HalloHell

Now in this day and age in Europe, you would largely think that Halloween had been accepted as a harmless celebration ......

Halloween Pumpkin Heads

..... even amongst the Christian clergy (Note: I automatically assume that the mullahs are against it).

But a tale from the Czech republic shows I was wrong. Father Jaromir Smejkal is a Catholic priest at the at the Roman Catholic Church of St John the Baptist, in Kurdejov, a village in the wine-making region of South Moravia, and he takes his role as "a father and protector of the children entrusted to me" very, very, seriously.

He admitted in an open letter to the mayor and on the village Facebook page, that it was he who had smashed the carved Halloween pumpkins placed in a park (carved as part of Halloween festivities organised by the village), on two successive days. He had done it because he had "acted according to my faith and duty," after "Leaving the rectory on Sunday evening, I saw numerous symbols of the satanic feast of 'Halloween' placed in front of our sacred grounds." Because in his view, the modern tradition of Halloween had been conceived in a "heathen, contemporary world", as a counterbalance to the Catholic feast of All Souls' Day. 

Smashed Pumpkin Heads

However the smashed pumpkin heads had been made by the little children of the village (with parents help of course) as a part of Halloween festivities organised by the village. He had smashed the first lot, but after children had been left in tears, some parents had helped them carve some more, but the next day he had smashed these as well ....Father Smejkal said it had not been his intention to harm anyone, especially not children, ".... but try to remember that my duty as a figure of authority and a priest is to protect children and families from hidden evil."

He said he would have acted differently had he known they were carved by children (although as it was organised by the village, its hard to believe that he wasn't aware that it was aimed at the village children).

Apparently the Czech Republic is considered to be one of the least religious countries in the world. But some traditional religious feasts - including All Souls' Day - have remained popular, and so are marked by both believers and atheists alike. But some Czechs complain these days that their traditions are being eroded by highly commercialised imports from the West, with Halloween along with Christmas being the prime examples.