Here's A Theory

[Murfreesboro]

Well, I don't know. A whole lot of people celebrate Christmas who are not particularly religious. I think the holiday has a strong gravitational pull, with its emphasis on nostalgia and family and the comforts of home. Of course, for me it is also a religious holiday, and as I get older, I find that the religious aspect of it becomes more important to me.

[NeverMore]

.
Could be. Samhain was more of a spiritual observance than a religious one so it may have
become more popular than Christmas. If Christmas would have come to exist at all. Of
course, without the Christians trying to usurp the Pagan rituals would it have evolved into
the holiday we know today as Halloween?

[Murfreesboro]

From my reading, I gather that Samhain was the #1 holiday among the pre-Christian Celts, which is why it never really died out, I suppose. But then, winter solstice celebrations were also very big in the pagan world, especially in ancient Rome, and Christmas was set when it was to counteract those. Our modern Christmas blends the traditions, just as Halloween does. (Well, I guess Christmas is a more successful blend, from the Christian point of view, since the centerpiece of it remains the birth of Jesus. I'm not sure that All Saints/All Souls' Days have made such a great impression in predominantly Protestant countries, though I think they are observed more seriously in Catholic nations.)

It's funny to me that the same people who want to stamp out Halloween would never dream of discarding their Christmas tree.

[adrian]

and the christmas tree comes from an old german tradition

[MacPhantom]

If there weren't so many religious people out there, Halloween would be the #1 Holiday, not Christmas. What do you think?

Interesting theory, but I'd like to hear more about it before I concur or disagree. When you say "religious people", do you include Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, and Wiccans? When you say "out there", do you mean in the world, or in the United States? When you say "#1 Holiday", do you mean most widely celebrated, most commercialized, most referenced, or most profitable?

It might also be helpful if you defined the words "be", "there", "out", "not", "many", "would", "if", "you", "weren't", "so", "think", "the", and "do".

[NeverMore]

.
Methinks Mac be a lawyer?

[MacPhantom]

Or even worse... a Philosopher?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_urGc12p_A

[NeverMore]

.
All of life's questions can be answered by Family Guy.

[MacPhantom]

Or one of Seth MacFarlane's twenty other shows.....

[Andybev01]

American Dad is the best of the bunch.

But I suppose that depends on what the definition of the word 'is', is.

[Spookymufu]

Futurama beats anything ol' Seth has done, but I usually like FG too

[Samhain]

Halloween is extremely popular around here (Southern Indiana) despite the presence of many religious people. That doesn't mean they have no say in things, however. Next year Halloween will be on Sunday, but I guarantee you that trick or treating will be held Saturday. They'll claim it's because kids have school the day after Oct, 31, but that's bogus. Whenever Halloween falls during the school week, they always celebrate it on the actual day. The only difference this time around is that they don't want to offend anyone who goes to church on Sunday. That's twisted thinking, imo.
If someone thinks Halloween is against their religion, what difference does it make when it's celebrated? You aren't forced to celebrate Halloween, so what right does anyone have to tell you that you HAVE to do it on some day other than when it really is? I mean, you could take your kids trick or treating one day and then throw a party the next, but splitting up those traditions just doesn't feel right. Oh well, though. I guess that's just the way it is.

[Spookymufu]

Halloween is extremely popular.......(snip)......I guess that's just the way it is.

I agree, I think it's stupid too