Halloween
is a known “holiday” in numerous places. Depending on who you ask, it is known
as different titles. I was being gracious by calling it a holiday because some
consider holidays to be “holy days” where a celebration is to occur. Many people
just go along with the flow of following others when it comes to celebrations,
instead of doing their due diligence of knowing/understanding the reason. I
know that when it comes to America, if we see a holiday on the calendar we just
go for it especially if it means a day off of work to indulge in anything.
As children
of God, you and I are placed in this world to be a light in a world of darkness
(Matthew 5:14-16). Now I’m not writing this to tell you what you should or
shouldn’t believe or should or should not participate in. This is strictly
being written to fill you in on the history of this day in hopes to increase
your knowledge on the subject. What you do after that is up to you and the only
One who will hold you accountable is the One who gave you life.
Halloween
comes off confusing. Why do people dress up? Where does the candy idea come
from? Why is everything themed to be haunted, dark, or scary? What’s up with
the term ‘Trick or Treat’? There are so many questions that it’s almost easier
to ignore them and just tag along. I mean who doesn’t love candy? So what’s the
harm in throwing a sheet over your head and going door to door? Some Christians
are rumored to be totally against it while others don’t seem to mind. What’s
the deal…is there a deeper meaning?
For those
in our secular society, Halloween is nothing more than a harmless festival in
where kids are allowed to dress up in costume and collect candy from strangers.
However, it’s origins lie deeply rooted in the occult. An occult is the study
or practice in believing in the existence of secret, mysterious or supernatural
agencies. October 31st has long been known as “The Festival of the
Dead” to those such as the Celtic tribes and their priests (the Druids) who
would celebrate this day as a marker for the change from life to death. Today,
in this day and age, it is more so celebrated by those who adhere to
witchcraft. This is a known night to acknowledge rituals. Witches celebrate
Halloween as the “Feast of Samhain”, the first feast of the witchcraft year.
Being as though this is the festival of the dead, Halloween is when witches and
others attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of
divination. Now before I get into explaining what the Word says about
divination, I just want to finish getting through the darkness first.
Hopefully
we understand more about the origins of this “celebration” which so far stated
are – death, demonic rituals, and divination. Now let’s get into the modern day
traditions and how they tie in.
Occultists
were taught, and also teach, that spirits and ghosts leave the grave during
this night and seek out the warmth in their previous homes. At the time, (during
the middle ages), villagers fearful of the possibility of being visited by
these ghosts of past occupants would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits
away. They would also leave food and treats at their door to appease the
spirits so that they wouldn’t destroy their homes and crops. Other tactics in
trying to scare away the spirits would be carving scary faces into pumpkins
hoping they would move on to other households. In some cases villagers would
light a candle and place it within the pumpkin to use as a lantern (hence the
name Jack-O-Lantern). In some witchcraft covens, it was believed to close each
ritual with the eating of an apple or engaging in fertility rites. This is where
the modern day practice of bobbing for apples comes from.
Now
although I keep saying “modern day”, please understand that its roots have
never changed. The world has just adjusted some of these practices out of
convenience, lack of understanding, and desensitization. They’ve done the same
when it comes to Christmas, but the root remains the same. That is the day we
celebrate our Savior’s birth. Are the Christmas trees and cookies necessary?
No, but that’s what it has turned into being about in this secular world.
Halloween has always been rooted in darkness; secular societies have just come
up with different/easier ways to acknowledge that.
Secular
societies, also known as the people of this world, are sustaining the enemy’s
plan in smoothing over the representation of occult in Halloween. It dulls
their ability to determine what is dark and evil from light and pure.
As promised,
I will now tie in why children of God are to stay away from divination.
Divination is the practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover
hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means. What does the Bible say about
it?
“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is
giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those
nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his
daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets
omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a spiritist, or one who calls
up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and
because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before
you.” – Deuteronomy 18: 9-12 NKJV
Participating in Halloween gives
sanction to a holiday that promotes witches, divination, haunted houses, and
other occultist practices. Like I said, this is a holiday that brings a lot of
confusion and we know that our God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1
Corinthians 14:33). Satan and his demons have created a maze of “alternate
religions” to keep as many people deceived and confused as possible.
Now you ask yourself – what’s the
big deal if I just want to dress up and go house to house for free candy?
What’s the harm in participating if I’m not “celebrating”?
When we
blur the lines and we do not give the firm direction on where we stand of Whom
we stand with, we are giving the devil free access to mislead us. Then through
practice, desensitize us from what’s light and dark. The same goes for our
children. We can avoid the real issue saying “its okay its just for fun”
allowing our children to think it’s okay to emulate, replicate, and participate
in the celebration of this evil rooted day. This not only allows them to
underestimate the devil but also be open to demonic influence. We need our
children to know its okay to stand apart from the world on these issues and to
recognize what is evil and what is the light of the Gospel.
My parents
didn’t allow me or my siblings to go to school on Halloween knowing what the
school would participate in. However, we never felt less than or left out. We
knew why we were not there because it was explained to us, and our teachers. My
parents would still buy us candy (without the Halloween themes) simply because
we were a candy snacking family. We played board games and spent time together
as a family, which made us always look forward to the day for completely
different reasons. I appreciate them for that and for explaining to us the
reason. I know that in the future my children will appreciate me for it just
the same.
Isn’t it
ironic that schools are removing any religious significance from holidays such
as Christmas and Easter but will celebrate Halloween despite its occultist
origins?
The
Bible says, “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), which
is why it is so important for us to know what the Word says. It is relevant to
our present lives, not just our eternal.
You don’t
have to Christian in order to NOT participate in what the enemy has planned.
However, again this is not being written in telling you what you should do or
should not do. This is just furthering your knowledge on the matter. To all of
my siblings in Christ, I will leave you with this:
“Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no
part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” - Ephesians
5:10-11
