HALLOWEEN

A BIBLICAL ANALYSIS FROM THE ART OF FAMILY LIVING

My Story:
First of all, I want you to all know that this page is written to the Christian. The Lord showed our family that dabbling in the things of the occult is dangerous. I feel compelled to share my story along with the below article that changed our views on Halloween. Brothers and sisters, all I ask is that you read this, pray about it, and seek the Lord’s direction on what your family will do here on out. Do not write me to argue as I will not answer these types of letters. It’s amazing how many letters I get from witches and Christians alike defending the celebration of Halloween.
Many of you have written to argue with me about the issue of Christians celebrating Halloween. Many will say there is no harm in dressing up our kids and taking them door-to-door to get candy. I felt the same way until about 9-10 years ago. I would never dress my children in scary costumes, though. They would dress as princesses, pumpkins, dinosaurs, and so forth. We didn’t go door to door since I feared the dangers of strangers placing horrible things in the candy. We would visit the malls instead. I wouldn’t decorate my house with witches and ghosts, but with carved pumpkins. We never felt convicted since we felt we were celebrating the holiday the “Christian” way.
It was at a Friday night worship service (our church at the time had services on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays) that our pastor began to share why Christians should not celebrate Halloween. He had handouts that we were encouraged to take as we left the sanctuary. This handout is the one that is posted below. The Lord used this to convict us and from that point on, we did not participate in the holiday. We have, in the past, helped out at our church’s Hallelujah Party (alternative to Halloween). We have even handed out tracts along with the candy a couple of years. Both of these are great alternatives. Now, we usually spend the evening with friends praying and playing games.
I received the below letter that spoke loudly to me and wanted to share it.
“Hello. I just visited your website for the first time. I read your article on Halloween-- before you delete this message let me assure you I am not writing to fight with you but to thank you for the information. VERY GOOD-- and so true... I know of someone that met a practicing witch a couple years ago- he mentioned their conversation but the thing that grabbed me the most was when she said - "I love this time of year the most (ie: Halloween) because this is the time when BOTH Christians and Witches worship the same god". I thought that was a bit sobering. Just thought I would send you a message because I appreciate this information especially this time of year. I don't need a reply just wanted to thank you”.
Wow! Have you ever thought of Halloween as the time of year where witches and Christians worship the same god. That god, is not our Heavenly Father, but is the god of this world, Satan. Think about that.

A. Introduction
Though Halloween has become prominent in America only within the past two or three generations, its origins are ancient. Halloween was originally called “Samhain” - a pagan Celtic celebration that focused on death. The heathen Celtic tribesmen, who lived in the British Isles, especially Ireland, and parts of Western Europe, especially France, believed that ghosts and other spirit-beings visited the land of the living on Samhain Eve, October 31, so they presented offerings to them on that night.

B. Samhain/Halloween: An Ancient Pagan Celebration

1.Samhain celebrated the Celtic New Year and marked the transition from the Celts’ summer goddess to the horned god of the winter solstice.

2.A festival of the dead-the Celts believed that the spirits of the dead and other spirit-beings (demons) were participants in their Samhain (Halloween) celebrations.

3. Druids-priests of the Celtic tribes who celebrated Halloween. According to ancient Christian missionaries, human sacrifices were part of their worship.

4. Pagan origin of familiar Halloween practices

a. Trick-or-treat-families would put out food for the ghosts and demons so they would not harm them.

b. Jack-o’-lanterns-started out as carved images of spirit-beings. Originally, a light was put into a turnip or potato which had an ugly face carved into it. One purpose of the jack-o’-lanterns was probably to frighten the spirits who were thought to invade the earth on Halloween night into going back to the world of the dead.

c. Bonfires-a look at the dictionary will reveal that the origin of this work is “bone-fire”-referring to large fires containing bones. Why bonfires? To help the sun “survive” the winter; to frighten off evil spirits; used for animals, and possibly human sacrifices.

d. Bobbing for apples-began as a technique of divination. In some areas, this tradition continues.

e. Bizarre costumes-The Celts hid themselves in ghoulish disguises at Halloween so that wandering spirits would mistake them for one of their own and pass by without incident. Masked villagers representing the souls of the dead also attempted to trick the spirits by forming a Parade and leading them to the town limits.

f. Skeletons, skulls, and corpses-these naturally belong to Halloween as a festival celebrating death.

g. Bats and owls-have been associated with Halloween since ancient times; the pagan Celts believed owls were able to communicate with the dead.

h. Goblins, demons, ghosts, ghouls-these were thought by the ancient Celtic pagans to have special freedom to travel about among the living at Halloween.

C. Halloween and the Christian Church

1. Strong opposition to Halloween-The ancient Christians rejected and detested his idolatrous festival.

2. All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days as alternatives to Halloween- To provide a Christian alternative, churches began to celebrate the Feast of All Hallows, or All Saints, and the Feast of All Souls at the same time of year as the pagan holiday. Samhain picked up the name “Halloween” from the feast of All Hallows, but it has never been a Christian holiday. Many popular Halloween activities actually come from paganism and demon-worship.

D. Halloween in America

1. Why do Americans celebrate Halloween?
Many parents are uncomfortable with the gruesome aspects of Halloween, but feel reluctant to deprive their children of a holiday that seems so much a part of American life. But Halloween is not really an American holiday at all. The little Pilgrim children never learned to say “Trick or treat!” When he was a boy, George Washington never went out hunting for candy on October 31, and Abraham Lincoln never dressed up as a pirate or a robber to celebrate Halloween. This holiday was not nationally known and observed until the middle of the 1800’s, when a large wave of immigrants from Celtic areas of Europe brought the old Halloween customs with them.

2. In American South, the occult practices of voodoo and Santeria influenced common Halloween practices.

3. Changing American Halloween practices and attitudes

a. Halloween became more and more violent over the years, until in the 1920’s Community leaders became very concerned about “the Halloween problem.”

b. In response to the destructiveness of Halloween pranks, the ancient Halloween custom of trick-or-treating was reintroduced. Halloween as we know it-a children’s holiday-is largely a creation of the 1950’s.

HALLOWEEN TODAY

B. Occult Practices associated with Halloween today

1. Witchcraft- As newspaper articles from around the country attest each October, modern witches are deeply devoted to the celebration of Halloween. Some witches are anxious to “reclaim” Halloween as a serious religious holiday devoted to communion with the dead and other occult practices.

2. Satanism- Halloween is one of the Satanists’ two most important “unholy days.”

3. Neo-paganism- Neo-pagans, who sometimes enter occultism through involvement in feminism or environmental activism, often also consider Halloween one of their two highest holidays.

4. Spiritism- Serious and well-publicized attempts to contact the dead are held each Halloween.

C. Violence and Terror

1. Violence in our communities- Violence is an annual Halloween tradition in New York City and many other communities across the country, as newspaper reports from recent Halloweens indicate. Extra police patrols are needed; students are sometimes afraid to go to school on Halloween for fear of violence.

2. Poisoned candy, razor blades in apples, etc- “Keep treats in the bag untilchildren get home. Cut and examine all fruit. Throw away all unwrapped candy. Remember that some hospitals X-ray Halloween candy free.” From a Halloween warning to parents, The New York Times.

3. Halloween-related events, such as “Mischief Night” and “Devil’s Night,” spread violence and destruction across the country.

D. Secular responses to the dangers of Halloween

Special police units have been created to talk to parents about Halloween; special pamphlets on the “do’s” and “don’ts” of Halloween are available at some police stations in October.

E. Halloween is increasingly an adult holiday that encourages youngsters to drink

Anti-drug-abuse activists have complained about the destructive influence on children of Halloween advertising (for alcoholic beverages, etc.) supposedly aimed at adults.

F. Halloween is a time when it is easy to introduce children to drug abuse and other harmful practices

Police have warned that children can be especially easily lured or swayed at Halloween, so that parents should be on the lookout for strangers or drug dealers.

THE LURE OF THE OCCULT

B. Growing Occult influences on children

As the supernatural has become an increasing part of teen-age culture through movies and music, and as interest in occultism has mushroomed among teenagers, a growing number of American teenagers appear to be embracing the morbid, pagan rituals of Halloween year-round.

C. Halloween’s cumulative influence on children

Counselor Wendell Amstutz remarks, “I know that people will say, ‘It’s once a year, or just for a few week.’ As a counselor, I know much can be and is learned in just a few weeks. Repeated year after year, the few weeks of celebration of Halloween can leave a significant impact.”

HALLOWEEN: HOW TO RESPOND

Halloween Tracts On-line or to Order

Still Not Convinced?

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