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Top : Holidays : Halloween : Halloween And Christianity

Halloween And Christianity

~ By Alyice Edrich

I can’t believe October is already here! I love the fall colors, especially the vibrant oranges and yellows. I’ve always loved this time of year, especially with all the cute Halloween songs, like “Five little pumpkins sitting on a fence.” Do you remember the Halloween specials long gone by? I’m probably aging myself here, but I miss the Donny and Marie Osmond specials. I miss the Halloween specials that had us laughing, and glued to the television set. We still watch the Abbott and Costello reruns of Frankenstein and the Mummy. Seems today’s writers think Halloween should be about frightening children, killing, and death.

Which got me thinking about the origin of Halloween: How did Halloween get its start? Why do many Christians condemn Halloween? And why did churches start Harvest festivals?

Tracing back the origins of Halloween can be tricky and confusing. Each culture has its own reasons for celebrating Halloween. Whether it’s to honor the dead, honor saints, or celebrate witchcraft, Halloween has been celebrated for centuries.

It’s said that the very first Halloween was celebrated by the Celts some 2000 years ago as a way to welcome the end of summer and the end of the harvest. Doesn’t sound bad, right? Well, the end of the harvest season came about the same time the Celts began to experience winter. The Celts believed the deaths that occurred during their long, dark winter months were caused by The Lord of Darkness.

The Celts further believed that on October 31st there was an open window for the dead to return to the earth, and for the priests to learn of future events. The Celts would often use this time of celebration to practice fortune telling and they would leave food on their doorsteps in hopes to appease the dead—so the dead wouldn’t cause trouble during their short time back on earth.

Then along came a Pope who declared October 31st to be All-Saints day; a day to celebrate saints and martyrs. Perhaps he decided too many Christians were taking part in the Celtic holiday or perhaps he hoped changing the meaning would turn many non-believers to Christianity.

After a little more research, I learned that many practices taking place during Halloween all had some form of satanic ritual attached to it, including bobbing for apples.

Many Christians believe taking part in any Halloween celebration is a slap in the face of God and should be avoided at all costs. Other Christians believe that by changing the origins or the original meaning of Halloween, their children won’t be left out and they could turn a holiday meant for the devil into a time to worship our Lord and Savior.

Whether you plan to participate in Halloween activities or plan to shun the holiday all together, take the time to pray and ask God what He truly wants you to do with this holiday. The decision you make is truly between you and God.

As for why churches are making a big deal out of celebrating this time of year…you’d have to ask your pastor for his stand on the holiday. But I would venture to say that your pastor is following in the footsteps of Christ: Christ went amongst the sinners to preach the good news.

Do you realize how many non-believers you could win over by inviting them to a Harvest festival in your home or church? Not to mention the fact that you’re providing a safe environment for children to receive candies, dress up in silly costumes, and have a little old-fashioned fun.

Consider using Halloween as a time to reach out to your community.


Copyright, 2004
Alyice Edrich is the author of several work-from-home e-books, including one that allows parents to earn $50 in two hours without joining an MLM or home party business. She is also the editor of The Dabbling Mum.com– a national publication for BUSY parents (http://thedabblingmum.com).

This article provided by the Family Content Archives at: http://www.Family-Content.com

Submitted on : 3-Apr-2006


"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Top : Holidays : Halloween : Halloween And Christianity

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