y most accounts, the nation's retailers are viewing the next two days -- a time characterized by orange pumpkins and colorful costumes -- as a time of green ... money, that is. Halloween has become a major American holiday, a cash bonanza for merchants peddling everything from candy to party supplies, perhaps second only to Christmas in terms of its impact on the retail market. It is also an exciting time for parents and children; 36% of youngsters will don costumes for trick or treat, and 32% of adults will also be dressing up, and many of them heading for parties. The International Mass Retail Association notes, "Halloween is particularly important for Gen Xers and Baby Boomers," with nearly two-thirds of the 18-24 year old set wearing costumes. This year, the trek to retail stores is also being accompanied by long lines at movie theaters. Hollywood has again exploited the season for release of a number of Halloween-themed or horror genre movies, and television is cashing-in as well, with appropriate programming such as the hit "Charmed."

    But Halloween is also becoming a cultural war zone of sorts between different religious groups who warn that it is either a gateway to Satanism and occultism, or marks a sacred event for a growing community of Wiccans and modern-day pagans. In recent years, Christian fundamentalist groups have denounced the festive atmosphere of Halloween, even sponsored "Hell Houses" as a religious version of seasonal "haunted house" programs. Wiccan and pagan groups, claiming ancestral roots with early witches and others who celebrated Halloween, have also become vocal. Both acknowledge the religious roots of this time, although from this heritage seem to draw remarkable different interpretations.

    There is another dimension to this cultural disagreement as well. If, as an increasingly visible Wiccan and pagan subculture insist Halloween is a religious or spiritual holiday, what does this say about the First Amendment aspects? Do demands that "alternative" religions and spiritual groups be accorded the same legal status as mainstream churches change the nature of Halloween? If a government cannot display a Christian nativity scene at public expense during Christmas, what about comparable Halloween-themed motifs and decorations? The question may seem trivial now, but with the religious belief marketplace changing rapidly in America, the prospect of "secular" celebrations such as Halloween taking on a different coloration in the future becomes possible, even likely. Indeed, Christian advocacy groups have already challenged what they charge to be government favoritism toward Native American religious practices in the operation of parklands considered "sacred" by various tribes. Halloween, with its symbolism of flying witches on brooms, black cats and glowing pumpkins may not be far behind.

    Halloween originated with the ancient Druids who believed that on that night the Lord of the Dead, Samhain (Saman) and the spirits of the departed entered the earthly realm. It marked the eve of the Celtic new year, and commemorated the harvest season and the onset of winter. The "veil" separating the material and supernatural worlds was also considered thinnest at this time, and by propitiating the spirits, it was believed that the future could also be foretold. Samhain was also considered a special time since this point of the calendar lies exactly between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. Ancient people, with their reliance on both a sense of seasonal variations and agricultural cycles, as well as a keen awareness of the night sky, perceived this to be a special time. Other cultures celebrated harvest festivals as well, which proved to be a major obstacle for the spreading Christian faith.

    By some accounts, the skulls of departed ancestors and items of food were displayed outside the entrance to dwellings in hopes of amicably welcoming dead spirits. After the conquest of the British Isles, the Romans incorporated some Celtic rituals into their own religious harvest festival which honored Pomona, the goddess of fruit. It was the rise of Christianity, however, that buried much of the early Halloween ritual. As it achieved political and cultural hegemony, the church grafted earlier pagan holidays and motifs onto its own religious agenda, and by the 8th century the Celtic new year had been coopted as All Saint's Day. The evening before was called All Hallow's Eve.

    In some places, pagan celebrations like Samhain continued but were a risky endeavor as the church used force to stamp out earlier religions. Many of the trappings of Samhain managed to survive though, including the lighting of bonfires. Other activities even today mimic the ancient Samhain celebrations. The practice of carving images on pumpkins dates back to the display of ancestral skulls after the latter was replaced by using carved turnips and other gourds. What about costumes? That may have its origins with practitioners of older faiths dressing up to "guide" the spirits, or -- by some accounts -- playing pranks on equally superstitious Christians. Many of these features which evolved into our contemporary Halloween, though, were transmitted to America with the Irish immigration of the early 19th century.

   While Halloween has become a bonanza for retailers and a holiday which for many is an opportunity for celebration, America's religious community -- especially those identified as fundamentalist, evangelical or Biblical literalist -- have expressed concerns and even opposition. In recent years, church groups have warned that Halloween promotes pagan or satanic themes, as well as belief in witchcraft and new age tenets. "Hallowed or Harmful?" asks the Christian Broadcasting Network web site in its recent story about Halloween. In addition to warning of Wiccan rituals, CBN also reminds viewers and listeners that "evidence persists that some Satanists and voodoo groups offer sacrifices -- usual animals, but, possibly, human babies" at this time of year.

    Other Christian groups are more poignant and aggressive. For several years, churches and youth organizations have sponsored "Hell House" tours as a religious counterpart to the more popular "haunted house" events used by merchants and even charitable groups to raise money. An investigation by AANEWS reveals that while "Hell Houses" still remain popular as a venue for proselytizing, their numbers seem to have declined slightly this Halloween season. In addition, the news media is not paying as much attention to the "Hell Houses" as in years before.

   That may be due to the lurid content and overt proselytizing which "Hell House" groups have employed. The "exhibits" often include themes such as abortion, homosexuality, drug use, date rape and premarital sex. In Arvada, Colorado, the Abundant Life Christian Center -- part of a network of extreme charismatic churches linked to the Promise Keepers -- is sponsoring its fourth annual "Hell House" which includes vignettes about damnation and punishment, ending with a plea for visitors to embrace Jesus Christ. Other "Hell House" operations are being sponsored by churches in Mauci, Hawaii, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Orlando, Florida and elsewhere.

    Also labeled "Judgment House," these gruesome outreaches are meant to literally scare people into accepting the Christian religion. Gay rights and pro choice groups have recently demonstrated outside of the "Hell House" shows, though, and mainstream Christian groups have even balked at endorsing the content of the presentations. A local Methodist minister in Arvada, for instance, told US News & World Report that the local "Hell House" show was "simplistic theology" and "not true Christianity."

    At last count, nearly 350 churches in all fifty states and ten other countries have purchased the $199 Hell House setup kit which is marketed by the Abundant Life movement. The kits are especially popular with Christian youth groups active in street-corner evangelizing; themes like teenage suicide, drunk driving, and school shootings are encouraged. The Arvada Church "Hell House" exhibit also includes an unlabeled exhibit depicting an embrace between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.

    Another example of a "Hell House" extravaganza is in Kingsport, Tennessee where the Higher Ground Baptist Church estimates it will attract nearly 9,000 visitors to its gallery of horrors. Dubbed "Judgment House," the tour includes nine scenes and a cast of 200 actors. The themes mimic previous shows which stretch back to 1993 -- drunk driving, suicide and teen rebellion. This year, one exhibit will attempt to portray a teenage girls who dies after having an abortion. The minister in charge of the "Judgment House" presentation told reporters, "We have all kinds coming... Devil worshippers, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics, everyone..."

    Not all parents approve of the hard shell, "Hell House" approach. Some have charged that the promotion of these exhibits is deceptive, and mimic the commercial or secular nonprofit "haunted house" events often used by charitable organizations. Last year, parents in one suburban Washington, DC community denounced the use of deceptive fliers posted by one evangelical church that invited the public to a "Fright Night" event. Instead of Halloween goblins, though, visitors who paid the $5 admission saw tableaus which depicted gang murder, a young man dying from AIDS, and even the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

    Other religious organizations like the Sentinel Group warn believers that Halloween is an invitation to unknowingly participate in the occult. A spokesman for the Seattle, Washington based sect told a religious news service that Halloween celebrations were just one example of how "new age ideas are creeping into... Protestant denominations and the catholic church." By this model, one embraced by many fundamentalists, even seemingly harmless Halloween activities for children such as dressing in costumes appear "harmless ... but then as they go deeper and deeper into it," youngsters may be drawn into occult rites and covens.

    While not endorsing the "Hell House" approach, though, televangelists like Pat Robertson are calling upon the faithful to "Christianize" the Halloween season. Instead of partying or trick and street, Christians are urged to celebrate All Saints' Day (a call which many Protestants might balk at), or "Hold a Bible study on what God says about the occult and witchcraft." Other strategies are recommended, too, such as handing out small religious pamphlets "taped to candy and dropped into each trick-or-treat's bag" when neighborhood children call, and "Gather for a prayer and praise meeting."

    There have been reports in recent years of Christians protesting Halloween parties and decorations in local schools. But so far, the "Hell House" approach has been the most publicized in warning the public about the alleged horrors of Halloween.

    While Christian groups fret about the pagan origins of Halloween, or exploit the holiday for proselytizing their message, new age believers have become more open in presenting what they argue is a more truthful depiction of this seasonal event. Considerably more publicity is given to the "Hell House" activities of fundamentalists, or brief historical summations of the origin of Halloween. On the internet, a number of web sites open extol the Wiccan or pagan view of Halloween as a sacred time of year. Despite the "Hell House" hysteria, newspapers across the country appear more willing to run stories about these groups and their beliefs. Responding to charges that October 31 is a night of bloody ritual to worship the devil, one Wiccan told the Indianapolis News, for instance, that "Satan is an image created by Christianity and for the most part these people (Wiccans) are not interested in Christianity."

    With both sides of the Halloween-religion debate becoming increasingly vocal, what is the fate of this holiday event? Efforts by Wiccan and Pagan groups to demand official recognition, or speak out on related issues, suggests that to this segment of the culture, Halloween is more than a strictly secular event. In Massachusetts, for instance, Wicca -- the "Old Religion" -- is formally recognized by the state. There is a Witches' League for Public Awareness and in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, witchcraft practitioner Laurie Cabot speaks out against any slurs leveled at her religious belief, and witches in general. Last week, for instance, Cabot and others criticized Republican Gov. Paul Cellucci for ostensibly promoting an inaccurate and degrading stereotype of witches in his campaign ads. Those remarks grew out of a 1992 incident where Salem police scuffled with evangelical activists who were accosting witches in the historic community.

    Halloween really isn't a religious holiday, argues Jean Webb, a self-proclaimed witch from Republic, Missouri. Born and raised a Baptist, Webb came to embrace the pagan faith and is now threatening legal action to remove a Christian symbol from her local city seal. "I don't think that Halloween has anything to do with religion these days," said Webb in an interview with AANEWS. "It's something mostly for children." She added that Wiccans celebrate November 1 as a religious holiday.

    And what about a Christian parent who did not want his or her child participating in a school-organized Halloween party? "That's their right," said Ms. Webb. "But I don't consider a Halloween party to be a religious celebration like Christmas is for fundamentalist Christians."

    Webb reported that she receives a steady influx of "be saved or go to hell" mail and threats of violence or vandalism. She is attempting to counter the anti-witch hysteria in her community, though, by hosting a "Three Alarm, Hell Bent For Leather Halloween Party" for serious revelers.

[text only]