"The American celebration
rests upon Scottish and Irish folk customs which can be traced in direct
line from pre-Christian times. Although Halloween has become a night
of rollicking fun, superstitious spells, and eerie games that people
take only half seriously, its beginnings were quite otherwise. The earliest
Halloween celebrations were held by the Druids in honor of Samhain,
Lord of the Dead, whose festival fell on November 1."
Further, the Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th
edition, Volume 12 says:
"It was a Druidic
belief that on the eve of this festival, Saman, lord of death, called
together the wicked souls that within the past 12 months had been condemned
to inhabit the bodies of animals..." (pp. 847-858)
The Yearbook of English Festivals by Dorothy
Gladys Spicer adds the following:
"All Hallows' Eve
or All Hallow E'en, with its tradition of witches, ghosts, hobgoblins
and spirits, its games and incantations, still is a gay time for pranks
and parties in many North country homes. Fun-loving Americans have borrowed
from their British ancestors many Hallow E'en games such as apple-bobbing,
nut roasting and tossing of apple parings. Transplanted to the New World
soil, the old practices have become revitalized, and currently are observed
with more enthusiasm than in the country of their birth."
"To ancient Druids,
the end of October commemorated the festival of the waning year, when
the sun began his downward course and ripened grain was garnered from
the fields." "Samhain, or 'Summer's End,' as this feast to
the dying sun was called, was celebrated with human sacrifice, augury
and prayers; for at this season spirits walked, and evil had power over
souls of men."
"Not until the
fourth century did the pagan vigil for the god of light give way to
All Hallows, the mass for Christian saints; and not until the tenth,
did the Druids' death feast become All Souls' the day of prayer for
souls that had entered rest. Cakes for the dead were substituted for
human sacrifice, fortune-telling for heathen augury, lighted candles
for the old Baal fires."
Far from being Christian, Halloween is
an old pagan holiday masquerading as though it were one of the customs
of the church. Despite this, professing Christians encourage their children
to get into the spirit of this pagan custom!
The celebration
of Halloween is clearly a relic of pagan times and superstitious tradition.
Notice what the authoritative Encyclopedia Britannica says about this
holiday.
"It long antedates
Christianity. The two chief characteristics of ancient Halloween were
the lighting of bonfires and the belief that this is the one night in
the year during which ghosts and witches are most likely to wander about.
History shows that the main celebrations of Halloween were purely 'Druidical,'
and this is further proved by the fact that in parts of Ireland October
31 is still known as Oidhch Shamhna, 'Vigil of Saman.'"
Saman or Samhain was the pagan lord of
the dead among the Druids. However, this pagan holiday was not celebrated
among the Druids alone. It has been and is currently celebrated around
the world in different forms, but always with the same general pattern
and meaning.
Halloween was
also a Roman festival. Consider the words of the Encyclopedia Britannica
regarding this celebration.
"On the Druidic
ceremonies were grafted some of the characteristics of the Roman festival
in honor of Pomona held about November 1, in which nuts and apples,
representing the winter store of fruits, played an important part."
Halloween can be identified in various
forms all around the world. It is found in both Christian and non-Christian
countries. This is because its origins predate Christianity. Marie Trevelyan,
in her book Folk Stories of Wales, writes the following.
"In Wales it was
firmly believed that on All Hallows' Eve the spirit of a departed person
was to be seen at midnight on every crossroad and every stile."
(p. 254)
The practices involved in Halloween are
also found in Mexico. In the book Adonis by Frazer, the practice
of Halloween is clearly identified, not only by its date, but also by
its symbolism and rituals.
"The Miztecs of
Mexico believed that the dead came back in the twelfth month of the
year, which corresponded to our November. On this day of All Souls the
houses were decked out to welcome the spirits. Jars of food and drink
were set on a table in the principal room, and the family went out with
the torches to meet the ghosts and invite them to enter. Then, returning
to the house they knelt around the table, and with their eyes bent on
the ground, prayed the souls to accept the offerings." (p. 244)
The elements of this holiday are also found
in Cambodia. According to E. Aymonier in the work Notice sur le Cambodge,
people would chant,
"O all your ancestors,
who are departed, deign to come and eat what we have prepared for you,
and to bless your posterity and to make it happy." (p. 59)
It is clear that the trappings of Halloween
have covered nations around the world. It is equally clear that the practices
embraced by this holiday are not Christian at all.
Its Symbols and Superstitions
Understand
the shocking truth from history as to why this holiday was celebrated!
Ruth Kelly, a recognized authority on Halloween, wrote that because the
Druids believed in the immortality of the soul, they concluded that a
person’s spirit would pass from them at death and seek out another body
in which to reside.
"[The pagan Druid
priests] . . . taught the immortality of the soul, that it passed from
one body to another at death . . . They believed that on the last night
of the old year the lord of death gathered together the souls of all
those who had died in the passing year and had been condemned to live
in the bodies of animals, to decree what forms they should inhabit for
the next twelve months. He could be coaxed to give the lighter sentence
by gifts and prayers." (The Book of Halloween, p. 10)
Many Druids believed that black cats were
in fact reincarnated human beings, and that the Priest had the ability
to divine the future through them. If any crossed your path, however,
it would mean they might posses you, a very bad omen.
Halloween was
celebrated to preserve in the minds of the people the false doctrine that
the soul is immortal and that the dead are not really dead. The Celtic
peoples believed that the souls of good men went to paradise while the
souls of those who did evil were reincarnated in the form of animals for
a year.
The only chance
these disembodied souls had for a decent afterlife was to return on this
day of Samhain, and find a human body to possess. It is important to understand
that November was regarded by the Celtic people as the beginning of the
New Year. Therefore, it was a perfect time for their priests to remember
and celebrate the dead.
All Saints Day
Today,
Halloween is celebrated on the evening of All Hallows or All Saints Day.
Because days were customarily reckoned as beginning at sunset, Halloween
was celebrated in anticipation of November 1, which was dedicated to the
Lord of the Dead.
Halloween is
founded on a fear of the spirits of the dead possessing those who are
alive. This fear is driven by a belief that man has an immortal soul.
It is important to understand that the Bible clearly declares that only
God has immortality at this time. The apostle Paul, when writing to Timothy
about Jesus Christ, said,
"Who only hath
immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; Whom
no man hath seen, nor can see: to Whom be honour and power everlasting.
Amen." (1 Tim. 6:16)
Who
is the Lord of the Dead?
Shortly
before his crucifixion, Jesus was questioned by the Sadducees about the
concept of a resurrection. In order to demonstrate that there will be
a future resurrection from the dead, Jesus told them:
"But as touching
the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken
to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
(Mt. 22:31-32)
It is important to understand what Jesus
meant by these profound words "God is not the God of the dead, but
of the living." The Sadducees to whom Jesus was speaking did not
believe in a resurrection. They also accepted only the Torah as holy scripture.
With this in mind, Jesus quoted the Torah (Ex. 3:6) to prove that a resurrection
would one day occur. He did this by illustrating that long after the death
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God continued to refer to Himself as their
God: "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," not
"I was the God..."
The point Jesus
was making was that although these patriarchs were dead (Heb. 11:13),
they will live again in the resurrection, as will all of God’s people
(Dan. 12:2; Lk 14:14; Jn 5:28; Rev. 20:4-6). Although these men were dead,
they were as good as alive at that moment because God’s promise of a resurrection
is immutable (Rom. 4:17).
With this understanding,
Jesus’ words take on greater meaning. The God of the Bible is the GOD
OF THE LIVING, not the God of the dead! To worship the true God, we should
not celebrate rites dedicated to the dead.
However, among
the heathen Druids, Samhain or Saman, is the lord of the dead and that
lord is none other than Satan himself! Therefore, when people celebrate
the dead, they unknowingly honor the devil!
Is Ignorance an
Excuse?
What if
people don’t know who it is they serve when they celebrate Halloween?
Is it alright to keep this holiday if you do not know what it represents?
The resounding answer to this question is NO!
When writing
to the church at Galatia, the apostle Paul indicated it was possible to
worship something that didn’t even exist.
"Howbeit then,
when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no
gods." (Galatians 4:8).
The heathen who thought they were worshiping
the true God were actually serving demons. Young people today who dress
up in weird costumes and demand "trick or treat" are not serving
the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Rather, they are unwittingly
serving the god of this world who has blinded them (2 Cor. 4:4).
Do you want to
serve the lord of the dead? Halloween is a holiday dedicated to worshiping
the lord of the dead. The true God is the God of the living.
Trick Or Treat
Do you
know where the practice of children knocking on doors and shouting "trick
or treat" originated? At this special time of the year, it was believed
that there was a very thin line between the living and the dead. During
the time of Samhain, people believed ghosts of the dead were able to mingle
with the living. It was feared that the dead would come back in search
of bodies to possess the next year. This was the only means for these
spirits to have an after-life. Fearing possession, the townsfolk did many
things to trick the spirits or scare them away.
At this time,
Druid priests wore masks so they would not be recognized and attacked
by evil spirits. Some believed that the spirits would leave you alone
if you tricked them by dressing up to look like them. Others thought the
wearing of frightening costumes would scare the evil spirits away. Many
people even carved demonic faces in turnips or potatoes and put candles
inside them, an early Jack-o-lantern, to frighten the spirits.
The "treat"
part of this holiday came from attempts by some to "buy off"
these evil spirits by giving them gifts. Some believed these spirits imprisoned
the bodies of animals and could be released by giving gifts or tribute
to the lord of the dead. James Napier, in his book Folklore, wrote
about this practice.
"There was a prevailing
belief among all nations that at death the souls of good men were taken
possession of by good spirits and carried to paradise, but the souls
of the wicked men were left to wander in the space between the earth
and moon, or consigned to the unseen world. These wandering spirits
were in the habit of haunting the living... But there were means by
which these ghosts might be exorcized." (p. 11)
The idea that spirits possessed animals
was just one belief. Others believed that the souls of the dead returned
to their original homes and were to be entertained there with food and
drink. If they were not given the things they desired, these spirits would
cast spells and cause absolute havoc to the inhabitants of the home. Alexander
MacGregor, in his book Highland Superstitions, writes,
"It was the night
for the universal walking about of all sorts of spirits, fairies, and
ghosts, all of whom had liberty on that night." (p. 44)
In an effort to exorcize these ghosts,
people were encouraged to set out food as a form of treat. If the demons
were satisfied, they would leave the individual in peace. If not, they
would leave an evil spell.
Ralph Linton
(Halloween Through Twenty Centuries) concludes that the practice
of leaving gifts for spirits is the origin of today’s practice of trick
or treat when he states "...certainly it comes from pagan times."
In Ireland up to the turn of the century, it was customary to have a procession
"led by a man in a white robe wearing a horse-head mask... The horse
was sacred to the Sun God," says Linton, which indicated that this
custom was a survival of a Druid rite. "The procession levied a contribution
from the farmers in the perverted name of what probably was an old Druid
god. Unless the procession was "treated liberally with gifts,"
the farmers were "tricked" with the threat of a curse that would
ruin next year's crops!
The present day
practice of "trick or treat" is nothing less than a continuation
of these degenerate and absurd customs which came out of paganism.
How Did Halloween
Become Christian?
The first
of November, celebrated among pagans in honor of Samhain, is celebrated
today in thousands of Christian churches around the world. The Catholic
Encyclopedia states that the purpose of this day is to "honor all
the saints, known and unknown." Additionally, according to Pope Urban
IV, this day was designed to address "any deficiencies in the faithful's
celebration of saints' feasts during the year."
But how did the
veneration of saints, supposedly alive in heaven, come to be celebrated
on the same day used by pagans to honor evil spirits? According to the
Catholic Encyclopedia, the Church believed that every martyr should be
honored and it appointed a common day for all of them.
It is important
to understand that the general practice of the Christianized Roman Empire
was to convert pagans as quickly as possible. From the time of Constantine
who made Christianity the state religion, the pagan religion and practices
were appropriated for use in order to encourage conversion by those who
were deeply tied to paganism. To do this, the names of pagan gods were
changed to those of Christ, Mary, and the saints.
The book, The
Mysteries of All Nations by Grant, records the story of how the pagan
celebration we call Halloween became a Christian practice. Grant explains
that the Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the Pantheon about 100 A.D. and dedicated
it to the goddess Cybele and other Roman gods.
The Pantheon
became the central edifice for worship. However, before the sixth century,
Rome was invaded and controlled by barbaric tribes. After the defeat of
the Barbarians by Emperor Phocas, the Pantheon was retaken and given to
Pope Boniface IV as a gift. As a result, this great temple now became
"holy" and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and all the saints.
It became a shrine where Christians could pay homage to Mary and others
who had died in the faith.
An annual holiday
was commemorated to this end. May 13 was first chosen and this day became
known as "All Saints Day." Later, the date was changed to November
first and the name changed to "All Hallows," and ultimately
to "Halloween."
The book, Strange
Stories, Amazing Facts, by the Readers Digest Association explains
how pagan practices became a part of Christian worship:
"Although Christianity
has swept the world in a relatively short time, as the histories of
great religions go, the early missionaries faced an up-hill task. The
pagans were reluctant to give up their false gods and ancient practices.
So the missionaries, unable to convert them easily to an entirely new
code of worship, did the next best thing. They took the pagan festivals
as they were, and gradually grafted the observances of the new faith
onto these festivals and rites and customs surrounding them.
"Like Christmas
and Easter, the festival of Halloween originated in a pagan celebration,
even though its name is derived from the Christian festival of Al Hallows'
or All Saints' Eve.
"It was introduced
in the seventh century to commemorate all those saints and martyrs who
had no special day to themselves and was held on May 13th. But in the
eighth century, All Hallows' day was moved to November 1, to counteract
the pagan celebrations held on that date. Only since the late 18th and
early 19th centuries has Halloween developed into a festive time for
children, with costumes, lanterns, and games. Before then it was regarded
as a night of fear, and wise men, respectful of hobgoblins and wandering
demons, stayed indoors."
On page 6 of his book, Ralph Linton explains
how All Saints' Day became a Christian practice.
"All Saints Day
was introduced into the church calendar because the year was not long
enough to make it possible to dedicate a special day for each spirit
of the Catholic Church.. The day chosen was one already associated in
the popular mind with a thronging of spirits of the dead, which was
quite in line with church policy of incorporating harmless pagan folk
ideas... Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the basilica
of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary [honoring them]
on November 1. (Halloween Through Twenty Centuries)
Notice what once was a memorial for each
martyr on different days became a general day in honor of the dead who
were believed to be alive in heaven.
Protestants have
continued the celebration of Halloween in part because "it was on
this day in 1517, that Martin Luther posted his epoch-making ninety-five
theses on the door of the castle church at Wittenberg" which started
the Protestant Reformation. "He chose Halloween night because he
knew that the townsfolk would be coming to the church that night."
(Halloween Through Twenty Centuries, Ralph Linton, pp 9-10).
Because the leaders
of the Reformation did not believe in Saints, there could be no "All
Saints Day." No "All Saints Day" meant no "Halloween."
Therefore, to please those who still wanted to celebrate these festivities,
the Halloween revelries were moved to November fifth and renamed "Guy
Fawkes Day."
Guy Fawkes was
one of a group who plotted to blow up the Protestant English Parliament.
Guy Fawkes Day celebrated the failure of this plot. Still it was Halloween
in spirit; bon fires were lit, lanterns were carved in turnips, and children
went begging for money. Halloween survived the Protestant reformation
to live on with all its ancient and pagan traditions.
Should Christians
Celebrate Halloween?
When the
average person thinks of Halloween, there are visions of jack-o-lanterns
with candles inside to make the jeering faces look even more eerie. There
are thoughts of skeletons and ghosts, goblins and devils. Black is a favorite
color of Halloween and rooms are made to be dark and scary.
Consider for
a moment the symbolism of Halloween. What has that symbolism to do with
the true God or Christianity? The symbols of Halloween are blackness and
darkness. These are symbols of Satan. God is light and there is no darkness
in Him (I John 1:5). Does the symbolism surrounding this holiday reflect
what God would appreciate? Does this holiday, with it’s dark symbolism,
seem like something God would accept from us? Would Jesus Christ celebrate
Halloween, considering its symbolism and images?
What about the
whole concept of "trick or treat"? In principle, this is no
less than simple extortion. Halloween encourages wrong by suggesting that
if you don’t get what you demand, you are justified in causing harm or
damage. Such a belief goes totally contrary to the scriptures.
Halloween is
the very antithesis of Christianity. Jesus Christ tells us in John 8:12,
"I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall have the light of life." God further tells
us, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness
for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet
for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).
There is nothing
connected to Halloween that is even remotely Christian. Its images are
of death, demons, the spirit world, ghosts, goblins and mysticism. All
this is totally contrary to God’s word. Halloween is pagan in origin and
it's symbols and practices are not of God. Halloween is about the dead.
God is the God of the living.
Furthermore,
we need to understand that Halloween is not just an ancient pagan festival
of the past. It is still celebrated by the occult in our land today. One
practicing witch writes the following in the Leaves Of Wonder Website.
Samhain... is the most
important of the Wiccan Sabbats... The deities are in their darkest,
most fearsome aspects... Though fearsome, he [the Lord of Death] is
also comforter and teacher of the dead, preparing them for the next
lifetime.
What are God’s instructions concerning
pagan festivals? The Bible strictly condemns such practices. In Exodus
20, God outlined His great moral code: the ten commandments. The first
commandment indicates that His children should have no other gods.
God even commands
His children to abstain from inquiring after other religions. Consider
the following command given by God to the Children of Israel.
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. (Dt. 12:30-32)
Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah,
God admonished Israel to refrain from learning pagan practices and indicated
that there would be severe consequences for failing to obey.
Hear ye the word which
the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord,
"Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs
of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. (Jer. 10:1-2)
But the Lord is the
true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting king: at His wrath
the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide
His indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, "The gods that have
not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the
earth, and from under these heavens..." (Jer. 10:10-11)
God’s word is clear. Pagan practices, including
Halloween, are to be rejected by His children. He not only forbids inquiring
after false gods and practicing their ways, but He outlines the consequences
for violating His command.
God’s Holy Days
But God
does want us to worship Him and that worship must be in spirit and in
truth (Jn 4:24). In order for us to properly honor God, He has created
specific festivals. These festivals outline His plan of salvation and
identify who He is and how He will accomplish His purpose for all mankind.
These holy days,
which are commanded assemblies, include the Passover, the Days of Unleavened
Bread, Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the
Feast of Tabernacles. These great feasts, which were designed personally
by God, were kept by the champions of faith in the Old Testament as well
as Jesus Christ and the apostles in the New Testament. The book of Acts
indicates that the early church celebrated these holy days (Acts 18:21;
20:6; 27:9). The great prophet Zechariah indicated that the time would
come when the entire world, under Christ’s millennial rule, will keep
His feasts (Zech. 14).
A Final Thought
Understand
the truth about Halloween: it is a spiritual counterfeit! It is a pagan
holiday. It is based on the worship of the dead. In short, Halloween is
the trick, not the treat. It is the trick that has been played on an unsuspecting
world.
God’s word declares
that the time will come when Jesus Christ will rule the entire earth and
the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea
(Isa. 11:9). In that day, people will honor God’s Sabbaths and His holy
days. Once people begin to celebrate God’s true holy days, Halloween will
begin to look "hollow" instead of "hallow."
