There is much confusion about the origins of Halloween, and about what the Church celebrates on and around this day. Sometimes it can be a little difficult to make sense of it all. As a result, I offer the following links to articles and other resources that will help you to learn more about these holidays, and to defend them against the oh-so-typical charge that Catholics are pagans. I say Protestants just don't know how to throw a party like we do! (evidence here)
I repost this every year around this time with additional links, so if you are a regular here see the bottom of the list for some material that you might not have read yet.
- Liturgical Calendar: All Hallows' Eve | All Saints' Day | All Souls' Day
- My High Holy Day
- All Hallow's Eve
- All Saints Day
- All Souls Day
- To Trace All Souls' Day
- Halloween: Its Origins and Celebration
- Ghosts, Hauntings, and Things that Go "Bump" in the Night
- Catholic Education: All Hallow's Eve
- Ideas for Sanctifying Halloween
- Halloween: Reclaim the Celebration of All Saints
- Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls Day
- Taking Back Our "Holy" Halloween
- Halloween, High Street, and Holy Witnesses
- Halloween's Origins
- Halloween Word Origins
- Holiday Hysteria
- Pulling the Plug on the Halloween Habit
- Reinventing the Hallowheel!
- What the Halloween Hullabaloo Says about Our Culture
- How Halloween Can Be Redeemed
- Halloween Is Not a Pagan Holiday
- Seasonal Feature: Halloween
- Surprise! Halloween Is Not a Pagan Festival After All
- Should We Fear Halloween?
- Bishop Kevin Farrell: All Hallows Eve
- A Catholic Field Guide to the Undead
- Halloween on Hiatus
- Be Not Afraid: The Surprisingly Holy Origins of Halloween
- Are Scary Halloween Costumes Okay?
- Twelve Movies to Terrify Your Kids
- A Guide to Reading Ghost Stories
- Popular Christian Myths About Halloween
- Back to Black and Mind Your Beeswax: An Annual Call
- Do You Know the Meaning of the Words "Halloween" and "Hallowmas"?
- Top 10 Christian Halloween Ideas
- Do We Pray for "the Dead" or for "the Faithfully Departed"?
- 15 Favorite Films for All Hallow's Eve and All Saints' Day
- Getting All Hallow's Eve Right!
- Halloween & Smut
- The Catholic Origins of Halloween
- Culture: Halloween and Catholicism
- Do Catholics Believe in Ghosts?
- It's Time for Catholics to Embrace Halloween
- What the Hell Is Halloween and How It Can Point You to Heaven
Have fun everyone! Be holy!
Pax Christi,
phatcatholic
