Halloween is celebrated by millions of people
as a fun time for kids, putting on costumes, and going door-to-door to get
candy. However it is also known as a time of witches, ghouls, goblins, and
ghosts. On one hand, some see Halloween as a safe time of fun and on the other,
a frightening and demonically inspired night to be avoided.
Halloween is not just a time for cornstalks,
pumpkins, apples and cute and not-so-cute costumes. There is much, much more.
Before deciding to celebrate or not celebrate any holiday, it is important to
understand the history of that holiday.
Halloween's 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. 1st. Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.
It seems that, the origins of Halloween can be
traced back to ancient Ireland and Scotland around the time of Christ. On Oct.
31st, 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 connected 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 scare 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 5th 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. 1st 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 nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story,
Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name,
Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn
himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did
so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver
cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form.
Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother
Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The
next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a
piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross
into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil
promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God
would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the
trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would
not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a
burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and
has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this
ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack
O'Lantern.". 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.
In the United States, many early American
settlers brought with them various customs such as the above. However, because
of Christianity among so many of the settlers, Halloween celebrations were not
celebrated until the 1800′s when several immigrants from Ireland and Scotland
introduced their Halloween customs. They brought various beliefs about ghosts
and witches with them. Other groups added their own cultural influences to
Halloween customs. German immigrants brought vivid witchcraft lore, and Haitian
and African peoples brought their native voodoo beliefs about black cats, fire,
and witchcraft.
All Saints Day, a day the seventh century
church set aside for remembering early Christians who died for their beliefs,
was first celebrated in the month of May. By the year 900 the date was combined
with the pagan rituals to be celebrated November 1. Another name for All Saints
Day was All Hallows. October 31 was known as All Hallows Eve which was
shortened to Halloween. The church made a grave mistake trying to combine pagan
worship with Christianity. This is not scriptural! Because of that unwise
decision, Halloween remains a holiday in America today.
Scriptures warn us that the sins of the
fathers are visited upon the third and fourth generations.
You shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate
Me. Exodus 20:5.
Those who disregard God’s warning and make
contact with occult spirits risk terrible repercussions in the form of misery,
sickness, insanity and even early death.
Why do people living in this age, especially
Christians, desire to be a part of any ungodly worship? This pagan belief, even
celebrated by Christian churches, celebrates the union of gods and a goddess in
the universe that supposedly control the seasons, bring fertility to crops and
animals, and bestow magical powers on their followers.
What does the Bible say about Halloween?
Although the Bible doesn't specifically
mention Halloween by name, it makes it very clear that the origins and
practices of Halloween (adapting pagan customs or borrowing the ways of those
who worship a false god and using them to worship the true God) are detestable
to God. Deuteronomy 12:29-32. The Bible clearly teaches us to say “no” to
ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly
lives in this present age.
Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in
sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the
River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. Joshua 24:14
When you enter the land the Lord your God is
giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
Let no one be found among you who…practices divination or sorcery, interprets
omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium, or spiritist
or who consults the dead. Deuteronomy 18:9-11
Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God.
Our Lord Jesus would not go to a party to honor the feast of the Samhain. Moses
did not come down from Mount Sinai and combine the Israelites Passover holiday
with the idol worship that was going on. Allowing children to dress as witches
and sorcerers or hanging evil decorations in our windows is imitating that
which is evil.
The verse says, “come out from among them,
says the Lord.” Does that mean come out from among them–but don’t deprive your
children from all that fun and candy — celebrate the same pagan ritual in your
church building? The Bible is very clear about Christians being involved in
such celebrations. Ephesians 5:8-11 says,
For you were once darkness, but now you are
light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the Spirit is in
all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the
Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
expose them.
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, what is the Christian to
do?
The Christian is not to be involved with or
support the occult, witchcraft, demonism, or any other thing that uplifts the
occult. To do so is to contradict God’s word, dabble in demonic spirits, and
invite judgment from God. If a Halloween celebration is centered on demons,
devils, spirits, etc., I would say don't have anything to do with it.
On the other hand, it isn't wrong to dress up
in a costume and go door-to-door saying "Trick or Treat." Provided
that the costume isn't demonic, I can't see anything wrong with this.
It's just fun for the kids.
In the Bible in 1 Cor. 10:23-33, Paul
speaks about meat sacrificed to idols. This meat was often sold in the meat
market and the question arose, "Should a Christian each such meat?"
Paul said in verse 25, "Eat anything that
is sold in the meat market, without asking questions for conscience'
sake." This is most interesting. He says it is okay to eat the meat bought
in the market place even though that meat may have been sacrificed to idols.
Then in verses 28-29 he says, "But if
anyone should say to you, 'This is meat sacrificed to idols,' do not eat it,
for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience' sake; 29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is
my freedom judged by another's conscience?" (NASB). Paul is saying that if
you find out the meat was sacrificed to idols; don't eat it -- not because of
you, but because of the other person. In other words, eating that meat won't
affect you. But, it may affect the attitude of another who does not understand
the freedom the Christian has in Christ.
Is it any different with Halloween)? No. Even
though Halloween has pagan origins, because of your freedom in Christ, you
and/or your kids can dress up in costumes and go door-to-door and just have
fun. However, if you are not comfortable with doing this, then you should not.
If you know of a person who would be hindered by doing it, then you shouldn't
either.
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