2B - The Michigan Daily Weeken t'gine - Thursday, October 30, 1997

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Holiday has religious, folk sources

By Jason Stoffer
Daily Arts Writer
Is Halloween a hamless festival of
candy and costumes. or is it a holiday
with overt and dangerous Satanic over-
tones?
According to the "Halloween -
History and Traditions" Website
(http:/Xwilsar nc iuh aI/o wn hirm),
Halloween predates Christianity, tracing
all the wav back to the Druid F estival of
the Dead. The Druids beleed that dead
humans' and animals' phantasms
descended upon earth on Oct. 31, seek-
ing to possess the living.
Naturally. the still-liv ing did all they
could to save their souls. They dressed
up in grotesque and ghoulish costumes,
ran wildly through the streets and wan-
tonly ransacked everything in their
path. People who were thought to be
possessed were burned at the stake. All

this was in an effort to scare dangerous
spirits away.
The Romans incorporated the Druid
holiday into their calendar as All Saints
Day. The holiday was designed as an
alternative, and Christian, way to
remember the dead. However, the
ancient Druid traditions persisted, albeit
in a different form.
Over time, Halloween has evolved
from its occult origins to become a uni-
versally celebrated holiday. A majority
of the clergy do not object to their con-
stituents partaking in the festivities.
Father James McDougall, a.priest at
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church,
said, "Customs of the Druids have just
sort of faded away into history,
(Halloween) is just a children's holiday
now.
But McDougall did encourage parents
to be aware, and make their decisions

based on the holiday's colorful past.
"There are some Catholics who find
Halloween's origin troublesome, and
they want to keep their children away
from it," he said.
The Druids are not the only people to
leave their mark on Halloween celebra-
tions. Some of the traditions surrounding
the holiday have their own storied pasts.
Trick-or-treating wasn't always an
activity upon which little children hun-
grily embarked - the revelry used to
manifest itself in a drastically different
form. In medieval Scotland, bands of
costumed men roamed from home to
home, singing seasonal carols. But
candy was not the traditional treat -
these performers expected alcohol as
their reward.
Pumpkin carving is another of
Halloween's most popular activities.
Irish folklore contains an unusual alle-

monday
CAMPUS CINEMA
It's Always Fair Weather The classic musi-
cal. Mich. 4:10 p.m.
Sambizanga Mich. 6:30 p.m. Free.
In the Company of Men See Saturday.
Mich. 8:45 p.m.
MUSIC

EMILY NAks sANa/acacy
LSA junior Kristin Atkinson takes part in a Hallowen scavenger hunt.

Yes
Fox

Prog-rock legends are still intact.
Theatre, Detroit. (313) 996-7600.

gorical tale that elaborates on the jack-
o-lantern's sketchy history.
The tale introduces a man named
Jack, a notorious drinker with a bag full
of deceitful tricks. One day, fearing for
his future, Jack duped the devil into
climbing a tree, and then carved a cross

in the tree's trunk. In return for being let
down from the tree, Satan was forced to
promise not to send Jack to hell.
As it turned out, Jack failed to cover
all the bases. When he died, God would
not let him into heaven either. He was
See TRADMONS, Page 128


Tonic Perhaps you've seen this band on the
telly. St. Andrew's Hall. (313) 961-MELT.
ALTERNATIVES
Susan Richards Shreve With the Visiting
Writers series. Rackham Amphitheatre. 4 p.m.
Free.
tuesda y
CAMPUS CINEMA
Hour of the Wolf Mich. 4:10 p.m.
It's Always Fair Weather See Monday.
Mich. 7 p.m.

Matchbox 20 will appear at the State Theatre in Detroit on Wednesday.
MUSIC
Jane's Addiction This can't-miss reunion
show sold out in less time than it takes
to blink your eye. State Fair Coliseum,
Detroit. 7:30 p.m.
ALTERNATIVES
Pat Mora Celebrating the release of "Aunt
Carmen's Book of Practical Saints," a
book of poetry. Shaman Drum. 8 p.m. Free.
weCdnesday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Mrs. Brown See Saturday. Mich. 7 p.m.

In the Comp
Mich. 9:15 I
Lee "Scratc
comes to o
Majestic Th
9700.
Matchbox 2
player, plea
961-5450.
AL
Anne Rolph
Living the C
Modern Mo
p.m. Free.

In the Company of Men
Mich. 9:15 p.m.

See Saturday.


first-ran films

Red Corner Richard Gere gets stuck in
communist China. At Briarwood: 1:50, 4:45,
7:30, 10:10; at Showcase: 1:30, 4:15,
6:50, 9:30, 12:10.
Sunday A stunning little independent film
that was the talk of the last Sundance
Film Festival. At State: 1:30, 4:30, 7:00,
9:00.
Switchback Dennis Quaid stars in this
tense kidnapping thriller. At Showcase:
12:10, 2:40, 5:10, 7:40, 10:10, 12:30.
films holding
Boogie Nights This sprawling epic about
the rise and fall of the 1970s porn film
industry features "Marky" Mark Wahlberg.
At Ann Arbor 1&2: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:55;
at Showcase: 12:00, 1:00, 3:15, 4:30,
6:55, 7:50, 9:55, 11:15.
Devil's Advocate Al Pacino plays the Devil;
Keanu Reeves plays smart. At Briarwood:
1:20, 4:15, 7:20, 10:15; at Showcase:s
1:05, 4:10, 4:40, 7:00, 7:30, 9:50, 10:20;
12:35.

Fairy Tale: A True Story Harvey Keitel stars
in this inspired little kiddie flick. At
Showcase: 12:00, 2:10, 4:20, 6:30.
The Full Monty Down-and-out Brits show us
the monty! At State: 1:30, 4:30, 7:00, 9:00.
Gattaca Ethan Hawke struggles to survive
in a high-tech society where nothing is
sacred. At Ann Arbor 1&2: 12:30, 2:40,
4:50, 7:20, 9:35; at Showcase: 12:20,
2:35, 4:50, 7:20, 9:40, 11:55.
I Know What You Did Last Summer A fright-
ening "Prom Night" clone from the writer of
"Scream." At Briarwood: 1:30, 3:50, 7:10,
9:40; at Showcase: 12:30, 1:10, 2:50,
3:30, 5:05, 5:45, 7:25, 8:00, 9:45, 10:15,
12:00, 12:30.
In and Out Kevin Kline stars as an "outed"
high school teacher in small-town Indiana.
At Briarwood: 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:45,
10:00; at Showcase: 12:40, 2:55, 5:00,
7:15, 9:25, 11:30.
Kiss The Girls Morgan Freeman once again
tracks down a serial murderer. At
Briarwood: 1:40, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30; at
Showcase: 1:15, 4:00, 6:40, 9:20, 11:45.
L.A. Confidential This stylized crime thriller
is one of the year's best At ShoWcase:
9:10, 11:50.

A Life Less
Cameron Di
latest film b
"Trainspotti
5:20, 7:40,
Rocket Mar
to Mars. At
The Rocky I
Halloween r
again in Ani
Seven Years
through the
4:00, 6:50,
3:45, 6:45,
Soul Food {
Sunday dinr
2:45, 5:15,.
Phone Numi
Briarwood: 4
Michigan Th
8380; State:
Showtimes c
Thursday. Lc
State are for
and midday
Saturday, St
at State are