The religious controversy over Halloween has more to do with its origins than the way it is celebrated in America today.
Its roots can be traced back 2,000 years to the ancient festival of Samhain, the Celtic lord of death, which marked the changing of the seasons for the Celtic people of Britain, Ireland and northern France. The Druids, Celtic priests, built sacred bonfires and burned crops and animals as sacrifices. Some historians believe human sacrifices may have been associated with the festival.The Romans took over the Celtic region in A.D. 43 and ruled it for 400 years, in the process combining the festival of Samhain with two Roman autumn festivals, one of which honored the dead. In about 800 A.D., after the Celts had been converted to Christianity, church leaders established All Saints' Day on Nov. 1. The old pagan customs were absorbed into the activities of the new holy day, the eve of which became known as All Hallow E'en.
All Saints' Day is still recognized by some churches just as Halloween is rejected by others. The Rev. Steve Klemz of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church on Foothill Drive said his congregation uses All Saints Sunday to remember those who have died in the past year.
"The theme has much more to do with Christian hope, the promise of new life," said the Rev. Klemz, who has lived in Utah for five years. "As a congregation, we have different opinions about (Halloween).
"In my previous congregation in St. Paul, Minn., there was much more of a push to ignore anything that had to do with Halloween. Minnesotans tend to, in my experience, have a unique kind of piety."
The Internet is rife with chatter about Halloween, mostly from Christians and Christian organizations that don't believe it should be recognized.
Patrick Smolan, writing for Kansas State University's online newspaper, says the Bible forbids Christians to participate in Halloween. "For a Christian to celebrate Halloween is like a Jew to celebrate Hitler's birthday," he wrote.
The editors of "Verbosity," a slightly irreverent online publication, complain that "People need to stop looking for ways to take the fun out of life. Nobody is going to accidentally worship Satan. Halloween is just plain fun; go out there and trick-or-treat before some militant Christian group takes away your right!"
CHICK publications, an online Christian news service, contends the ancient Druid festival included "many human sacrifices," and further states that, "Today a growing number of people, claiming to be of direct Druid descent, still practice their religion, including human sacrifice."
The Rev. Phil Foard of the South Valley Evangelical Free Church in South Jordan is familiar with CHICK Publications and admits the organization's approach can appear extreme. But, the Rev. Foard cautions, people should not be naive - Satanic cults do exist, and Halloween is "their main holiday of the year."