Pagan festivals Hijacked by Christianity Throughout history, there have been numerous instances of cultures adopting or incorporating elements from other cultures. One such example is the manner in which Christianity appropriated pagan festivals and incorporated them into its own religious calendar. This process, known as assimilation or syncretism, occurred for various reasons, such as the desire to convert pagan communities to Christianity, the need to establish Christian religious holidays, or the attempt to replace pagan practices with Christian ones. In many cases, Christian leaders strategically chose to place Christian celebrations, such as Christmas and Easter, around the same time as existing pagan festivals. This was done to make Christianity more appealing to the local population and to facilitate the transition from paganism to Christianity. By aligning Christian holidays with pre-existing festivals, it allowed for a level of familiarity and continuity for those converting to Christianity.

Accused of Witchcraft 1692

Arthur Abbott
Nehemiah Abbott Jr.
John Alden
Daniel Andrew
Abigail Barker
Mary Barker
William Barker Jr.
William Barker Sr.
Sarah Bassett
Bridget Bishop
Edward Bishop Jr.
Sarah Bishop
Mary Black
Mary Bradbury
Mary Bridges Jr.
Mary Bridges Sr.
Sarah Bridges
Hannah Bromage
Sarah Buckley
George Burroughs
Candy
Andrew Carrier
Martha Carrier
Richard Carrier
Sarah Carrier
Thomas Carrier Jr.
Hannah Carroll
Bethiah Carter Jr.
Bethiah Carter Sr.
Elizabeth Cary
Sarah Churchill
Mary Clark
Rachel Clinton
Sarah Cloyce
Sarah Cole
Sarah Cole
Elizabeth Colson
Mary Colson
Giles Corey
Martha Corey
Deliverance Dane
Phebe Day
Mary DeRich
Elizabeth Dicer
Rebecca Dike
Ann Dolliver
Mehitable Downing
Joseph Draper
Lydia Dustin
Sarah Dustin
Daniel Eames
Rebecca Eames
Esther Elwell
Martha Emerson
Joseph Emmons
Mary English
Philip English
Mary Estey
Thomas Farrar Sr.
Edward Farrington
Abigail Faulkner Jr.
Abigail Faulkner Sr.
Dorothy Faulkner
John Flood
Elizabeth Fosdick
Ann Foster
Nicholas Frost
Eunice Frye
Dorothy Good
Sarah Good
Mary Green
Thomas Hardy
Elizabeth Hart
Margaret Hawkes
Sarah Hawkes
Dorcas Hoar
Abigail Hobbs
Deliverance Hobbs
William Hobbs
Elizabeth How
John Howard
Frances Hutchins
Mary Ireson
John Jackson Jr.
John Jackson Sr.
George Jacobs Jr.
George Jacobs Sr.
Margaret Jacobs
Rebecca Jacobs
Abigail Johnson
Elizabeth Johnson Jr.
Elizabeth Johnson Sr.
Rebecca Johnson Jr.
Rebecca Johnson Sr.
Stephen Johnson
Mary Lacey Jr.
Mary Lacey Sr.
Jane Lilly
Mary Marston
Susannah Martin
Sarah Morey
Rebecca Nurse
Sarah Osburn
Mary Osgood
Elizabeth Paine
Alice Parker
Mary Parker
Sarah Parker
Sarah Pease
Joan Penny
Hannah Post
Mary Post
Susannah Post
Margaret Prince
Benjamin Proctor
Elizabeth Proctor
John Proctor
Sarah Proctor
William Proctor
Ann Pudeator
Wilmot Redd
Sarah Rice
Susannah Roots
Abigail Rowe
Mary Rowe
Henry Salter
John Sawdy
Elizabeth Scargen
Margaret Scott
Ann Sears
Abigail Soames
Henry Somers
Martha Sparks
Mary Taylor
Tituba
Job Tookey
Margaret Toothaker
Mary Toothaker
Roger Toothaker
Peter Tufts’ servant
Hannah Tyler
Johannah Tyler
Martha Tyler
Mary Tyler
Rachel Vincent
Mercy Wardwell
Samuel Wardwell Sr.
Sarah Wardwell
Mary Warren
Sarah Wilds
Ruth Wilford
John Willard
Sarah Wilson Jr.
Sarah Wilson Sr.
Mary Witheridge

Check out Margo Burns’ People Accused of Witchcraft in 1692 list to discover what happened to each person as available in the original legal records and contemporary accounts. This is not a definitive list, since records have been lost.

The 19: The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials is one of the most significant and defining periods in the history of the United States. In February of 1692, accusations of witchcraft and devil worship began to fly among the residents in the village of Salem. Neighbors accused neighbors, friends turned on friends, and family even sold each other out to avoid persecution.

The charge of witchcraft was a serious offense in the Puritanical towns of the New World. The accused were often found guilty and sentenced to death. In what is now thought to be an episode of mass hysteria, over two hundred people were accused of selling their soul to the devil for use of his magic. Of those two hundred people, nineteen were convicted and sentenced to death. These are their stories.

By aligning Christian holidays with pre-existing festivals, it allowed for a level of familiarity and continuity for those converting to Christianity. For example, Christmas was scheduled around the time of the winter solstice, a pagan festival that celebrated the rebirth of the sun. The early Christian Church consciously positioned the birth of Jesus during this period, symbolizing the birth of the "Son" who brings light and salvation.

Illness, Accusations, and Family Feuds

Photo by Kayla Brasel

There were many people accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem and the surrounding villages in the 1690’s. The history of paganism and the occult dates back thousands of years, so the concept of these witch hunts was not a new idea.

What made this particular set of events stand out is the sheer number of people accused and that it was the first event of this magnitude to take place in the new world. The new colonies were founded on a sense of hope and freedom, and almost overnight, people began to fear for their lives and the safety of their loved ones.

The initial accusations came to light in February of 1692, when four young girls started suffering from uncontrollable hysterical fits. When western medicine could not fix it, the people began to blame the spiritual realm for their problems.

This initial group of girls consisted of Betty Parris, Anne Putnam, Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Hubbard, and all of them began to insist that they were being harrassed by ghostly figures.

They claimed that these spectres would pinch or choke them and that they resembled women who lived in and around Salem. The first women accused of witchcraft in 1692 were Sarah Osborne, Sarah Good, and a slave named Tituba.

These women were all outcasts of Salem society which may have made them targets. Many scholars today believe that a feud involving the Putnam and Porter families was the basis for many of the Anne Putnam’s accusations during the trials.

Though three women were initially suspected of practicing black magic, the list of “witches’ began to grow fast. Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse were subject to accusation in March, followed by Giles Corey, Briget Bishop, Sarah Wildes, and Mary Eastey.

Toward the end of April the list grew even longer after Susannah Martin, George Jacob Sr., John Willard, Anne Pudeator and Alice Parker were arrested as well. Martha Carrier, Wilmot Red, Elizabeth Howe, and even Reverend George Burroughs were all believed to be practitioners of the dark arts.

Mary Parker, Margaret Scott, John Proctor, and Samuel Wardwell were also brought before the courts on suspicion of practicing witchcraft. The list of the accused grew to over two hundred people, including family members, spouses, friends, and neighbors of the nineteen convicted during the trial.

Similarly, the celebration of Easter was aligned with the spring equinox and the pagan festival of Eostre, the goddess of spring and fertility. By appropriating the timing and symbolism of these festivals, Christianity was able to attract a broader audience and integrate itself into the cultural fabric of society. Alongside the strategic placement of Christian holidays, elements of pagan customs and traditions were also incorporated into Christian practices. For example, the use of evergreen trees, a common symbol in pagan winter festivals, was adapted and incorporated into the celebration of Christmas. This practice served as a way to reframe the significance of the tree within a Christian context, representing eternal life through Jesus rather than pagan beliefs. While the assimilation of pagan festivals into Christianity allowed for the successful spread and acceptance of the religion, it also resulted in the loss and erasure of indigenous cultures and beliefs. Many unique and ancient traditions were replaced or marginalized to accommodate Christian customs. This process reflects the complex history of religious and cultural interaction, where the dominant religion often assimilates or subsumes the practices and celebrations of indigenous or minority cultures. In conclusion, pagan festivals were hijacked by Christianity through a process of assimilation and syncretism. Christian celebrations were strategically aligned with existing pagan festivals to make Christianity more appealing and to facilitate the conversion of pagan populations. Additionally, elements of pagan practices and customs were incorporated into Christian holidays, resulting in a successful assimilation of pagan beliefs into Christian traditions. However, this process also led to the erasure of indigenous cultures and beliefs. The history of Christianity's appropriation of pagan festivals serves as a reminder of the complexities and consequences of cultural assimilation and syncretism..

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