While I applaud the Rev Neil Bennett's initiative in providing an alternative to Hallowe'en, I think it is a shame that he could not do so without misrepresenting the older religion's festival.

Halloween, or Samhain as it is known to pagans, is a very special time in the calendar. One of the most important dates on the wheel of the year, it is seen as the pagan new year, marking as it does the passing of the summer goddess to the winter god.

At this time, we celebrate and give thanks for the bounty and light of summer, and prepare for the darkness that lies ahead, ever mindful that the wheel keeps turning, and that the light will return in spring. It is at this time of year that the veil between our world and that of spirit is at it's thinnest, and the souls of departed loved ones can, if they choose, come to visit and join in the celebrations. There is no raising of the dead involved, and no emphasis on death and evil spirits. It is a festival based on love, light and gratitude, moving with the spirit of nature.

I just ask that Rev Bennett remembers that not all share his religion, and that if he can't find some tolerance for the peaceful ways of others, that he at least speaks from a more informed position.

Godfrey Lacks

Aston Fields