With over a billion dollars spent almost every year at Halloween it's surprising that more people don't seem to know what they're celebrating. People assume the fun of carving ugly-faced pumpkins, entering haunted houses, trick or treating, and playing divination games is harmless, but is it?
Well, sure.
Oh? Well what are your really doing when you celebrate Halloween.
Um... funny costumes, collecting free candy, and scaring people?
Halloween's origin comes from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). This Celtic festival was a day in which the Celts believed that the spirit world met and mixed with the natural world and that the souls of the dead returned to haunt. Things like trick or treating and costumes aren't as innocent as they appear. The Celts would dress up like demons and witches to try to confuse the evil spirits. They would build big bonfires to frighten the demons away. They did food offerings to try to stay on the "good side" of the evil spirits. Poorer folks would go door to door begging the richer people for "soul cakes" and in return they promised to "pray" for the person. Bobbing for apples was also among their activities. They would mark one of the apples and it was believed that whoever got that apples when bobbing, was the next in line to get married. They "played" divination games, but they did it in earnest. Theses people were in mortal fright of the demons and evil spirits that controlled their lives. And the legends go on, but I'll end there for now. The ancient church tried to "Christianize" the festival into a holiday to remember the martyrs, but they adopted a lot of the pagan activities. They celebrated one day later on November 1st, and called it, All Saints Day. But regardless if you think you are celebrating Halloween (a pagan holiday) or All saints Day, are your activities and actions backed up by the Scriptures? God told the Israelites to NOT adopt the customs and rituals of the gentiles (pagan) peoples. Did it work for Solomon? Here's the answer;
"But
king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of
Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and
Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the Lord
said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither
shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart
after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love....and his wives turned away his heart." 1 Kings 11:1-3.
"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." Jeremiah 10:2.
Galatians 4:8-11 "Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But
now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn
ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again
to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."
But here's the good news. Jesus said in John 8, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." If we have Jesus Christ in our hearts we're free! We don't have to live in fear and bondage like those who do not believe. And if we believe, why celebrate a holiday that came to be, from fear, superstition, evil, and darkness?
Perhaps you disagree with the above points or think those Scriptures are irrelevant to today's world (I would respectfully disagree with that thinking) but if you do feel that way, then maybe consider the following thoughts at a minimum: some people may have really tight budgets and can't afford candy; some people may not wish to participate--but if they live in a common trick or treating neighborhood ,what kind of awkward position are you leaving them in? Does it teach your children good manners? Should you celebrate a holiday where black cats aren't safe outdoors?
Please take some time to think about what, and more importantly, who you're celebrating.
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