| | HALOWEEN
Allowing children to participate in the celebration of Halloween
may appear to be quite harmless on the surface, but the spiritual
implications are far from Christian. In today's world, fortune-
telling, ouija boards, ESP, telepathy, horoscopes, voodoo,
clairvoyance, yoga, hypnosis, magic, transcendental meditation,
Eastern religions, reincarnation, metaphysics and many other practices
are expressly forbidden in Scripture. They are related to the occult
and Satanic forces. Therefore believers should have nothing to do
with them. Note the following Scriptures:
"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after
wizards, to be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God." (Lev.
19:31)
"So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against
the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not,
and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to
inquire of it." (1 Chron. 10:13)
"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son
or daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination,
or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a
charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a
necromancer (one who tries to communicate with the dead). For
all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord; and
because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them
out from before thee." (Deut. 18:10-12, 21:8; Lev. 20:27, 20:6)
The Bible very clearly instructs Christians to have nothing to do
with the practices of darkness. Halloween is a rite with pagan,
demonic roots. The Celtic people who lived over 2,000 years ago,
feared the evening of October 31st more than any other day of the
year. It was the eve of the Lord of the Dead. To celebrate, the
people built bonfires, wore masks and costumes in order to prepare for
the arrival of spirits. Fire rituals and divination were part of
their celebration. Pagan priests even offered human and animal
sacrifices. The following symbols and customs all have Satanic
origins:
JACK-O'-LANTERN
An ancient symbol of a damned soul. "Jack-o'-Lanterns were named
for a man called Jack, who could not enter Heaven or Hell. As a
result, he was doomed to wander in darkness with his lantern until
Judgment Day."
CAT AND WITCH
Both symbols obviously relate to witchcraft. Druids believed the
black cats were reincarnated human beings.
GHOST AND SKELETON
These relate to the belief that spirits of the dead were roaming
throughout the land. They induce fear in children.
SKULL AND MASK
The Druids wore masks, skulls and costumes, even offered human
sacrifices on October 31st, to ward off evil spirits.
TRICK OR TREAT
The Druids went from house to house asking for a contribution to
their demonic worship celebration. If a person didn't give, their
trick was to kill him. The people feared the phrase "trick or Treat."
Therefore, it is inappropriate for Christians to celebrate
Satan's high holy day or to celebrate with those who practice
witchcraft and use occult symbols such as witches, black cats, ghosts,
Jack-o'-Lanterns, etc. This time can be used to make children aware
that Halloween is an alliance with the powers of darkness and that it
is now our privilege to live as children of light.
As believers, we can take this opportunity to provide a creative
alternative to this celebration of darkness. In ancient Israel, the
majority of Jewish festivals occurred at the same time as pagan
festivals. God did not simply tell his people not to engage in pagan
festivals, He provided an alternative. During every major pagan
festival, the Hebrew people would take part in a God-given
alternative, a festival celebrating the same general subject but with
a completely different focus.
One successful alternative used by a number of churches is a
"Faith Festival" in which children dress as their favorite Bible
character and gather for a special children's service with puppets, a
Christian film, or something special. This offers an ideal
opportunity to explain the spiritual significance of Halloween and to
encourage the children to remember Hebrews chapter 11, which features
great men and women of faith who have gone before us. The "Faith
Festival" can be a time to thank God for His many blessings.
As a teacher of young children, you have a responsibility to
follow the biblical admonition to protect and train them with
Spriptural principles. Children need to be taught that there is no
such thing as a "cute" witch or a "friendly ghost". Scripture is very
clear that Christians are not to celebrate pagan rituals. The
Halloween season is a golden opportunity to make this clear to the
children.
You may want to prepare a flyer for the parents to let them know
some of the history of Halloween. It would also be nice if you could
offer an alternative celebration for the children at Halloween.
WHAT IS HALLOWEEN?
Millions of Christians will allow - even encourage - their
children to participate in Halloween on October 31.
Some churches will fully sanction the event with parties held on
their premises. Decorations will feature witches, brooms, cats, Jack-
o-Lanterns, and bobbing apples.
What's the harm? Where did this holiday come from? Why is the
holiday celebrated? History provides the answer.
HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN
The American celebration rests upon Scottish and Irish folk
customs which can be traced, in a direct line, from pre-Christian
time. Although Halloween has become a night of celebration to many,
its beginnings were otherwise. The earliest Halloween celebrations
were held by the Druids in honor of Saman, lord of the dead, whose
festival fell on November 1.
It was the Druid's belief that on the eve of this festival, Saman
called together the wicked souls that within the past 12 months had
been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals. They were released
in the form of ghosts, spirits, witches or elves.
The Druids, an order of priests in ancient Gaul and Britain, also
believed that the cat was sacred because cats once had been human
beings but were changed as a punishment for evil deeds. From these
Druidic beliefs come the present-day use of witches, ghosts, and cats
in Halloween activities.
TRICK OR TREAT
The Pagans believed that on one night of the year, souls of the
dead returned to their original homes. These wandering spirits were
in the habit of haunting the living. To exorcise these ghosts (that
is, to free yourself from an evil spirit) you would have to set out
food, (give the demons a treat) and provide shelter for them by the
night. If you didn't, they would "trick" you by casting a spell on you
or hurting you.
It was the Celts who chose the date of October 31 as their New
Year's Eve and who originally intended it as a celebration of
everything wicked, evil and/or dead. Also during their celebration
they would gather around the campfire, and offer their animals, their
crops, and sometimes themselves as a sacrifice.
The celebration remained much the same after the Romans conquered
the Celts around 43 A.D. The Romans, however, added a ceremony
honoring their goddess of fruit and trees, thus the association with
apples, and the custom of bobbing for them.
The apparently harmless lighted pumpkin face of "Jack-o-Lantern"
is an ancient symbol of a damned soul. They were named for a man
named Jack who could not enter Hell or Heaven. As a result, he was
doomed to wander in darkness with his lantern until Judgment Day.
Fearful of spooks, folks began to hollow out turnips and pumpkins and
to place lighted candles inside to scare away evil spirits from the
house.
No real Christian would knowingly glorify Satan, but the devil
has used Halloween as a subtle attempt to plant seeds in our
children's hearts. How kids must get confused when they hear Sunday
School teachers warn of the devil, but are encouraged, even in our
public schools, to dress up as demons, witches and ghosts.
Credits:
"Halloween Through 20 Centuries", Ralph Linton
Encyclopedia Britannica
World Book Encyclopedia
The Book of Festive Holidays
Newsweek (Feb., 1974)
Computers for Christ - Chicago../ |