Halloween: The Most Controversial Night of the Year - And Where Did It Come From?
These days Halloween is getting more popular due to being depicted in many American films and books. However, there are still people especially in Poland who don't support or even hate this night. They believe that this is the night when people celebrate and honour Satan. Many of them say that it's against Catholicism and makes fun of death.
But how did it all start?
At first it was a Celtic celebration nearly 2000 years ago in the lands of present-day Ireland, Northern France and the UK. People feasted on it to welcome winter and they believed that on 31 of October the line between the world of the dead and ours vanished so spirits would come on their streets and steal crops grown over summer. That's why Celts started lighting enormous fires to frighten bad souls away. It also was the reason why people started wearing disguises (old, dark, worn-out clothes) which blend them to the surrounding of the dead and not to look suspectingly alive.
As Christianity grew as a religion, the Pope made up the date to honour the Saints on the 1st of November and named it All Hallow's Eve. Christians started celebrating it by going to poor people's houses and getting candies for recitation of a prayer for people's deceased loved ones.
How is Halloween nowadays celebrated?
People throw or attend themed parties. Lots of them go trick-or-treating and some decorate their houses with Jack-'o-lanterns, spider webs and other ornaments. Another way to feel the vibe of Halloween is just simply to watch spooky films or do a movie night with themed movies.
Why do people hate Halloween?
Nowadays in Poland especially elderly people hate the idea of celebrating it and criticize children or teenagers who go trick-or-treating dressed up in fun costumes. “It's against our religion,” “By celebrating Halloween you praise Satan,” I heard them say. It's common for them to think that by celebrating it you strip death of its solemnity and children become desensitized to the vision of death. Also some people think the others who celebrate it mindlessly host black-themed banquets and macabre dinners that mock the saints.
I don't consider Halloween as a Satan-honouring or promoting celebration because its roots aren't even connected to it. Unless people start hurting others and committing dramatic acts it's just having fun dressed up in fancy costumes and enjoying the night. It doesn't involve making fun of saints and death. Furthermore, decorating food and having scarier accessories in costumes or houses doesn't mean that Halloween is macabre and that it's not suitable for younger participants as long as the decorations don’t involve brutal sceneries.
So, in my opinion, it's just another occasion in a year where people can have fun and be creative.
Page design: Antonina Szklarzewska
Bibliography
Wikipedia Contributors. “Halloween.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Apr. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026
“Halloween.” Wikipedia, 5 Dec. 2025, https://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Halloween&oldid=78234067. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026
Trendsmask. “Dlaczego Halloween Jest Złe.” Review, Sept. 2023, https://trendsmask.com/dlaczego-halloween-jest-zle-270891.html. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026
Paweł Wroński - http://wronski3.pl. “Halloween - Dlaczego Nie | Parafia Rzymskokatolicka Pw. Błogosławionego Ks. Jerzego Popiełuszki W Rzeszowie.” Rzeszow.Pl, 2022, https://popieluszko.rzeszow.pl/halloween-dlaczego-nie. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
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