Halloween Myths Debunked!

Halloween Myths Debunked!
Halloween: The Misunderstood Holiday
The Truth about Halloween

The autumn wind howls invitingly as we fly through the doors, clad in spiffy costumes and masks, whether they be recycled from previous years or meticulously hand crafted to celebrate the night where candy reign supreme. From door-to-door, we knock fervently, hoping to be awarded with rare goodies trick-or-treaters only dream of receiving. Jack-o-lanterns with festive expressions on their faces smile, or frown, up at us as we stroll the streets. Ah, Halloween. While some anticipate the candy-high that comes with the frenzy of dressing up in ridiculous attire while still being regarded as normal, others condemn the holiday as an occasion to celebrate the dead and would rather sit in the comforts of their houses with “Out of Candy” signs plastered on their doors to dash the hopes of wanderers in capes and tights eager for treats. Despite the festivities of Halloween, this often misunderstood holiday has been a playground for myths and false beliefs.

Myth #1: Halloween has demonic roots, hence the use of tombstones, ghosts and frightening images associated with the holiday. Halloween did not originate from satanic beliefs but on the contrary, is religious in nature. The unique holiday was once a ritual prevalent in the Celtic faith of the Druids. Though the Celts did believe in gods, monsters and spirits, the association of Halloween with satanic roots is a modern phenomenon. The most evil aspect of the Celtic religion were vicious fairies intent on permanently trapping men in fairy mounds.

Myth #2: Satanic cults use Halloween to preform horrifying ritualistic crimes. Encyclopedia analyst, J. Gordon Melton, proclaims Satanism as the “world's largest religion that does not exist.” Once alive cults such as the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set are now largely dormant. No studies show that cult-related crimes even exist and superstitions of cult activity are merely fueled by the media and teenage gossip. Hollywood continues to promote the existence of evil within Halloween with movies like “The Exorcist.”

Myth #3: Children should be cautious of razor blades and poison found within treats handed out. Although cases have shown a need for precaution, there have only been two confirmed cases of children dying because of tampered treats. In both cases, the parents were the culprits and had dosed their children with an intent to murder. The most famous case documented was that of Texan Ronald Clark O'Bryan, who lined his son's Pixie Stix with cyanide. To maintain safety, every year, X-ray equipment is overloaded with Halloween related items to scan for malicious material.

Myth #4: Meeting a black cat on Halloween is a ominous sign of bad luck. Although this myth is largely unfounded, it derives its belief from the many cases of animal abuse that involve black cats around Halloween. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported a case of a woman adopting a black cat within three days of Halloween, who later reported the cat's death when called for a follow-up on the adoption of the animal. Since 2001, the Humane Society of the United States has taken necessary precautions to protect these black creatures of the night by tightening the reigns on background and security checks.

Often the most negatively looked upon of all holidays, Halloween has morphed into a celebration founded largely upon thrill and fear. We model our front lawns after foreboding cemeteries and compete to find the most frightening costume. Horror movie marathons often accompany the arrival of Halloween as well. Although the Halloween has strayed from its original intentions quite a bit, it still remains as one of the most popular holidays in America.

The autumn wind howls invitingly as we fly through the doors, clad in spiffy costumes and masks, whether they be recycled from previous years or meticulously hand crafted to celebrate the night where candy reign [change to "reigns" for subject-verb agreement] supreme. From door-to-door, [delete comma] we knock fervently, hoping to be awarded with rare goodies that trick-or-treaters only dream of receiving. Jack-o-lanterns [I think that "lanterns" is capitalized.] with festive expressions on their faces smile, or frown, up [delete "up"] at us as we stroll the streets. Ah, Halloween. [Transition needed!] While some anticipate the candy-high that comes with the frenzy of dressing up in ridiculous attire while still being regarded as normal, others condemn the holiday as an occasion to celebrate the dead and would rather sit in the comforts of their houses with “Out of Candy” signs plastered on their doors to dash the hopes of wanderers in capes and tights eager for treats [Break up the sentence; too long as is]. Despite the festivities of Halloween, this often misunderstood [delete "misunderstood"] holiday has been a playground for myths and false beliefs.

Myth #1: Halloween has demonic roots, hence the use of tombstones, ghosts and frightening images associated with the holiday. Halloween did not originate from satanic beliefs but on the contrary, is religious in nature. The unique holiday was once a ritual prevalent in the Celtic faith of the Druids. Though the Celts did believe in gods, monsters, and spirits, the association of Halloween with satanic roots is a modern phenomenon. The most evil aspect of the Celtic religion were vicious fairies intent on permanently trapping men in fairy mounds. [Are you totally sure about the accuracy of this?]

Myth #2: Satanic cults use Halloween to preform horrifying ritualistic crimes. Encyclopedia analyst, J. Gordon Melton, proclaims Satanism as the “world's largest religion that does not exist.” Once-alive [change "alive" to "existent"] cults such as the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set are now largely dormant. No [Delete "no," capitalize "studies."] studies show that cult-related crimes even [Delete "even exist," insert "are non-existant"] exist and superstitions [Do you mean "suspicions"?]of cult activity are merely fueled by the media and teenage gossip. Hollywood continues to promote the existence of evil within [change to "in"] Halloween with movies like [change to "such as"] “The Exorcist.”

Myth #3: Children should be cautious of razor blades and poison found within treats handed out. Although cases have shown a need for precaution, there have only been [change to "been only"] two confirmed cases of children dying because of [change "because of" to "due to"] tampered treats. In both cases, the parents were the culprits and had dosed their children with an intent to murder. The most famous case documented was that of Texan Ronald Clark O'Bryan, who lined his son's Pixie Stix with cyanide. To maintain safety, [delete comma] every [change to "each"] year, X-ray equipment is overloaded with Halloween related items to scan for malicious material [awk: change to "X-ray equipment is used to scan Halloween-related items for malicious material."].

Myth #4: Meeting a black cat on Halloween is a ominous sign of bad luck. Although this myth is largely unfounded, it derives its belief ["it" has no antecedent: change to "the belief is derived from..."] from the many cases of animal abuse that involve black cats around Halloween. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported a case of a woman adopting a black cat within three days of Halloween, who [delete "who"] later reported [change to "reporting" the cat's death when called for a follow-up on the adoption of the animal. Since 2001, the Humane Society of the United States has taken necessary precautions to protect these black creatures of the night by tightening the reigns on background and security checks for animal adoptions.

Often the most negatively looked upon of all holidays [This is contradictory; you were saying before how much fun everyone has on Halloween], Halloween has morphed [morphed from what?]into a celebration founded largely upon thrill and fear. We model our front lawns after foreboding cemeteries and compete to find the most frightening costume. Horror movie marathons often accompany the arrival of Halloween as well [Delete "as well"]. Although the [delete "the"] Halloween has strayed from its original intentions [change to "purposes"] quite a bit, it still remains as one of the most popular holidays [You just said how negatively Halloween is looked upon...?] in America today.

The autumn wind howls invitingly as we fly through the doors, clad in spiffy costumes and masks, whether they be recycled from previous years or meticulously hand crafted to celebrate the night where candy reigns supreme. From door-to-door we knock fervently, hoping to be awarded with rare goodies that trick-or-treaters only dream of receiving. Jack-o-Lanterns with festive expressions on their faces smile, or frown, at us as we stroll through the streets. Ah, Halloween. While some anticipate the candy-high that comes with the frenzy of dressing up in ridiculous attire while still being regarded as normal, others condemn the holiday as an occasion to celebrate the dead. Instead, they would rather sit in the comfort of their houses with “Out of Candy” signs plastered on their doors to dash the hopes of wanderers in capes and tights eager for treats. Despite the festivities of Halloween, this often misunderstood holiday has been a playground for myths and false beliefs.

Myth #1: Halloween has demonic roots, hence the use of tombstones, ghosts and frightening images associated with the holiday. Halloween did not originate from satanic beliefs, but on the contrary, is religious in nature. The unique holiday was once a ritual prevalent in the Celtic faith of the Druids. Though the Celts did believe in gods, monsters, and spirits, the association of Halloween with satanic roots is a modern phenomenon. The most evil aspect of the Celtic religion was vicious fairies intent on permanently trapping men in fairy mounds.

Myth #2: Satanic cults use Halloween to preform horrifying ritualistic crimes. Encyclopedia analyst, J. Gordon Melton, proclaimed Satanism as the “world's largest religion that does not exist.” Once existent cults such as the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set are now largely dormant. Studies show that cult-related crimes are nonexistent and suspicions of cult activity are merely fueled by the media and teenage gossip. Hollywood continues to promote the existence of evil in Halloween with movies such as “The Exorcist.”

Myth #3: Children should be cautious of razor blades and poison found in treats handed out. Although cases have shown a need for precaution, there have only been two confirmed cases of children dying due to tampered treats. In both cases, the parents were the culprits and had dosed their own children with an intent to murder. The most famous case documented was that of Texan Ronald Clark O'Bryan, who lined his son's Pixie Stix with cyanide. In order to maintain safety each year and prevent events like the O'Bryan case from occurring, X-ray equipments are overloaded with Halloween related items to scan for malicious material

Myth #4: Meeting a black cat on Halloween is a ominous sign of bad luck. Although this myth is largely unfounded, it is derived from the many cases of animal abuse that involve black cats around Halloween. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported a case of a woman adopting a black cat within three days of Halloween, who later reported the cat's death when called for a follow-up on the adoption of the animal. Since 2001, the Humane Society of the United States has taken necessary precautions to protect these black creatures of the night by tightening the reigns on background and security checks for animal adoptions.

Often the most negatively looked upon of all holidays, Halloween has morphed from being a religious festival into a celebration founded largely upon thrill and fear. We model our front lawns after foreboding cemeteries and compete to find the most frightening costume. Horror movie marathons often accompany the arrival of Halloween. Although Halloween has strayed from its original purposes quite a bit, it still remains as one of the most popular holidays in America today.

Hi Hana. Same thing goes for this article as I said for the other one. As for accuracy, I looked these myths up from multiple websites, so I believe they are true. The Celtic religion is a dying one and it is not that unbelievable that some religions incorporate supernatural powers. As for the contradictory statement in my conclusion, you have to admit that all the myths are generally negative. That is why it is the most misunderstood holiday. By negatively looked upon, I mean that Halloween is the most condemned holiday out of all the others, not that people don't have fun on that day. As for the last sentence, popularity doesn't equate with positivity. For lack of better example, drinking is considered popular, but isn't it negatively looked upon?

Yeah, your analogy is true, but I'm one of those people that think negatively of Halloween (because of religion; even if it's not Satanic roots, it's from a secular religion, etc.). The majority of my friends, on the other hand, love Halloween-- so I don't think it's a popular but negative thing. I think it's one of those things that the general youth enjoys and loves, but the more conservative, older community tends to frown upon. The myths are negative, yes, but again, I don't think that those who enjoy Halloween are concerned about the myths. It's really the difference between two different sets of generations and values. The article still sounds contradictory at the end...
And if you say so about the origins about Halloween. I learned something new.

The autumn wind howls invitingly as we fly through the doors, clad in spiffy costumes and masks, whether they be recycled from previous years or meticulously hand crafted to celebrate the night where candy reigns supreme. From door-to-door we knock fervently, hoping to be awarded with rare goodies that trick-or-treaters only dream of receiving. Jack-o-Lanterns with festive expressions on their faces smile, or frown, at us as we stroll through the streets. Ah, Halloween. While some anticipate the candy-high that comes with the frenzy of dressing up in ridiculous attire while still being regarded as normal, others condemn the holiday as an occasion to celebrate the dead. Instead, they would rather sit in the comfort of their houses with “Out of Candy” signs plastered on their doors to dash the hopes of wanderers in capes and tights eager for treats. Despite the festivities of Halloween, this often misunderstood holiday has been a playground for myths and false beliefs.

Myth #1: Halloween has demonic roots, hence the use of tombstones, ghosts and frightening images associated with the holiday. Halloween did not originate from satanic beliefs, but on the contrary, is religious in nature. The unique holiday was once a ritual prevalent in the Celtic faith of the Druids. Though the Celts did believe in gods, monsters, and spirits, the association of Halloween with satanic roots is a modern phenomenon. The most evil aspect of the Celtic religion was vicious fairies intent on permanently trapping men in fairy mounds.

Myth #2: Satanic cults use Halloween to preform horrifying ritualistic crimes. Encyclopedia analyst, J. Gordon Melton, proclaimed Satanism as the “world's largest religion that does not exist.” Once existent cults such as the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set are now largely dormant. Studies show that cult-related crimes are nonexistent and suspicions of cult activity are merely fueled by the media and teenage gossip. Hollywood continues to promote the existence of evil in Halloween with movies such as “The Exorcist.”

Myth #3: Children should be cautious of razor blades and poison found in treats handed out. Although cases have shown a need for precaution, there have only been two confirmed cases of children dying due to tampered treats. In both cases, the parents were the culprits and had dosed their own children with an intent to murder. The most famous case documented was that of Texan Ronald Clark O'Bryan, who lined his son's Pixie Stix with cyanide. In order to maintain safety each year and prevent events like the O'Bryan case from occurring, X-ray equipments are overloaded with Halloween related items to scan for malicious material

Myth #4: Meeting a black cat on Halloween is a ominous sign of bad luck. Although this myth is largely unfounded, it is derived from the many cases of animal abuse that involve black cats around Halloween. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported a case of a woman adopting a black cat within three days of Halloween, who later reported the cat's death when called for a follow-up on the adoption of the animal. Since 2001, the Humane Society of the United States has taken necessary precautions to protect these black creatures of the night by tightening the reigns on background and security checks for animal adoptions.

Halloween has morphed from being a religious festival into a celebration founded largely upon thrill and fear. We model our front lawns after foreboding cemeteries and compete to find the most frightening costume. Horror movie marathons often accompany the arrival of Halloween. Although Halloween has strayed from its original purposes quite a bit, it still remains as one of the most popular holidays in America today.

I deleted the clause to avoid contradiction. Is it okay now? =D

Yea

The autumn wind howls invitingly as we fly through the doors, clad in spiffy costumes and masks, whether they [your antecedent right now is "we" not "costumes"] be recycled from previous years or meticulously hand crafted to celebrate the night where [replace with "when"] candy reigns supreme. From door-to-door we knock fervently, hoping to be awarded with rare goodies that trick-or-treaters only dream of receiving. Jack-o-Lanterns with festive expressions on their faces smile, or frown, at us as we stroll through the streets. Ah, Halloween. While some anticipate the candy-high that comes with the frenzy of dressing up in ridiculous attire while still being regarded as normal, others condemn the holiday as an occasion to celebrate the dead. Instead, they would rather sit in the comfort of their houses with “Out of Candy” signs plastered on their doors to dash the hopes of wanderers in capes and tights, eager for treats. Despite the festivities of Halloween, this often misunderstood holiday has been a playground for myths and false beliefs.

Myth #1: Halloween has demonic roots, hence the use of tombstones, ghosts and frightening images associated with the holiday. Halloween did not originate from satanic beliefs, but on the contrary, is religious in nature. The unique holiday was once a ritual prevalent in the Celtic faith of the Druids. Though the Celts did believe in gods, monsters, and spirits, the association of Halloween with satanic roots is a modern phenomenon. The most evil aspect of the Celtic religion was vicious fairies intent on permanently trapping men in fairy mounds.

Myth #2: Satanic cults use Halloween to preform perform horrifying ritualistic crimes. Encyclopedia analyst, J. Gordon Melton, proclaimed Satanism as the “world's largest religion that does not exist.” Once existent cults such as the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set are now largely dormant. Studies show that cult-related crimes are nonexistent and suspicions of cult activity are merely fueled by the media and teenage gossip. Hollywood is what continues to promote the existence of evil in Halloween with movies such as “The Exorcist.”

Myth #3: Children should be cautious of razor blades and poison found in treats handed out. Although cases have shown a need for precaution, there have only been two confirmed cases of children dying due to tampered treats. In both cases, the parents were the culprits and had dosed their own children with an intent to murder. The most famous case documented was that of Texan Ronald Clark O'Bryan, who lined his son's Pixie Stix with cyanide. In order to maintain safety each year and prevent events like the O'Bryan case from occurring, X-ray equipments are overloaded with Halloween-related items to scan for malicious material

Myth #4: Meeting a black cat on Halloween is a ominous sign of bad luck. Although this myth is largely unfounded, it is derived from the many cases of animal abuse that involve black cats around Halloween. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported a case of a woman adopting a black cat within three days of Halloween, who later reported the cat's death when called for a follow-up on the adoption of the animal. Since 2001, the Humane Society of the United States has taken necessary precautions to protect these black creatures of the night by tightening the reigns on background and security checks for animal adoptions.

Halloween has morphed from being a religious festival into a celebration founded largely upon thrill and fear. We model our front lawns after foreboding cemeteries and compete to find the most frightening costume. Horror movie marathons often accompany the arrival of Halloween. Although Halloween has strayed from its original purposes quite a bit, it still remains as one of the most popular holidays in America today.

The autumn wind howls invitingly as we fly through the doors, clad in spiffy costumes and masks that are either recycled from previous years or meticulously hand crafted to celebrate the night when candy reigns supreme. From door-to-door we knock fervently, hoping to be awarded with rare goodies that trick-or-treaters only dream of receiving. Jack-o-Lanterns with festive expressions on their faces smile, or frown, at us as we stroll through the streets. Ah, Halloween. While some anticipate the candy-high that comes with the frenzy of dressing up in ridiculous attire while still being regarded as normal, others condemn the holiday as an occasion to celebrate the dead. Instead, they would rather sit in the comfort of their houses with “Out of Candy” signs plastered on their doors to dash the hopes of wanderers in capes and tights eager for treats. Despite the festivities of Halloween, this often misunderstood holiday has been a playground for myths and false beliefs.

Myth #1: Halloween has demonic roots, hence the use of tombstones, ghosts and frightening images associated with the holiday. Halloween did not originate from satanic beliefs, but on the contrary, is religious in nature. The unique holiday was once a ritual prevalent in the Celtic faith of the Druids. Though the Celts did believe in gods, monsters, and spirits, the association of Halloween with satanic roots is a modern phenomenon. The most evil aspect of the Celtic religion was vicious fairies intent on permanently trapping men in fairy mounds.

Myth #2: Satanic cults use Halloween to perform horrifying ritualistic crimes. Encyclopedia analyst, J. Gordon Melton, proclaimed Satanism as the “world's largest religion that does not exist.” Once existent cults such as the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set are now largely dormant. Studies show that cult-related crimes are nonexistent and suspicions of cult activity are merely fueled by the media and teenage gossip. Hollywood is what continues to promote the existence of evil in Halloween with movies such as “The Exorcist.”

Myth #3: Children should be cautious of razor blades and poison found in treats handed out. Although cases have shown a need for precaution, there have only been two confirmed cases of children dying due to tampered treats. In both cases, the parents were the culprits and had dosed their own children with an intent to murder. The most famous case documented was that of Texan Ronald Clark O'Bryan, who lined his son's Pixie Stix with cyanide. In order to maintain safety each year and prevent events like the O'Bryan case from occurring, X-ray equipments are overloaded with Halloween related items to scan for malicious material

Myth #4: Meeting a black cat on Halloween is a ominous sign of bad luck. Although this myth is largely unfounded, it is derived from the many cases of animal abuse that involve black cats around Halloween. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported a case of a woman adopting a black cat within three days of Halloween, who later reported the cat's death when called for a follow-up on the adoption of the animal. Since 2001, the Humane Society of the United States has taken necessary precautions to protect these black creatures of the night by tightening the reigns on background and security checks for animal adoptions.

Halloween has morphed from being a religious festival into a celebration founded largely upon thrill and fear. We model our front lawns after foreboding cemeteries and compete to find the most frightening costume. Horror movie marathons often accompany the arrival of Halloween. Although Halloween has strayed from its original purposes quite a bit, it still remains as one of the most popular holidays in America today.