i have always looked at it as a transition from paganism. like i said the druids were interested in communicating with spirits, thats what their halloween was about. we celebrated and honored the dead, not ghosts, but rather our loved ones who passed. the part where we dress up and go house to house has really no basis in ancient celtic paganism. that started as far as i have been able to trace it back, in the 1800s in england when children dressed up and went door to door asking for donations.
and your right the christians like to portray paganism as an evil and dangerous religion. some how in the christian mind we have become satanist. its actually laughable. we do not honor satan. we do not sacrifice goats, lol. in fact the wiccan rede states "do what thou wilst, but harm none". and as far as gods, we do not worship a single god, thats by no means means we do not honor gods and goddesses.
godless and barbaric,
its funny what people will believe, i wish they would open a book once in awhile.