And if the pagan dating was "corrected" by the Christians for being "off" by eleven days, then how is it the people of Ireland who who had the technologicial and astronomical knowledge to build Newgrange, had the winter solstice sunrise calculated so damned exactly, and their engineering so perfect, that the sunrise STILL hits the mark nearly perfectly on solstice morn, after lo these many thousands of years? Sorta makes ya wonder.

It's Halloween, it's Halloween
the moon is full and bright.
And we shall see what can't be seen
on any other night.

Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls
grinning goblins fighting duels
Werewolves rising from their tombs
witches on their magic brooms.

In masks and gowns
we haunt the street
And knock on doors
for trick or treat.

Tonight we are
the king and queen,
For oh tonight
it's Halloween!

~Jack Prelutsky~

I'm a jack o' lantern with a great big grin.
I'm a jack o' lantern with a candle in .                  
Poof! goes the wind and out goes the light.
Away fly the witches on Halloween night!

~Anon~

I served on the PTA when my kids were in school, and we regularly had good fundamentalist Christians come but once a year (to the meeting just prior to Halloween) to lecture us on the pagan nature of the holiday, and why the annual Halloween parties and pageant and games should be immediately cancelled, to save our souls.

Nowadays, Halloween is for kids, so I completely resent the suggestion that Cricket magazine should be scorned for it's inauthenticity. Who really cares? Bah humbug, and pass the cider me sez.

And none of that airy fairy, Halloween should be all sweetness and light shit either. Scare 'em to death! My mom used to dress up as a witch every Halloween, and upon opening the door to trick or treaters, regardless of age, threaten to throw them in the oven! Now those were the days! None of that PC "oooh, we might scare the kiddies" crap back then!

Halloween has been so damn lobotomized by the fundie Christian nuts and the PC brigade that claims that giving kids a good fright is tantamount to child abuse, that I've joined the Mexicans. At least "Day of the Dead" hasn't been taken over by the bloody do gooders yet.