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  • Somethings to think about

    OK I live in NC and the people in the south are Great they are very kind people. BUT they are also VERY close minded. I say that because I live in whats know as the (bible belt). Now For years Ive had a hard time doing haunts. Ive had props cut up sets tore apart Churches stand outside the haunt and Preach. They do this because They see Halloween as the DEVILS day. they want our kids at church that night for trunk or treating or a party. Why cant we go out to our friends house and get candy and go out to our local haunted house to celebrate Halloween. Do we even know the reason we celebrate this Holiday? When it comes to Christmas the church has no prob. with anything. Why is this. Do we know why we celebrate this holiday? NOW I say we should look at the reason for the seasons.
    Last edited by krazedklownkilla; 12-22-2010, 07:51 PM.
    BLOOD, GUTS AND GORE!
    www.horrorfields.com

  • #2
    The Origin of Halloween:


    The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

    To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

    During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

    By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

    The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

    By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.
    Halloween Comes to America

    As European immigrants came to America, they brought their varied Halloween customs with them. Because of the rigid Protestant belief systems that characterized early New England, celebration of Halloween in colonial times was extremely limited there.



    It was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups, as well as the American Indians, meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included "play parties," public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other's fortunes, dance, and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.

    In the second half of the nineteenth century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846, helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally. Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. Young women believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors.

    In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers, than about ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft.

    At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything "frightening" or "grotesque" out of Halloween celebrations. Because of their efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.

    By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country's second largest commercial holiday.
    Last edited by krazedklownkilla; 12-22-2010, 07:47 PM.
    BLOOD, GUTS AND GORE!
    www.horrorfields.com

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    • #3
      The History of Christmas

      An Ancient Holiday

      The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

      In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.

      The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.

      In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.
      Saturnalia

      In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.

      Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra's birthday was the most sacred day of the year.

      In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia. Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.

      By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today's Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the "lord of misrule" and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined "debt" to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.
      An Outlaw Christmas

      In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday.

      The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident.

      After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America's new constitution. Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.
      Last edited by krazedklownkilla; 12-22-2010, 07:43 PM.
      BLOOD, GUTS AND GORE!
      www.horrorfields.com

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      • #4
        I hope you will NOT take this the wrong way. Im not trying to piss off anyone. These are just facts from the past. We can make these holidays anything we want.

        I chose to build a haunted house in OCT. and I make it scary As I know how to.

        Then in Dec. I put lights out side my house and a tree in it. then on dec. 25th my child is so happy that santa came and gave her gifts. Then We eat a big meal with our family.

        Whats the point here?

        I just want people to make every holiday fun. and dont get mad if some one makes a scary haunted house.



        All info came from historychannel.com
        Last edited by krazedklownkilla; 12-22-2010, 07:48 PM.
        BLOOD, GUTS AND GORE!
        www.horrorfields.com

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        • #5
          Your really preaching to the chior here (pardon the pun) I dont think you will get a debate here, maybe this would upset folks on a different forum but why post it here?
          www.Stiltbeaststudios.com
          http://www.youtube.com/user/Stiltbea...s?feature=mhee

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Allen H View Post
            Your really preaching to the chior here (pardon the pun) I dont think you will get a debate here, maybe this would upset folks on a different forum but why post it here?
            To me it sounds like she is venting an I say let the girl vent. We have all been there and been in her shoes. What gets to me is that most of the people you see on this forum are very good people. People like every day people with normal jobs, go to church, pay there taxes, and do every day normal things.

            This is what gets to me though, the people that get it in there heads that they are the shit and do stupid things that make us look bad. An I have seen haunts pop up and fizzle out all because of stupid things they do that they think are cool. An I have seen a lot of stupid things, tagging there logo (with paint) on public property, not doing back round checks while running high school volunteer haunt (that was fun), posting enchanting photos on facebook/myspace, older cast members drinking with minors, wait wait my favorite is one time this haunt thought it was the shit and started a "turf war" with another haunted house.

            An they think its cool and all right!! An then the media gets a hold of it and then thats all you here in that area for the whole damn month.
            ~*~How is a raven like a writing desk ?
            ~*~*~There both the perfect tools for picking at the brain.
            ~*~*~*~An my favorite game you ask ?
            ~*~*~*~*~ Raven on the desk of course.

            Jessica Ward

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            • #7
              This may be a stronger argument for you...
              http://www.biblicalhorizons.com/open...ing-halloween/

              Comment


              • #8
                Interesting post tongue. I have had the debate with fellow christians about haunts, normally after a casual conversation they come around.
                Next time they picket make sure you put out some coffee for them, and maybe cookies. No point in hating or complaining, just be unfun to harass.
                www.Stiltbeaststudios.com
                http://www.youtube.com/user/Stiltbea...s?feature=mhee

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Allen H View Post
                  Interesting post tongue. I have had the debate with fellow christians about haunts, normally after a casual conversation they come around.
                  Next time they picket make sure you put out some coffee for them, and maybe cookies. No point in hating or complaining, just be unfun to harass.
                  Yes indeed very good advise.

                  I'm keeping that link, thats going to be useful, thanks tonguesandwich!!
                  ~*~How is a raven like a writing desk ?
                  ~*~*~There both the perfect tools for picking at the brain.
                  ~*~*~*~An my favorite game you ask ?
                  ~*~*~*~*~ Raven on the desk of course.

                  Jessica Ward

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Why do we celebrate Christmas?

                    Christmas is not really about all that you talked about. It's not about a tree, decorations or even gifts and being with family, that's just what it's become.

                    Christmas is about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's what this birth represents and the salvation of mankind through his sacrifices. It's about much more holy and spiritual than anything manufactured about Christmas.

                    The Church from their point of view is correct, Chrismas is a holy Christian holiday so of course they approve, Halloween is rooted in pagan beliefs.

                    DA

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                    • #11
                      Darkangel To you christmas is about jesus. But to some its not. But do they tell you that your wrong for celebrating it this way.

                      Same for halloween. WE celebrate it with a haunted house. So why should the church come out and destroy my stuff and tell me im going to hell for the way I celebrate halloween.





                      tounge that was a great read thanx for the input.
                      Last edited by krazedklownkilla; 12-23-2010, 10:30 AM.
                      BLOOD, GUTS AND GORE!
                      www.horrorfields.com

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        No, that's what Christmas is. If you don't recognize what Christmas is then dont celebrate it... You can't reinterpret it, it is what it is. Please, educate yourself!
                        Last edited by Darkangel; 12-23-2010, 03:32 PM.

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                        • #13
                          Merry Christmas! Happy Halloween!
                          No need for debate, or to start a religious war. This is a great time of year which follows another great time of year.
                          Im going to stop viewing this thread because it is getting into content best suited for conversation as opposed to the internet, this isnt an issue that will be solved on a public forum nor will minds be changed by the typed word.
                          Merry Christmas all!
                          no sarcasm is intended, I truely mean merry Christmas.
                          Allen H
                          www.Stiltbeaststudios.com
                          http://www.youtube.com/user/Stiltbea...s?feature=mhee

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                          • #14
                            I think your right Allen
                            BLOOD, GUTS AND GORE!
                            www.horrorfields.com

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