Do you celebrate Halloween?
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R
We as Christians don't celebrate halloween. Because what hidden behind the pagan celebration.
Halloween origins:
The word Halloween is derived from the term "All Hallows Eve" which occurred on Oct. 31, the end of summer in Northwestern Europe. "All Saints Day," or "All Hallows Day" was the next Day, Nov. 1[SUP]st[/SUP]. Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.
Apparently, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to ancient Ireland and Scotland around the time of Christ. On Oct. 31[SUP]st[/SUP], the Celts celebrated the end of summer. This was important because it was when animal herders would move their animals into barns and pens and prepare to ride out the winter. This was also the time of the crop harvests. This annual change of season and lifestyle was marked by a festival called Samhain -- pronounced 'sow-ane' and means 'end of summer.' Sow rhymes with cow.
There was much superstition associated with this time of change including the belief in fairies, and that the spirits of the dead wandered around looking for bodies to inhabit. Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and frighten the spirits away. In addition, the new year began for the Celts on Nov. 1. So, the day of Samhain was believed to be a day that was in neither the year past or the year to come. Since it was in between, chaos ruled on that day. Often, people would pull practical jokes on others as a result.
Later, around the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] century, as the Catholic Church developed and moved into the area, instead of adding a new day to celebrate, it took over the Samhain celebration. Nov. 1[SUP]st[/SUP] became "All Hallows Eve" where all the saints of the Catholic church were honored. A later custom developed where people would go door-to-door on Nov. 2, requesting small cakes in exchange for the promise of saying prayers for some of the dead relatives of each house. This arose out of the religious belief that the dead were in a state of limbo before they went to heaven or hell and that the prayers of the living could influence the outcome. This may have been the precursor to Trick-or-Treat.
The Jack-O-Lantern apparently comes from Irish folklore about a man named Jack who tricked the devil into climbing a tree. Once the devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross on the trunk, preventing the devil from coming down. The devil then made a deal with Jack not to allow Jack into hell after Jack died if only Jack would remove the cross from the tree. After Jack died, he couldn't go to hell, and he couldn't go to heaven. He was forced to wander around the earth with a single candle to light his way. The candle was placed in a turnip to keep it burning longer. When the Irish came to America in the 1800's, they adopted the pumpkin instead of the turnip. Along with these traditions, they brought the idea that the black cat was considered by some to be reincarnated spirits who had prophetic abilities.
So, it appears that the origins of Halloween are a mixture of old Celtic pagan rituals superstition and early Catholic traditions.
But What does the Bible say about Halloween? Nothing. But it does speak concerning witches, the occult, and paganism.
Which Halloween is a pagan celebration.
So this is why and why not we Christians should not have anything to do with Halloween.
Halloween origins:
The word Halloween is derived from the term "All Hallows Eve" which occurred on Oct. 31, the end of summer in Northwestern Europe. "All Saints Day," or "All Hallows Day" was the next Day, Nov. 1[SUP]st[/SUP]. Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.
Apparently, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to ancient Ireland and Scotland around the time of Christ. On Oct. 31[SUP]st[/SUP], the Celts celebrated the end of summer. This was important because it was when animal herders would move their animals into barns and pens and prepare to ride out the winter. This was also the time of the crop harvests. This annual change of season and lifestyle was marked by a festival called Samhain -- pronounced 'sow-ane' and means 'end of summer.' Sow rhymes with cow.
There was much superstition associated with this time of change including the belief in fairies, and that the spirits of the dead wandered around looking for bodies to inhabit. Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and frighten the spirits away. In addition, the new year began for the Celts on Nov. 1. So, the day of Samhain was believed to be a day that was in neither the year past or the year to come. Since it was in between, chaos ruled on that day. Often, people would pull practical jokes on others as a result.
Later, around the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] century, as the Catholic Church developed and moved into the area, instead of adding a new day to celebrate, it took over the Samhain celebration. Nov. 1[SUP]st[/SUP] became "All Hallows Eve" where all the saints of the Catholic church were honored. A later custom developed where people would go door-to-door on Nov. 2, requesting small cakes in exchange for the promise of saying prayers for some of the dead relatives of each house. This arose out of the religious belief that the dead were in a state of limbo before they went to heaven or hell and that the prayers of the living could influence the outcome. This may have been the precursor to Trick-or-Treat.
The Jack-O-Lantern apparently comes from Irish folklore about a man named Jack who tricked the devil into climbing a tree. Once the devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross on the trunk, preventing the devil from coming down. The devil then made a deal with Jack not to allow Jack into hell after Jack died if only Jack would remove the cross from the tree. After Jack died, he couldn't go to hell, and he couldn't go to heaven. He was forced to wander around the earth with a single candle to light his way. The candle was placed in a turnip to keep it burning longer. When the Irish came to America in the 1800's, they adopted the pumpkin instead of the turnip. Along with these traditions, they brought the idea that the black cat was considered by some to be reincarnated spirits who had prophetic abilities.
So, it appears that the origins of Halloween are a mixture of old Celtic pagan rituals superstition and early Catholic traditions.
But What does the Bible say about Halloween? Nothing. But it does speak concerning witches, the occult, and paganism.
Which Halloween is a pagan celebration.
Exodus 22:18, You shall not let a witch live.
Deut. 18:10-12, "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD…"
The Bible definitely speaks negatively about occultic practices, spirits, and witches and condemns not only the practice but also the people who are involved in it. As Christians, we are to have nothing to do with the occult. Tarot Cards, contacting the dead, séances, lucky charms, etc., are all unbiblical and can harm a Christian's fellowship with God and open the Christian to demonic oppression. Most Christians know this and avoid these activities. But, the question still remains. Since there are ancient pagan connections and present occultic connections and a huge influence in the paganism celebrations.
So this is why and why not we Christians should not have anything to do with Halloween.
S
I used to when my boys were little and liked to trick or treat, well now they are all older, and don't trick or treat...and once I became a Christian I stopped celebrating it...I put out fall stuff...leaves..uncarved pumpkins,I have some cute squirrels dressed in fall clothes....that is what I put out now...
My son and I participate in Halloween. I don't approve of gore or demonic stuff, but we like to dress up. And who doesn't like candy? I understand that there are those who don't feel right about it, and I respect that belief. But here in the Dallas suburbs, it's pretty vanilla. Sometimes we dress up and go to church "harvest festivals" because they are safer environments all around.
Good point. It is logically inconsistent (one of the requirements for good theology) to be against Halloween yet celebrate a "traditional" Christmas. If you put up a Christmas tree, hang mistletoe, refer to Santa Claus, or decorate with holly and wreaths, then you are participating in pagan-origin actions. These just seem "nicer" and more palatable to the average pew warmer than Halloween traditions. Yes, paganism can be pretty, too. It's not all goblins and gore. Even the date of December 25 is not Christian in origin so it's pretty funny when the people get all upset over the "Merry Christmas" debate.
Or you can realize that many of us have pagan ancestors. That doesn't mean that we have to throw out everything they did. Pagans cooked, pagans had babies, pagans wore clothes, and pagans gave gifts. Many of these practices are not evil in nature. Again, it's an example of correlation not being equivalent to causation. Just prayerfully consider what stances your family should take, remembering to give glory to God in all.
Or you can realize that many of us have pagan ancestors. That doesn't mean that we have to throw out everything they did. Pagans cooked, pagans had babies, pagans wore clothes, and pagans gave gifts. Many of these practices are not evil in nature. Again, it's an example of correlation not being equivalent to causation. Just prayerfully consider what stances your family should take, remembering to give glory to God in all.
As Paul taught in the epistles, he trained us to be an example to the world. The world thinks of Halloween as a fun, pagan sort of holiday making fun of witches that represent the dark scarey side of life. They look at our joining their celebrations as saying that we don't take God very seriously, or find enough joy in the walk with Him. They also look to see if our refusing to join in their fun is being grim, party pooping people.
It is the same thing the Hebrews faced living with the pagan gentiles. They wondered if it wasn't OK to join in their fun, they said that surely their God would let them.
It is the same thing the Hebrews faced living with the pagan gentiles. They wondered if it wasn't OK to join in their fun, they said that surely their God would let them.
S
[QUOTEMisty77;1243085]Good point. It is logically inconsistent (one of the requirements for good theology) to be against Halloween yet celebrate a "traditional" Christmas. If you put up a Christmas tree, hang mistletoe, refer to Santa Claus, or decorate with holly and wreaths, then you are participating in pagan-origin actions. These just seem "nicer" and more palatable to the average pew warmer than Halloween traditions. Yes, paganism can be pretty, too. It's not all goblins and gore. Even the date of December 25 is not Christian in origin so it's pretty funny when the people get all upset over the "Merry Christmas" debate.
Or you can realize that many of us have pagan ancestors. That doesn't mean that we have to throw out everything they did. Pagans cooked, pagans had babies, pagans wore clothes, and pagans gave gifts. Many of these practices are not evil in nature. Again, it's an example of correlation not being equivalent to causation. Just prayerfully consider what stances your family should take, remembering to give glory to God in all.[/QUOTE]
Ya....im not giving up my nativity and Christmas tree.....I don't do Santa...but do a nativity and angels and my tree is done in red cardinals, owls, deeds, moose and pinecones....
Or you can realize that many of us have pagan ancestors. That doesn't mean that we have to throw out everything they did. Pagans cooked, pagans had babies, pagans wore clothes, and pagans gave gifts. Many of these practices are not evil in nature. Again, it's an example of correlation not being equivalent to causation. Just prayerfully consider what stances your family should take, remembering to give glory to God in all.[/QUOTE]
Ya....im not giving up my nativity and Christmas tree.....I don't do Santa...but do a nativity and angels and my tree is done in red cardinals, owls, deeds, moose and pinecones....
N
I didn't vote. I could not choose one of them without feeling like it wasn't quite right. I have gone trick or treating as a child. I was raised Roman Catholic. There was some talk of what symbols it was suggesting and their relationship to beliefs. As a child, I had little care for that talk. I just wanted to go and knock on some doors and say "Trick or Treat!", and get some candy. I didn't consider that it was like extortion or any other crime or symbolically equivalent to whatever. That was my parents job. I think I would have felt slighted if I did not participate while all the other children did. They all talked about it in grade school. I think that would have been more damaging. I think we can dress as some character from the bible. I think we can dress as a person from history that we select from a list of characters we find admirable. We, as children, never did any of the rituals associated with pagan worship. We just wanted free candy. 
The most memorable Halloween I participated in as an adult was when my ex-wife and I planned for it and bought candy and decorated ahead of time. When the night came for trick or treaters to come to the door, I went to the doughnut shop and bought some to bring home. We made coffee and placed a table outside. We sat and laughed at and with the children and parents. It was such a good memory. We talked with our neighbors and had fun. I really enjoyed that. We had well over a hundred children stop by that night. I felt really good giving something that made everyone smile.
It wasn't religious in the least. It was just fun for all. I have not participated since my wife and I separated and divorced. I think the fun for me was in sharing the experience with her. It was in seeing my wife smile and giggle from the costumes. It was in the joy I felt because of the intimate connection we made that evening. Something other than sex, it was wonderful. I would do it again if things were to go in a similar fashion. I doubt I will do it on my own.
Edit: The doughnuts and coffee were for my wife and I. LOL We had candy for the children.
The most memorable Halloween I participated in as an adult was when my ex-wife and I planned for it and bought candy and decorated ahead of time. When the night came for trick or treaters to come to the door, I went to the doughnut shop and bought some to bring home. We made coffee and placed a table outside. We sat and laughed at and with the children and parents. It was such a good memory. We talked with our neighbors and had fun. I really enjoyed that. We had well over a hundred children stop by that night. I felt really good giving something that made everyone smile.
It wasn't religious in the least. It was just fun for all. I have not participated since my wife and I separated and divorced. I think the fun for me was in sharing the experience with her. It was in seeing my wife smile and giggle from the costumes. It was in the joy I felt because of the intimate connection we made that evening. Something other than sex, it was wonderful. I would do it again if things were to go in a similar fashion. I doubt I will do it on my own.
Edit: The doughnuts and coffee were for my wife and I. LOL We had candy for the children.
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Hi KohenMatt
When i was a kid,i did as all the kids that loved candy and watching charlie brown as we knew the holidays had kicked in and
christmas was coming(the toys),we didn't think too much about thanksgiving(you know how kids are) ,but now that i am
older i know that halloween is about things the bible talks against,so i don't participate in holloween.I may turn off my porch lights this time.
When i was a kid,i did as all the kids that loved candy and watching charlie brown as we knew the holidays had kicked in and
christmas was coming(the toys),we didn't think too much about thanksgiving(you know how kids are) ,but now that i am
older i know that halloween is about things the bible talks against,so i don't participate in holloween.I may turn off my porch lights this time.
N
Around that same time, a guy I worked with and who is not religious at all, but was raised Christian and I were talking about it. He joked that he was giving out condoms and cigarettes. I laughed and said, "Might as well give them a beer too."
What does that say about our society today? This was maybe five years ago. Is it the children? Where do these thoughts come from? I would never have thought of that as a child. My parents would never have said something like that. If they thought it, I would not have known. Maybe the issue is not pointing fingers, but creating a community which is more Christ-like? Maybe that can be done and folks who aren't even Christian will be living it without realizing? What needs to change? How do we attempt to accomplish this? It's a small step from living a good life to being saved. Sorry for the thread jack. I just felt compelled to write this.
Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
What does that say about our society today? This was maybe five years ago. Is it the children? Where do these thoughts come from? I would never have thought of that as a child. My parents would never have said something like that. If they thought it, I would not have known. Maybe the issue is not pointing fingers, but creating a community which is more Christ-like? Maybe that can be done and folks who aren't even Christian will be living it without realizing? What needs to change? How do we attempt to accomplish this? It's a small step from living a good life to being saved. Sorry for the thread jack. I just felt compelled to write this.
Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
H
Celebrate? No.
Participate? Yes.
We don't do blood and gore.
Pumpkins, costumes, games and trick-or-treating.
I see no harm in it. It's fun.
Also a good opportunity to spread the Gospel.
I put candy (the good stuff, no Smarties or Candy-Corn) into
zip-lock baggies with a Chick-Tract (kid-appropriate, of course),
and give them out to the trick-or-treaters.
Participate? Yes.
We don't do blood and gore.
Pumpkins, costumes, games and trick-or-treating.
I see no harm in it. It's fun.
Also a good opportunity to spread the Gospel.
I put candy (the good stuff, no Smarties or Candy-Corn) into
zip-lock baggies with a Chick-Tract (kid-appropriate, of course),
and give them out to the trick-or-treaters.
Last edited by a moderator:
