Every year in the local papers as Halloween approaches there is the usual,dont celebrate Halloween it is evil,satanic etc.
And you get the stories of strange going on at Kits Coty (megalith in Kent,remains of a burial chamber) and Dode church (Dode village was apparantly wiped out in the plague ask for your ghost stories and theres usually something about witchcraft being evil etc etc.
I remember some years ago I think it was the Sun newspaper,having something about a dracular cult on the look out for virgins and people should be on the look out (it was'nt April the 1st and I did wonder how they would know if someone was a virgin,did they give them a questionaire).
I've noticed that murderers are often called witches in newpaper headlines.
OK open to you lot.
A nice Pagan discussion.

Morrigan

In my area the 'don't celebrate Halloween' is much more about how unnerving trick-or-treat is for old people and trying to stop people from throwing eggs etc at private property. Even the local xtian bookshops don't carry any anti-halloween literature.

Hallowe'en is pretty big here now, although strange people say it's new and used to be just guising - where do they think guising came from? It's pretty much seen as something for kids though

I once called Channel 4 to complain about "witch" being used as an insult in Brookside...

My son has been to a Samhain moot with me, he has been trick or treating (supervised by me), and he has been to a 'standard' kiddies Halloween party - he hated the party, moaned about trick or treating (it was cold and wet though), and loved the moot...

I have never allowed my children to 'trick or treat' I think they get enough with out begging sweets from strangers. I just feel its wrong somehow anyway. I am sure some folk will disagree with me. Now halloween was always bob apple night in my youth and my kids love that, dressing up and all, fun with their friends, safe at home. Sweets as prizes and the goodness of autumns pluder as well. Spooky stories, hotpot and hot chocolate, spiced wine for the adults. As well as ritual welcoming the ancestors and paying homage to those departed. I can't wait!

Ha, funny this should come up. I'm in discussion with a few Christian websites at the moment negotiating that they alter their webpages to provide more accurate information about paganism, and hallowe'en is one of the key topics. Quite a few website owners are being very receptive. But there are a few- Word of Faith people, so no surprises there, who aren't interested.

The reason why I think that is relevant is that quite a bit of the crud that hits the papers is as a direct result of the urban myth machine supported by Christian lack of information. They don't know and are too scared to ask. So I'm going in there to tell them. Helps that I am also working with a few ex pagans who now follow a Christian path, so my credentials are backed up.

I wonder how it might be if Pagans in every area wrote an article and sent it in to the local paper BEFORE the Hallowe'en roundabout began. If it is done with a recognition that some people believe that we are worshiping the devil, but we don't believe we are, we believe.....etc outlining the spiritual approach, it might prove an effective counterpoint and not seem like a knee jerk response to a perceived persecution.

Just some musings.

BB

Mike