According to historians, Halloween is a celebration that has had many influences from many cultures down through the centuries. Much of Halloween’s celebration has been derived from Rome’s Pomona Day, the Celtic festival of Samhain, and the Catholic celebration of All Saints and All Souls Days. These celebrations included multi gods, costumes from the heads and skin of animals, fruits and nuts, among many other things.
In 836 AD the Roman Catholic Church made November 1st a church holiday to honor all the saints and this day was called “All Saint’s” Day, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Its purpose was to honor the dead and was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils.
Even with the initiation of this new celebration, people continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona Day on October 31st. Over the years the customs of all these celebrations mixed and October 31st became known as All Hallow Even, eventually All Hallow’s Eve, Hallowe’en, and then Halloween. Today’s celebration includes apples, nuts, and the harvest from Pomona Day, black cats, magic, evil spirits and death from Samhain and the ghosts, skeletons and skulls from All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day.
A study of the Bible reveals that none of this is pleasing to the God of the Bible. The Scriptures teach clearly that a person who would be pleasing to God is to “Resist the devil…”(James 4:7). The devil is declared an “enemy” (Matthew 13:39) of the God of the Bible and certainly is no true friend of Bible believing people.
While festive celebrations that include costumes, “trick or treating” and harvest fun and entertain-ment are harmless and enjoyable, especially for the younger generations, at no time should sane, intelligent people give place for the devil or anything that would reflect upon that which is not pleasing to the God of the Bible.
Following the truths of the Bible doesn’t mean a person has to reject that which is fun and enjoyable. And neither should folks be forced to accept and participate in activities and celebrations that are not pleasing to the God of the Bible. All of us would do well to incorporate the admonition of the Bible to “present {our} bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,…and be not conformed to this world…” (Romans 12:1-2).
I agree with this article...a few years ago, our church did a study about Halloween and the history and meaning behind it. The evil that it represents is appalling. Even so, most Christians have no clue that this day has so much evil traditions surrounding it.
I thought this artical was great, there are so many that do not know what halloween stands for. They just dress their little kids in outfits of witches and ghost and what they think devils look like. I only wish the devil was that easy to spot. But the bible says he comes as an angle of light. He is the deceiver, he is the father of lies. Jesus speaking to the regilous in John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaket
Christian Web News - Jesus has a way of getting right to the point, doesn't He? There was certainly no mincing of words, He came right out and said, "why are you fearful?" and then went on to say, "O you of little faith." You don't have to read between the lines to see what He was saying, they had little faith.
Christian Web News - Galatians 3:13-14. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree''), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
