You can bet a million dollars you won’t find any of the apostles or Jesus Himself celebrating Halloween- so you must ask yourself should I? Should I allow my kids to be subject unto dress up evil? Evil is still evil with a wig on… or dressed up handing out candy. We have to remember that we are nothing without Christ, and being born again from the word of God we must strive to contend for the faith and for truth, in the midst of a corrupt and evil world We have to remember that we are wrong and God is always right, and His way is always better than ours
We keep His word and commandments because we love Him and they are not grievous to us; and we are to be simple concerning things that are evil The only days that really need to be celebrated are the feasts of the LORD
The Bible says :
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
Colossians 2:8 KJV
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7 KJV
“Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”
1 Corinthians 10:14 KJV
“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”
1 Timothy 6:11 KJV
^^Ask yourself, does XYZ glorify and honor God? All things are lawful to us and we have absolute liberty and freedom in Christ- but is this something that encourages/edifies ?
What is the Origin & History of Halloween?
Halloween’s origin can be found in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced saw-en, meaning ‘end of summer’). For the Celts who celebrated their new year on November 1st, the day marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, the end of light and the beginning of darkness, the end of life and the beginning of death. The Celtic priests, called Druids, made large bonfires on hilltops around which the people gathered and offered sacrifices of crops and animals to the Celtic gods as a thanksgiving offering for that years’ crops and as an appeal for favor in the new coming year. Some have speculated that there were also human sacrifices at these bonfires, but modern scholars believe this not to be the case. This was viewed as a very spiritual time and divination was practiced especially in the form of fortune-telling. It was widely believed that on this night young women especially can find whether they might marry in the coming year and even the identity of their future spouse.
It is also believed that I on the eve of Samhain the line between the living and the dead became thin and the spirits of the Otherworld were allowed to roam the earth during this day, both spirits of departed loved ones during the previous year as well as evil spirits of ghouls and fairies looking to cause mischief and damage. The Celts, hoping for a visit from their departed loved ones, would set a place at the table for them and prepare a feast. They also set treats outside their house for the wandering spirits. To ward off evil spirits from their households, the Celts were known to set carved pumpkins (or turnips) in front of their doors. If they went out at night they wore costumes so that if they encountered an evil spirit they would be mistaken for an evil spirit themselves and thus be protected from evil and trouble.
The Origin of All Saints Day
By A.D. 43 the Romans had successfully conquered most of the Celtic lands. During the next 400 years, Samhain was merged with two Roman holidays: Feralia, a day when Romans commemorated their dead, typically at the end of October, and secondly Pomona, a day of honoring the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. In 609 A.D. Pope Bonafice IV established the Catholic feast of All Martyrs’ Day in honor of the early Roman martyrs, and this feast was later expanded by Pope Gregory III to include all saints and is still practiced today on November 1st as All Saints’ Day (known also as Hallowtide or All Hallows). November 2nd is also celebrated as All Souls’ Daymainly to honor the saints and pray for the lives of the recently departed who have not reached heaven yet. Some of the Halloween traditions can be seen in the festival surrounding All Saints’ Day. There were traditions of ringing bells for the souls in purgatory; poor people, mostly children, would go from house to house “souling”—they would get ‘soul cakes’ in exchange for prayers for departed loved ones; people even wore costumes in order to protect themselves from wandering souls of the dead.
Reformation Day
With the Protestant Reformation in the 16th and 17th centuries, Protestant Christians reacted to Catholic Holy Days like All Saints Day, primarily over Catholic beliefs considered errors, such as Purgatory. Purgatory derives its name from the idea that there still remains some sin, or impurity, that needs to be purged and cleansed before one is allowed into Heaven. It is therefore considered a holding place for souls not quite fit for heaven, but not so bad that they go to Hell. Protestant Christians held that after death, no amount of prayers or indulgences – payments made on behalf of departed loved ones to speed up their time in Purgatory – can help a loved one in this Purgative state. Instead, many Protestant Christians began to celebrate Reformation Day by providing different options for people who didn’t want to celebrate the Catholic holiday. Some dressed up in Bible characters or reformers themselves and used the day as an opportunity to gather together and pray and fast. Today, many Lutheran churches celebrate Reformation Day with the traditional color of red which symbolizes the Holy Spirit and the Martyrs of the Saints. Martin Luther’s hymn, ‘A Mighty Fortress is our God’ is traditionally sung and many schoolchildren put on plays reenacting some of the events during the life of Martin Luther.
Many Halloween traditions come from a library of rich stories – some myth, some fact – that help explain why we carve pumpkins, bob for apples, or go trick-or-treating.
- A Halloween history
- Why we carve Halloween pumpkins
- Jack-o’-lanterns: a deal made with Satan
- Bobbing for apples: a game or a god?
- Tricks, treats, or soul cake
- The origin of Halloween costumes
- Halloween superstitions: a time for love predictions
A Halloween history
The name Halloween or Hallowe’en – a contraction of All Hallows’ Evening or All Hallows’ Eve – is a reference to the day before the Christian holiday of All Hallow’s Day or All Saints’ Day. All Saints’ Day is a Christian holiday for remembrance of martyrs, saints, and the deceased.
The origin of Halloween is likely pagan. It bloomed from the dark nights of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain(meaning ‘summer’s end’ in Gaelic), when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III dedicated 1 November to honor all saints and martyrs. By 1000 AD, the church introduced All Souls’ Day on 2 November, in attempt to replace Celtic traditions with an official church holiday. The Christian holiday adopted Samhain’s symbols, including the bonfires, parades, and costumes.
All Hallows or All Hallowmas comes from Middle English Alholowmesse, meaning All Saints’ Day. The night before – the traditional celebration of the Celtic religious festival Samhain – took on the name All Hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. But over time, Halloween has largely left behind its pagan and Christian origins to become a secular holiday, particularly in North America.
From faith to commerce
The United States didn’t observe these holidays until Irish and Scottish immigrants arrived in the mid-1800s, bringing a mash of traditions with them. Stemming from Celts’ prediction practices on Samhain, young women believed that Halloween was the day they could divine the name of their future husband. They did so by doing tricks with mirrors, apple parings, or yarn. Young women also dressed in costumes and went door-to-door asking for money or food, an early form of trick-or-treating.
There was a move in the United States to create a more community-oriented form of Halloween; less ghosts and pranks, more family-friendly gatherings and parties. They did so by encouraging newspapers and community leaders remove references to anything frightening or grotesque. By the 20th century, Halloween lost most of its superstitious elements; however, many of Halloween traditions come from exactly that.
Pumpkin carving – or turnips?
To distract wandering spirits from settling into their homes and farms, Celts once carved faces into turnips and set candles inside; this was a rudimentary form of today’s pumpkin carvings. Turnip lanterns lined roadways to light the way and also caution passing spirits.
Jack-o’-lanterns: a hellish deal with Satan
Stepping away from the numerous legends surrounding the origin of Jack-o’-lanterns, they are thought to come from Irish folklore. A man named Jack managed to trap Satan, and Satan offered Jack a deal for his release. In exchange for Satan’s release, Satan agreed he would never take Jack’s soul. However, Jack’s life had been too sinful for heaven; as a result, Jack found himself between heaven and hell, in purgatory.
Jack, facing eternal wandering on earth, asked Satan for something to light his way. Satan tossed Jack a flame from Hades that would never go out. Jack carved out a turnip to place the ember, earning him the nickname of Jack of the Latern, or Jack-o’-lantern.
Jack used the lantern to guide his soul. Thus, Celts believed placing lit turnips outside would guide family spirits home; simultaneously, scary carvings repelled evil spirits.
Bobbing for apples: more than just a game
When the Romans swooped in on the Celts around 43 AD, a mixture of festivals ensued. Samhain combined with the Roman holiday of Feralia (a day in late October that also honored the dead) and the day dedicated to Pomona (the Roman goddess of fruit and trees). Pomona’s symbol is an apple; as a result, this is the likely source of the tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.
Tricks, treats, or soul cake
Today, Halloween spurs 25% of overall candy in the United States. Children trekking from door-to-door in search of candy is a predominately modern American tradition. Although trick-or-treating is less popular in European countries, therein lies the secret to how this Halloween tradition started.
Celtic folklore believed that some spirits transformed into human form. They often did so as a beggar, to ask for money or food. Turning away the spirit would curse you eternally.
Halloween costumes
Halloween costumes have European origins. During the Samhain bonfire, communities burned crops and animal sacrifices; they also wore morbid costumes (such as animal heads or skins) to scare spirits. Some say the bonfires attracted rodents and bats; now, these animals are symbols of Halloween. Others believed that if you were outside on the day ghosts returned to the living world, you might encounter a roaming spirit; people avoided this by dressing up to trick the spirits. Halloween’s typical color scheme (orange and black) arose out of these autumn festivals. Orange represented crops and turning leaves, while black represented death and transition to winter.
Halloween history turned towards commercialization in the 1900s; around this time, companies produced themed postcards and paper decorations. In the 1930s, Halloween costumes appeared in stores. Today, Halloween is a profitable holiday for costume, decoration, and candy manufacturers.
Halloween in Europe
Similar to the world’s different approaches to Valentine’s Day, not every country follows the commercialized and Americanized variety of Halloween. Elsewhere, commerce has less traction in the Halloween history of individual countries; however, many places do still have traditions that are unique to them:
- 🇦🇹 WAustria: Families leave bread, water, and a lit lamp on the table before they go to bed.
- 🇧🇪 Belgium: People often light candles in memory of their deceased relatives.
- 🇩🇪 Germany: Locals hide their knives from evil spirits.
- 🇳🇱 The Netherlands: Many Halloween customs are similar to those of Saint Martin’s Day. Dutch families celebrate this day on 11 November; historically, Saint Martin’s Day commemorated the beginning of the harvest season. Armed with handmade paper lanterns, children go door-to-door singing songs in return for candy.
- 🇸🇪 Sweden: Halloween is called Alla Helgons Dag in Sweden; Swedes observe it from 31 October until 6 November.
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: The English, Irish, and Scottish carved turnips and beets instead of pumpkins. Children would carry these scary root vegetables to their neighbors and receive money in return.
"The Festival of the Dead." The Celtic tribes and their priests the Druids celebrated this day as a marker for the change from life to death.
2. Halloween today is performed usually by adherents of witchcraft who use the night for their rituals. Witches celebrate Halloween as the "Feast of Samhain," the first feast of the witchcraft year. Being a festival of the dead, Halloween is a time when witches attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of divination.
3. Christians should not be involved with occultic practice or divination. Note God's command against divination in Deuteronomy 18.
4. Occultists believe Halloween is a time of transition between life and death. Some occult practitioners practiced divination and believed you could learn the secrets of life and wisdom by lying on a grave and listening to the messages from the long-departed.
5. Occultists also taught that spirits and ghosts left the grave during this night and would seek out warmth in their previous homes. Villagers, fearful of the possibility of being visited by the ghosts of past occupants, would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits on their way. They would also leave food and other treats at their door to appease the spirits so they would not destroy their homes or crops but instead move on 
down the road. That is the real reason why kids dress up in costumes today and go door-to-door seeking treats.
6. Occultists also would try to scare away the spirits by carving a scary face into a pumpkin. This horrible visage would hopefully move the spirit on to another home or village and spare that home from destruction. Sometimes the villagers would light a candle and place it within the pumpkin and use it as a lantern (hence the name, Jack-o-Lantern). This is the origin of carving pumpkins at Halloween.
7. In some witchcraft covens, the closing ritual includes eating an apple or engaging in fertility rites. In the Bible (Genesis 3), eating a piece of fruit brought sin and death into the world. In witchcraft, eating an apple is symbolic of bringing life. The practice of bobbing for apples brings together two pagan traditions: divination and the fertility ritual.
8. Schools are removing any religious significance from Christmas (often called winter break) and Easter (spring break). Isn't it ironic that most public schools still celebrate Halloween even though it has occultic origins?
9. Participating in Halloween gives sanction to a holiday that promotes witches, divination, haunted houses, and other occultic practices.
Yes this includes any and all hay rides involving the practice of Halloween, haunted houses, decorating…
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