| -> | | | | the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the |
| It's that time of year again. Vampires, ghouls, ghosts | | | | iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and |
| and skeletons will be haunting our doorways. | | | | fourth generations of those who hate Me. Exodus |
| American retailers celebrate a 5 billion dollar a year | | | | 20:5. |
| candy, card and costume business ($1.5 billion in | | | | Those who disregard God's warning and make |
| Canada). | | | | contact with occult spirits risk terrible repercussions in |
| But, Halloween is not just a time for cornstalks, | | | | the form of misery, sickness, insanity and even early |
| pumpkins, apples and cute and not-so-cute costumes. | | | | death. |
| There is much, much more. Before deciding to | | | | Why do people living in this age, especially Christians, |
| celebrate or not celebrate any holiday, it is important | | | | desire to be a part of any pagan worship? This |
| to understand the history of that holiday. | | | | pagan belief, even celebrated by Christian churches, |
| Before we look at the history and what the Bible | | | | celebrates the union of gods and a goddess in the |
| says about pagan holidays answer these questions: | | | | universe that supposedly control the seasons, bring |
| * How would you feel if your spouse kept photos of | | | | fertility to crops and animals, and bestow magical |
| his or her former girlfriend of boyfriend? | | | | powers on their followers. |
| * How would you feel if he or she celebrated an | | | | |
| anniversary of special times with another after | | | | Although the Bible doesn't specifically mention |
| marrying you? | | | | Halloween by name, it makes it very clear that the |
| * Our God is a jealous God demanding exclusive | | | | origins and practices of Halloween (adapting pagan |
| devotion (Exodus 20:5). Do you think He cares if you | | | | customs or borrowing the ways of those who |
| encourage your children to partake in a holiday that | | | | worship a false god and using them to worship the |
| honors Satan, the god of this world? | | | | true God) are detestable to God. Deuteronomy |
| Halloween's History | | | | 12:29-32. The Bible clearly teaches us to say "no" to |
| Halloween's roots come from the ancient Celts, a | | | | ungodliness and worldly passions and to live |
| tribe living about 2,000 years ago in the areas that | | | | self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present |
| are now Ireland, Great Britain and northern France. | | | | age. |
| The Celts were first described as a fierce, warlike, | | | | Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in |
| terrifying people, many of whom would have strings | | | | sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which |
| of human heads tied on their bridles. Halloween was | | | | your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, |
| their main holiday, called Samhain. It was a festival | | | | and serve the LORD. Joshua 24:14 |
| that honored the Samhain, the Celtic lord of death. | | | | When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving |
| The celebration marked the beginning of the season | | | | you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of |
| of cold, darkness, and decay. The Celts related this | | | | the nations there. Let no one be found among you |
| with human death; they believed the Samhain allowed | | | | who...practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, |
| souls of the dead to return to their earthly homes | | | | engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a |
| for that evening. On the evening of the festival, the | | | | medium, or spiritist or who consults the dead. |
| Druids, the priest and teachers of the Celts, ordered | | | | Deuteronomy 18:9-11 |
| the people to put out their hearth fires. | | | | Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God. Our Lord |
| The Druids built a huge New Year's bonfire of oak | | | | Jesus would not go to a party to honor the feast of |
| branches, which they considered sacrificed. They | | | | the Samhain. Moses did not come down from Mount |
| burned animals, crops, and even human beings as | | | | Sinai and combine the Israelite's Passover holiday with |
| sacrifices. Then each family re-lit their hearth fire | | | | the idol worship that was going on. Allowing children |
| from the New Year's fire. The lighted jack-o'-lanterns | | | | to dress as witches and sorcerers or hanging evil |
| used today are symbols of fires and torches. During | | | | decorations in our windows is imitating that which is |
| the celebration people wore costumes made of | | | | evil. |
| animal heads and skins. They told fortunes by | | | | Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. |
| examining the remains of the sacrifices. | | | | For what fellowship has righteousness with |
| These pagan Celts believed that evil spirits lurked | | | | lawlessness? And what communion has light with |
| about as the sun god grew pale and the Samhain | | | | darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or |
| grew stronger. The Celts believed the evil spirits | | | | what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And |
| would come to your house and you would have to | | | | what agreement has the temple of God with idols? |
| treat them or they would trick you. | | | | For you are the temple of the living God. As God has |
| The Romans conquered the Celts in A.D. 43 and ruled | | | | said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will |
| what is now Great Britain for about 400 years. During | | | | be their God, And they shall be My people. Therefore |
| this period, two Roman autumn festivals were | | | | Come out from among them and be separate, says |
| combined with the Celtic festival of Samhain. Both | | | | the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will |
| pagan rituals, one of them, called Feraila, was held in | | | | receive you. |
| late October to honor the dead. The other festival | | | | The verse says, "come out from among them, says |
| honored Pomona, the Roman Goddess of fruit and | | | | the Lord." Does that mean come out from among |
| trees. Apples became associated with Halloween | | | | them-but don't deprive your children from all that fun |
| because of this festival. | | | | and candy - celebrate the same pagan ritual in your |
| Regional Halloween customs developed among | | | | church building? The Bible is very clear about |
| various groups of Celts. In Ireland, for example, | | | | Christians being involved in such celebrations. |
| people begged for food in a parade that honored | | | | Ephesians 5:8-11 says, |
| Muck Olla, their sun god. The leader of the parade | | | | For you were once darkness, but now you are light |
| wore a white robe and the head of an animal. In | | | | in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of |
| England, families sat by the fire and told stories while | | | | the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), |
| they ate treats such as apples and nuts. | | | | finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have |
| Halloween in the United States | | | | no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, |
| In the United States, many early American settlers | | | | but rather expose them. |
| brought with them various customs such as the | | | | Halloween is more than childish fun.Witches have |
| above. However, because of Christianity among so | | | | eight special holidays during the year. Halloween is |
| many of the settlers, Halloween celebrations were | | | | their day above all days. Witchcraft is not child's play. |
| not celebrated until the 1800's when several | | | | It is an abomination to the Lord. Johanna Michaleson, |
| immigrants from Ireland and Scotland introduced their | | | | former occultist and author of The Beautiful Side of |
| Halloween customs. They brought various beliefs | | | | Evil said, "For a true Christian to participate in the |
| about ghosts and witches with them. Other groups | | | | ancient trappings of Halloween is as incongruous as |
| added their own cultural influences to Halloween | | | | for a committed Satanist coming from blood |
| customs. German immigrants brought a vivid | | | | sacrifices on Christmas Eve to set up a nativity |
| witchcraft lore, and Haitian and African peoples | | | | scene in his living room singing Silent Night, Holy Night |
| brought their native voodoo beliefs about black cats, | | | | with sincere devotion to baby Jesus!" |
| fire, and witchcraft. | | | | One thing Halloween should not be for the Christian is |
| All Saints Day, a day the seventh century church set | | | | a time of fear. It should be a time to rejoice in the |
| aside for remembering early Christians who died for | | | | fact that The Son of God appeared for this purpose, |
| their beliefs, was first celebrated in the month of | | | | that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John |
| May. By the year 900 the date was combined with | | | | 3:8). This is a time of spiritual warfare. October 31 |
| the pagan rituals to be celebrated November 1. | | | | should be spent in prayer for the community and |
| Another name for All Saints Day was All Hallows. | | | | children; a time of worship by singing praise to the |
| October 31 was known as All Hallows Eve which was | | | | Lord. This can be a good time to teach our children |
| shortened to Halloween. The church made a grave | | | | to sacrifice by not sharing in the rituals because you |
| mistake trying to combine pagan worship with | | | | love the Lord. Whatever your family decides to do |
| Christianity. This is not scriptural! Because of that | | | | on this day, ask yourself, "Does it glorify the Lord?" |
| unwise decision, Halloween remains a holiday in | | | | ...they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do |
| America today. | | | | not want you to have fellowship with demons. You |
| Scriptures warn us that the sins of the fathers are | | | | cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of |
| visited upon the third and fourth generations. You | | | | demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and |
| shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, | | | | of the table of demons. |