SHOULD CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN?

Halloween is a time of year when children and adults dress up in costumes (many that represent witches, ghosts, monsters and other negative images) and have a “good time” celebrating with games, food, treats and parties. Unfortunately, many Christians have been deceived into believing that Halloween is a harmless day of costumes, make-up and Trick-or-Treat. This could not be further from the truth. Christians should never celebrate Halloween because it is a celebration devoted to Satan, Satan worship and all that encompasses that realm.

On October 31st, the day that Halloween and Trick-or-Treat is celebrated, Druid priests would also play trick-or-treat. Let me explain. Well before Christianity, there was a group of people called the Celts. The Celts worshipped pagan gods, and the priests of their religious practices were called Druids. These priests would go from house to house and demand a child or a virgin for sacrifice. The child or virgin was the Druid’s “treat”. In exchange for their “treat”, they would leave a jack-o-lantern (a pumpkin that was covered with animal skins, and had a lighted candle made from human fat) to prevent those inside from being killed by demons (Note: this is where the custom of carving a pumpkin, and leaving it outdoors with a lighted candle originated.

If the priests went to a house that did not have a child or a virgin, then it was time for a “trick”. A hex (hexagram) would be drawn on the front door and that night someone in the house would be killed by demons.

After Christianity was established, the church had so many saints to honor that it was impossible to give each one a day. In the 8th Century, Pope Gregory III dedicated an oratory to all the saints and established the anniversary as November 1st. In 834, Pope Gregory IV established November 1st in the calendar to be recognized by all churches as “All Saints Day”. The night before All Saints Day was called “All Hallows Eve” which was shortened to “Hallowe’en”. The festival of the Druid priests fell at this same time and came to be known as Halloween – a day for the unsanctified, and unsanctified spirits, along with ghosts, the lord of the dead, goblins, fairies and later, witchcraft. Halloween became the great witch night. The Prince of Darkness, and his cohorts, the witches and warlocks, gathered to mock the church’s festival of All Saints by unholy revels of their own.

Even now, during the weekend of Halloween, there has been a number of unsolved murders, kidnappings and disappearances of humans and animals and other satanic influenced activities. There is also reported evidence of living sacrificial ceremonies that occur throughout the country.

From this brief information, it is clear that Halloween has nothing to do with God or the things of God, and, actually, has an ungodly foundation. Ephesians 5:11tells us, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” I encourage you to take time to explain to your children that Halloween is a day dedicated to Satan, and not a day of harmless costumes and make-up, and expose the realities of what this day represents.

Compiled from: <em>Halloween Through Twenty Centuries, The Trick and Why We Celebrate Holiday</em>