| Show Roots of Holidays Misrepresented To the Editor Please allow me to address a few of Mr Carlisle and Mr Smiths Smith's errors form your October 31 issue Claiming that all Christian holidays holidays holidays holidays' holi holi- days days' have been corrupted by soci soci- ety is putting the cart before the horse The eight Celtic holy days were converted first by the Romans and again by the early Catholic church This conversion is why with no Biblical reference Christians celebrate celebrate celebrate cele cele- brate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox and celebrate Christmas on December 25 a few days after the Winter Solstice Easter is the same day as the festival festival festival festi festi- val for the Germanic fertility goddess whose symbols incidentally are the egg and the rabbit The festival celebrates the suns sun's return as opposed to the Sons Son's return after his apparent death while the Winter Solstice celebrates the suns sun's birth instead of the Sons Son's birth Celtic and pre-Christian pre European beliefs are also at the root of our celebrations of Thanksgiving Groundhog Day May Day and Fathers Father's Day as well as Halloween Mr Smith was correct by asserting asserting asserting assert assert- ing the holiday has lost its original meaning to most people To the Celts of Europe and the British Isles h A specifically the holy day was a pastoral pastoral pastoral pas pas- toral festival which marked the time when livestock were brought in some were kept for breeding stock others were chosen for slaughter for forthe forthe forthe the winters winter's food stores The name the correct corred spelling pronounced un sow-un means Summers end That's all In all my research there is no Saman lord of the dead Instead there was a time of mourning for family and friends who had died and respect given to the cattle recently killed so that the clan could live through the winter As far as All An Saints Day is concerned concerned concerned con con- if it is one of the most important feasts of the Christian faith why have I never heard of anyone celebrating it As far as holidays in general if the Christians choose to stop celebrating pre-Christian pre holidays they are denying denying denying deny deny- ing a part of their heritage that all Europeans share Renouncing this history history history his his- tory would reduce our holidays to a string of secular meaningless Presidents President's Days Labor Days and Harvest Holidays aka deer hunt The entire article speaks of a ayoung ayoung ayoung young man talking to his minister and then sharing it with the entire campus If Mr Carlisle wishes to share his opinions he should try the editorial section instead of the front page On the front page the material should be based on fact not faith Furthermore does one learn about Hanukkah by asking Muslims Or of Kwanzaa by asking Asian- Asian Americans Then neither should the Horizon base an article about Halloween on onan an interview with a Christian minis minis- ter Halloween aka All Souls Soul's Night aka is still celebrated for its original reasons by those of the faith See the article in the Tribunes Tribune's October 28 religion section section section sec sec- tion I In the future I hope Mr Carlisle will learn leam the value of a well- well researched article over a biased quick Daniel K Christensen General Studies Major |
