October 26, 2005 Source: York University:
http://www.yorku.ca/mediar/archive/Release.asp?Release=973 Halloween under fire in US, York U prof says TORONTO, October 26, 2005 -- Canadians and Americans mark Halloween in many of the same ways, but the differences are growing, says York University history professor Nick Rogers. "The evangelical right in the States are a huge voice, and they are saying that Halloween is too permissive, even Satanic, and encourages a neo-pagan cult -- wicca," says Rogers. "In contrast, Canadians who are opposed to Halloween just stay home." In his book, Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night (Oxford University Press 2002), Rogers traces Halloween from its Celtic and Christian origins to its arrival in North America as an Irish and Scottish festival. It would be interesting to study how recent immigrants to Canada view the holiday, Rogers says, and it is possible there will be more opposition to Halloween in Canada in the future. However, at this point there is little here that compares to the Hell Houses organized by some American churches, he says. Halloween Hell Houses are houses in which a number of horrific scenes are portrayed, designed to create terror and revulsion. The final scene is a vision of heaven. When visitors see it, they are asked to repent their sins and accept salvation. Many of the scenes -- for example, of an abortion -- are used to promote conservative Christian beliefs. It is a far cry from the neighbourhood-based Halloween celebrations of the 1950s with homemade costumes, says Rogers. Halloween in Canada has changed since then: in the 1970s, for example, gays embraced the holiday as a drag night, a celebration of coming out. After that, all kinds of adults made Halloween a night of masking and revelry, with the help of bartenders. Today, it is the second most important retail holiday of the year, after Christmas. "By and large, Canadians seem to let the holiday roll on and see it as a bit of fun. They take it lightly, which I think is the smart thing," says Rogers. York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 180,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 21 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation. -30- For more information, contact: Janice Walls, Media Relations Coordinator, York University, 416-736-2100 x22101/wallsj@yorku.ca
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