exorcism and the Movies; "Lost Souls" released in time for Halloween
"Lost Souls" starring Winona Ryder is billed as "an entrancing supernatural thriller about the eternal battle between good and evil. Set against a backdrop of contemporary cynicism and ancient exorcism, it uses the conventions of the horror film to examine issues of belief, trust, faith and love."
Exorcism is the rite of driving out demons. Baptism is the first rite of exorcism--casting out the demons with holy water--and has been done throughout the ages. During the Golden Age of Reformation the Catholic Church used exorcism to demonstrate its superiority over the newer protestant religions. But "exorcism is not peculiar to Catholicism," says Douglas Raybeck, professor of anthropology, Hamilton College, who notes that about 50 percent of the world's cultures believe a person can be taken over by the supernatural.
Hans Broedel explains that "modern satanic movies like 'Lost Souls,' and 'The Exorcist' are gaining popularity, because as society gets more and more complex, we realize we're not in control of our own destiny. We get pushed around, and believe we can't be instrumental in our own environment. The possessed or evil characters are able to regain that control, because they can say or do things they otherwise couldn't." These movies also make it seem as if you can "catch" possession. Broedel says, "Possession is not a disease that you can catch by touching something. Demons have insubstantial bodies--they can enter the human body but cannot take over the human will. You can only be possessed if you are not in a state of grace. Sinners can be possessed but not children."
The Thrills and Chills of Halloween
Raybeck says Halloween is one of the few holidays when people have license to break the rules. "Adults and kids love it," he says. "I know adults [who] get more excited about Halloween than Christmas or the Fourth of July." But the Halloween fun that people love also makes institutions nervous. Halloween is a source of anxiety because of the prevalence of misconceptions about its origins and links to evil, as well as the opportunity it provides for society to run amuck. As people seek to emulate figures depicted in horror movies, combined with excessive partying and substance abuse, there are serious crimes committed on Halloween. Vandalism is also rampant during Halloween with property damage ranging from homes and cars being plastered with raw eggs, to more serious crime such as broken windows, spray painted graffiti, or theft.
Hamilton Students Provide Safe Halloween Trick-or-Treating for Local Children
Hamilton College students will host the 11th annual Trust Treat -- a Halloween celebration for more than 200 Utica area children, on the Hamilton College campus, to provide a safe and fun evening of trick-or-treat on Halloween night, October 31.
The Utica children, with Hamilton student guides, will trick-or-treat on campus in the residence halls, where costumed Hamilton students will hand out candy and provide some fun tricks for the children. Some private societies and residence halls also will sponsor haunted houses during the evening.
Trust Treat was established by the Newman Council and the Class of 1992 in memory of Eric Trust, a member of the class, who died unexpectedly on Halloween Day during his first year at Hamilton in 1988.
"Trust Treat gives the whole Hamilton community a chance to provide a safe and happy environment for children to enjoy Halloween," said freshman Charles Francis, a member of the Newman Council, which organizes Trust Treat. Funding comes from the Student Assembly, the 1992 Senior Gift, and the Syracuse Diocese of the Catholic Church. The Office of the Dean of Students sponsors dinner for student tour guides before the trick-or-treating.
WARNING "Don't Try this At Home!"
One of the Trust Treat stops is a visit to Professor Karen Brewer's chemistry laboratory. There children will be treated to a science "magic show" -- slime and "flubber" ooze out of beakers, fire gas balls explode in mid-air, flaming dollar bills "magically" stay intact, delicate flowers shatter like glass and all is seen through a spooky mist (generated by dry ice.)
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