Halloween: for Christians?

"Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you." (Philemon 1:8,9)

Let me simply give a short description of the origin of Halloween. It goes back two thousand years before Christianity to a practice of ancient druid priests in Britain. Its core is Roman Catholic and pagan. It originally was known as "the vigil of hallowsmas of all saints day."

Colliers Encyclopedia says, "After the reformation, protestants rejected this feast along with other important ones such as Christmas and Easter."

Associated through its name "allhallows eve" we now have the popular observance of Halloween falling on the night Oct. 31st and introduced into this country in 1928. It's derived from the rights of the druids celebrating the day of "Saman"--the lord of death. No one is fooled by this name call him what you want it is still satan, hiding behind the cloak of someone else trying to pretend he does not exist. During this time the idea was that saman called together the souls of the wicked who had died during the past year. Thus the costume to represent those wicked souls that went on the hunt during that night.

It was a pagan feast day celebrating harvest. Within that celebration the paganism comes in with honoring, not only saman, but also a so-called goddess, "Pomona"--goddess of fruit--for the beginning of the year when everything died. As I have said a night honoring saman the lord of death hence "Halloween" meaning "hollowing samhain."

"Halloween: October 31, Halloween; a day of celebration for Wiccans and other pagans; also called November Eve, Hallowe'en, Feast of Souls, Feast of the Dead." (Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English)

"Ancient origins Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter. To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas."(http://www.history.com/minisites/halloween/viewPage?pageId=713)

"The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives.

The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.

As European immigrants came to America, they brought their varied Halloween customs with them. Because of the rigid Protestant belief systems that characterized early New England, celebration of Halloween in colonial times was extremely limited there.

It was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups, as well as the American Indians, meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included "play parties," public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other's fortunes, dance, and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846, helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally. Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. Young women believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors.

In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers, than about ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft.

At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything "frightening" or "grotesque" out of Halloween celebrations. Because of their efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.

By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country's second largest commercial holiday." (http://www.history.com/minisites/halloween/viewPage?pageId=713)

Halloween is still regarded by true witches and followers of witchcraft as sacred. It's a deadly powerful time holding to the early pagan beliefs. Sadly, this pagan holiday is still with us today. Below is a sample list of events that still take place around the country.

Oldenwilde Traditional Wiccan Coven

Tuscaloosa Covenant of UU Pagans

The Anchorage Pagan Network

The Coven of the Sacred Spiral

A Witches Ball for Arizona

http://www.familywiccantradition.org/Kindred/kindred.htm

The Official Salem Witches Halloween Ball

http://www.sacredcrossroads.com/events.html

Circle Sanctuary

Coven of Black Winged Bird

New York Samhain Witch Festival

http://www.witchvox.com/vn/vn_detail/dt_ev.html?a=usny&id=40489

Coven & Outer Court of Crescent MoonGoddess

http://www.crescentmoongoddess.com/samhain/index.htm

Samhain Open Ritual White Plains, NY

The word evil in the Bible is found in 569 verses as compared to the 655 that have good in them. In other words, there is good and evil and we should not be blind to that fact God's not. Halloween falls in the Jewish month "Marchesvan" there is no holiday on this month for the Jews, although it's the month of plowing. satan plays his game by trying to fill up the calendar with holidays of no use. So what does all this mean? Simply, the information provided is to help you understand were this holiday came from. We are told not to follow heathen practices.

When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee (Deuteronomy 18:11-12).

Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe (Jeremiah 10:2,3).

The word trick carries a tragic meaning to it. Webster defines trick as, "Something designed to swindle" and what is swindle? To be sly and crafty this is how satan is.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made (Genesis 3:1).

Subtil means "crafty or trickery" did satan not trick eve? And is he not tricking you if you are participating in this day? he is a masterful trickster and most sinister. he tries to make people to believe he is not dark and sinister at all. he would love it if we all believed he did not exist.

Understand he does not run around in a red suit with pitch fork and tail. The Bible says,

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

The activities of Halloween are carried on particularly at what? Night! And this is something we are not to participate in. NIGHT, in the Bible, often times carries the meaning of evil and darkness; however, God's Word says.

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him (John 11:10).

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night , nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:5-8).

And as a matter of fact Heaven will have no night.

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever (Revelation 22:5).

The dangers of participating in such activities is unspiritual.

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Communications here means company or group of people.

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (1 Corinthians 13:5).

For your obedience is come abroad unto all [men]. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil (Romans 16:19).

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

[Let] love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good (Romans 12:9).

Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted (1 Corinthians 10:6).

We are to resist evil.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:13).

We are to have nothing to do with the appearance of evil.

Abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (2 Corinthians 6:14,15).

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars (Revelation 2:2).

The evidence speaks for itself from God's Holy Word. We do not have to be under bondage to this pagan day. Jesus Christ came to set us free (John 8:36) we need to trust and rely on Him for eternal life, and we need to honor Him every day. I am calling for all Christians to Stop! being involved in anyway with this day. We can as the church move out and present the gospel to those that might come by, or go out and pass out tracts. Don't be forced into this evil day by the whims of your children.

If in the past you have been involved, or are now thinking about being involved with this evil day Stop! Pray ask Christ to forgive you and turn from all that is evil and unholy. Understand this does not promote God and his kingdom in anyway. Stand firm, hold your ground, resist the devil and he will flee from you.

God's strength be in you. May His Holy Spirit guide you in all truth!

Amen.

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