Do you know about it?
When I was at school Halloween was hugely frowned upon and one teacher genuinely suggested we throw buckets of water at anyone who came round trick-or-treating. I wonder whether, even now, this is because of the Christian anti-pagan propaganda.
Primary schools teach Christianity along with Hinduism, Sikhism and many other religions from around the world. Kids learn about their teachings, beliefs and rituals, but the history of Halloween is never even touched upon. There are hundreds of ancient stone circles all around the English countryside marking the position of the sun and moon at the pagan sabbats, including Halloween (properly called Samhain). It is an ancient British religion, still practiced today by larger numbers of people than you’d expect, so it surprises me that it’s not taught, even briefly, in schools; especially at this time of year.
I remember at assemblies the headmaster telling us at Easter that it’s important to know the reasons why we’re eating Easter eggs and then give us some crap about the shape of the egg representing the tomb Jesus lay in. No mention of the pagan Goddess Eostre whose legend had a rabbit who humbly presented her with eggs he’d laid and decorated. The Goddess was so pleased, she asked him to go around the world giving everyone this gift of life.
Now which story seems more likely to you? And don’t even get me started on Christmas!
My point is; in a society where schools are keen to please all religions, it seems daft that the true histories of our British customs, (before the Christians came along and changed their names and messed about with them) are not talked about in class. It may even comfort the children to know that instead of monsters and devils coming out to be nasty, that the Pagans believe that the God dies on this night and as he crosses into the land of the dead, he holds back the evil spirits so we can enjoy our feasting in peace. We are however able to invite our deceased loved ones to join us in celebrating the last harvest, as the divide between the two worlds are at its thinnest.
I’ll have a rant about Christmas nearer the time!
I still haven’t worked out what to do when I grow up! I’m mainly a writer, an artist, and a fairytale dressmaker with various crafty hobbies! Here (and on YouTube) I share bits of my life, thoughts, and what I’m learning along the way. Let’s find magic and inspiration; join me for this creative living adventure!
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