Halloween History & Facts 2014: Witchcraft is Fastest Growing Religion in US?

The Earth's journey around the sun will not be complete without the annual celebration of Halloween. The spooky season, when children dress up and participate in trick or treat activities, actually has a rich history.

Where did Halloween come from?

According to History, it originated from the Celtic holiday of Samhain (pronounced "sow-in") -- the Celts used the date to serve as a reminder of the culmination of harvest, the time when winter sets in.

But Samhain is more than just a seasonal cue. It is also the time when the so-called "veil" between the living world and that of the dead is thinnest, wrote About. For modern-day Pagans, Samhain is a Sabbat -- a holy day to honor ancestors.

Pagan explained

By definition, Merriam-Webster calls the term as someone who is "a follower of a polytheistic religion." By essence, it applies to a practitioner who believes in many deities or gods. A second definition provided by the source tells that a Pagan is "an irreligious or hedonistic person."

Interestingly, the rising religion of Wicca -- or modern day Witchcraft -- is almost synonymous to Paganism. Both practices operate based on the cycles of nature and call deities in a variety of names.

According to Religion Facts, Wiccan beliefs are diverse (as represented by the many existing covens) -- there are variations in the practices of the religion. Yet all have core principles that include the belief in a Goddess and God, symbolizing polarity that none is superior over the other.

The Goddess, although a single entity, is also viewed in three different forms as the "Triple Goddess." The Maiden, Mother and Crone represent her.

Wicca as a rising religion

If these information are already juicy, wait until you learn that Wicca is America's fastest growing religion.

In a 2013 report of The Truth, a Wiccan school -- not Hogwarts, please -- claimed in a press statement that Wicca grows faster than any other religion on the face of the land.

Witch School said, "Wicca is America's Fastest Growing religion, and it is anticipated by some Christian religious experts that it will become the third largest religion in the United States early in the 21st century, behind only Christianity and Islam."

Incidentally, Indiana University of Pennsylvania documented Wicca as one of the eight largest faith groups in the U.S.

Curious? Visit Witch School here.

Perhaps Harry Potter could be real after all.

Watch a brief introduction of Wicca from Howcast below.