Halloween
is a custom of the nations.
God Himself calls such things abominations,
practices that He hates. If we strip away its façade of revelry and
feasting, it is idolatrous false worship, honouring spirit beings that
are not God. In addition, God never tells us to celebrate this day or in
any way to honour the spirits of the dead.
November-Coming-Fire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Notice that He warns us
not to be "ensnared to follow" the practices of the nations. A snare is a
trap designed to catch an unwary animal. The trap itself is hidden, but
what is visible is a kind of lure, an attractive trick designed to fool
the prey into entering the trap. Once it takes the bait, the gate comes
down, a hook comes out, or a spring slams closed on a limb, and the
prey is trapped.
God is alerting us to the fact that heathen or
ungodly practices — customs, ways of worship, traditions,
celebrations— usually have characteristics that appeal to our human
nature. They are the lures. We can become caught up in them before we
are aware of it. God advises us to watch out for the hidden dangers, the
appealing entrapments, that are designed into these holidays.
Many
cultures have a form of Halloween in their tradition. It seems that most
of this world's peoples desire to celebrate the dead. The holidays or
feasts may vary from place to place, falling on different days and
following different customs. The common denominator is that they all
honor or remember the dead or unseen spirits.
Mexico has its "Day of
the Dead" in which participants give out candies in the shape of
skeletons and visit graveyards to commune with the dead by leaving them
food. In Japan, they honor their ancestors with various celebrations.
Certain African tribes set aside days to honor the unseen spirits,
warding off the evil ones and placating the good. German, Scandinavian,
Spanish, Italian, and many other cultures have a Halloween-type holiday.
In English-speaking countries, Halloween derives primarily from the
Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced "sow-in"). Samhain, held on the
three days around November 1, was a kind of New Year's celebration and
harvest festival all rolled up into one.
The Celts believed that
these three days were special because of the transition from the old
year to the new. They felt that during this time the boundary between
the physical and spiritual worlds relaxed or lifted, allowing spirits to
cross over more easily. This idea, of course, terrifies superstitious
people—that departed spirits could walk among us, especially those who
died in the past year as it was thought these spirits desired to return
to the mortal realm. For this reason, they believed they had to appease
the spirits to make them go into the spirit world and stay there.
The Celts did this by putting out food and treats so that, when these
spirits came floating by their houses, they would pass on. They thought
that, if they did not appease the spirits, they would play tricks or put
curses on them. Whole villages would unite to drive away the evil
spirits, ensuring that the upcoming year would be good. Others among
them would hold séances or conduct other kinds of divination by
incantation, potion, or trance to contact dead ancestors in hope of
receiving guidance and inspiration.
An interesting aspect of this
transition time—the three days of Samhain—is that it was considered to
be "no time," a time unto itself. Thus, it became a tradition that the
order and the rules by which people lived were held in abeyance during
them.
All laws went unenforced. The social order was turned
upside-down—the fool became king, and the king became the fool. Men
dressed as women and vice-versa. People took on different personas,
dressing in disguise and acting the part. No work was done during this
period of total abandon, for it was a time for revelry, drinking,
eating, making and taking dares, and breaking the law. In a word, it was
chaos.
Then Roman Catholicism arrived on the scene and "converted"
the pagans. It also decreed a day to honor departed saints:
Halloween!! (Photo credit: cafeconlecheporfavor)
May 13, All
Saints' Day. The priests instructed the "converted" pagans to keep All
Saints' Day, but they continued to celebrate Samhain because it was so
much more fun than attending church to pray for the hallowed saints of
yesteryear.
To keep them in the fold, in AD 835 Pope Gregory IV
officially authorized moving All Saints' Day to November 1 to coincide
with Samhain. He allowed the pagan "Christians" to keep their old
customs as long as they put a gloss of Christianity on them. Thus, they
kept Samhain in the name of Christ to honor the departed saints.
Like Samhain, All Saints' Day began the evening before, which was called
All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Eve, or Halloween. Since then, Halloween
has evolved into its present form, in which nothing remotely Christian
remains. It is known for all its pre-Christian Celtic
practices—particularly the recognition of the spirit world in the form
of fairies, witches, ogres, goblins, demons, ghouls, vampires, etc.
Today, "trick-or-treating" is the most recognized of Halloween
activities, and it is simply a form of extortion. Children, whether they
know it or not, are acting as the spirits who will play a trick or put a
curse on the one who does not pay up in food or treats. Divination and
séances are also commonly held on October 31. Hooliganism — tricks
resulting in vandalism — often reaches its high point on Halloween. For
many years, Detroit was the scene of "hell night," in which rampaging
young people trashed large areas of the city, setting fires, smashing
cars and windows, looting, and generally creating havoc.
The Celtic feast of Samhain still survives in Halloween. It has simply reverted to our ancestors' Celtic practice.
What can Halloween hurt?
Romans 10:1-3:
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they
may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have zeal for God, but
not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have
not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Is the deception so
strong that they cannot see it? Interestingly, a commentator writes that
"they being ignorant of" (verse 3) could be translated into "for they
ignoring," which puts a different sense on Paul's thought. When one is
ignorant, he just does not know. Perhaps knowledge was withheld from
him. On the other hand, when one ignores knowledge, it is readily
available, but he turns his back on it.
A self-deceived person is
ignoring truth rather than ignorant of it, and if that indeed is Paul's
emphasis, it makes this Halloween question much more serious. It means
that people are accountable for what they are doing, and therefore, they
will pay more for it than if they acted in ignorance.
Deuteronomy 12:29-32
"When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee,
whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and
dwellest in their land.
Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared
by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and
that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations
serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
Thou shalt not do so
unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he
hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their
daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it."
+++ |
| November-Coming-Fire (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Notice that He warns us not to be "ensnared to follow" the practices of the nations. A snare is a trap designed to catch an unwary animal. The trap itself is hidden, but what is visible is a kind of lure, an attractive trick designed to fool the prey into entering the trap. Once it takes the bait, the gate comes down, a hook comes out, or a spring slams closed on a limb, and the prey is trapped.
God is alerting us to the fact that heathen or ungodly practices — customs, ways of worship, traditions, celebrations— usually have characteristics that appeal to our human nature. They are the lures. We can become caught up in them before we are aware of it. God advises us to watch out for the hidden dangers, the appealing entrapments, that are designed into these holidays.
Many cultures have a form of Halloween in their tradition. It seems that most of this world's peoples desire to celebrate the dead. The holidays or feasts may vary from place to place, falling on different days and following different customs. The common denominator is that they all honor or remember the dead or unseen spirits.
Mexico has its "Day of the Dead" in which participants give out candies in the shape of skeletons and visit graveyards to commune with the dead by leaving them food. In Japan, they honor their ancestors with various celebrations. Certain African tribes set aside days to honor the unseen spirits, warding off the evil ones and placating the good. German, Scandinavian, Spanish, Italian, and many other cultures have a Halloween-type holiday.
In English-speaking countries, Halloween derives primarily from the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced "sow-in"). Samhain, held on the three days around November 1, was a kind of New Year's celebration and harvest festival all rolled up into one.
The Celts believed that these three days were special because of the transition from the old year to the new. They felt that during this time the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds relaxed or lifted, allowing spirits to cross over more easily. This idea, of course, terrifies superstitious people—that departed spirits could walk among us, especially those who died in the past year as it was thought these spirits desired to return to the mortal realm. For this reason, they believed they had to appease the spirits to make them go into the spirit world and stay there.
The Celts did this by putting out food and treats so that, when these spirits came floating by their houses, they would pass on. They thought that, if they did not appease the spirits, they would play tricks or put curses on them. Whole villages would unite to drive away the evil spirits, ensuring that the upcoming year would be good. Others among them would hold séances or conduct other kinds of divination by incantation, potion, or trance to contact dead ancestors in hope of receiving guidance and inspiration.
An interesting aspect of this transition time—the three days of Samhain—is that it was considered to be "no time," a time unto itself. Thus, it became a tradition that the order and the rules by which people lived were held in abeyance during them.
All laws went unenforced. The social order was turned upside-down—the fool became king, and the king became the fool. Men dressed as women and vice-versa. People took on different personas, dressing in disguise and acting the part. No work was done during this period of total abandon, for it was a time for revelry, drinking, eating, making and taking dares, and breaking the law. In a word, it was chaos.
Then Roman Catholicism arrived on the scene and "converted" the pagans. It also decreed a day to honor departed saints:
|
| Halloween!! (Photo credit: cafeconlecheporfavor) |
To keep them in the fold, in AD 835 Pope Gregory IV officially authorized moving All Saints' Day to November 1 to coincide with Samhain. He allowed the pagan "Christians" to keep their old customs as long as they put a gloss of Christianity on them. Thus, they kept Samhain in the name of Christ to honor the departed saints.
Like Samhain, All Saints' Day began the evening before, which was called All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Eve, or Halloween. Since then, Halloween has evolved into its present form, in which nothing remotely Christian remains. It is known for all its pre-Christian Celtic practices—particularly the recognition of the spirit world in the form of fairies, witches, ogres, goblins, demons, ghouls, vampires, etc.
Today, "trick-or-treating" is the most recognized of Halloween activities, and it is simply a form of extortion. Children, whether they know it or not, are acting as the spirits who will play a trick or put a curse on the one who does not pay up in food or treats. Divination and séances are also commonly held on October 31. Hooliganism — tricks resulting in vandalism — often reaches its high point on Halloween. For many years, Detroit was the scene of "hell night," in which rampaging young people trashed large areas of the city, setting fires, smashing cars and windows, looting, and generally creating havoc.
The Celtic feast of Samhain still survives in Halloween. It has simply reverted to our ancestors' Celtic practice.
What can Halloween hurt?
Romans 10:1-3:
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
A self-deceived person is ignoring truth rather than ignorant of it, and if that indeed is Paul's emphasis, it makes this Halloween question much more serious. It means that people are accountable for what they are doing, and therefore, they will pay more for it than if they acted in ignorance.
Deuteronomy 12:29-32
"When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land.
Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it."
