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Originally posted by Andy:
Do they have such a thing?

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So apart from the fact 80-90 % of the country is Muslim and in the middle of Ramadam. I think the Orthodox church would more likely clebrate it as a serious religiois occassion if they celebrate it at all.

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Originally posted by Sasy Cat:
You are correct Mark - my mistake. All Saints is November 1st and All Souls is November 2nd.

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Hallowen is actually a christian festival. 31st OCT being All Hallows Eve and 1st Nov being All Souls day. Although nothing remains of the root of the celebration(I wonder if Christmas will be like that one day).

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No it's not. Halloween might have been subsituted by Christianity when northern/western Europeans converted from their indigenous spirtuality but it's not in anyway connected to Christianity.

The Halloween you see in the United States is a created holiday with the candy and going from door to door. Before this it was a traditional Celtic holiday called Samhain.

The only thing traditional about the American holiday is the lighting of the jack-o-lanterns. This pratice was actually brought to America by Irish immigrants and later people subsituted lighting Turnips with pumpkins. The original pratice was to scare away dead spirits.

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Halloween was not a christian celebration. Rather, it was/is a celebration in the Wicca Religion. (I think it's something to do with the changing of the seasons). In fact, some cities in the US just cancelled Halloween this year as they felt it was politically incorrect to dress-up and be goulish characters - in deferance to the Wicca Religion.

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Wicca is a created religion that was capitalized to incorporate indigenous European spirtuality. Much like Asatru it only has spirtual basis but not a historical basis. Pre-Christian religions in Europe had no label for their spirtual systems like Abrahmic faiths because of the lack of religious dogma.

The celebration is an ancient Celtic one that was later manipulated and changed into a capitalistic one invovling candy and children.

Druids,Btw, used to sacrifice children on this day.

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Originally posted by foreigngirl:
AT least probably in Italy it is more religious than here in the US. In the US, everything is sooooo commercialized. They take all the religious meanings out of everything. For example, in Spain, Easter is such a serious religious occasion.

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Sorry I find that absolutely insulting.

Reason why things are commercialized here in American is because we aren't afriad to spend money on our children. Hence why unlike Italy we report our income to the revenue service unlike 60% of the income earned in Italy.

Unlike Europe which measures its Church attendance at 15%, 47% of Americans attend Church at least once a month.

And just because Easter is marketed, doesn't mean I didn't have my hide dragged into Church for Easter service and be reminded every day during Lent that the most wonderful child of God, sacrificed himself for my sins!

And yes we have a special service every November 1 to mark "All-Saints Day", my second Lutheran Church was named after it. "All Saints Luthern Church", a permenant reminder that my Christian ancestors are keeping track of my ongoing sin, writting it down and will be ready to hand the list to St. Peter when I reach the pearly gates. Then refute why I deserve hell!

Yes my ancestors have high standards, for the quality of my soul, not wine vintage unlike your ancestors!

Just because Italy is a corruption infested cesspool of poverty doesn't mean you have the right to trash my countries religousity!

But I understand why you feel that way. I don't have the "Princes of the Vatican" here to relieve me of my sins, no those sins I take to the grave and answer for them in FRONT OF GOD!

Thank God I am Protestant!