Should true Christians celebrate Halloween festival? 

IS IT A CHRISTIAN OR satanic celebration?
 

Should parents celebrate with their unGodly friends? Is it OK to dress children as little devils and say that it is a harmless occasion?  Is it OK to watch horror movies and laugh as other people are harassed or massacred?  Should people applaud when half-dead people in the movies terrorize others? 

Should parents deny their children from having a fun-filled harmless satanic and occult celebration? FROM ALL INDICATIONS, HALLOWEEN DOES NOT HAVE ANY CHRISTIAN CONNECTIONS WITH OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.  OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE AUTHOR OF LIGHT AND GOOD, AND HALLOWEEN AND THE DEVIL ARE CONNECTED WITH REBELLION AGAINST GOD'S ESTABLISHED COMMANDMENTS, EVIL SPIRITS, WITCHCRAFT, AND DEMONISM.

Does the Holy Bible have anything to say about Halloween?

Nothing. But it does speak in detail concerning witches, the occult, and paganism, which are connected with Halloween.

Deuteronomy 18:9-13:
9 “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 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. 13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God." - NKJV Bible

Exodus 22:18, "You shall not let a witch live."

1^st Thessalonians 5:21,22
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  22Abstain from all appearance of evil."

God has promised a judgment for all who practice evil, sorcery, and anything abominable, such a Halloween or worshiping the devil - THE LAKE OF FIRE. 

Revelation 21:8
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

2^nd Corinthians 6:14
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?"

1^st Corinthians 10:19,20
"What say I then? That the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?  20But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils."

HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

The Bible definitely speaks negatively about occultic practices, spirits, and witches and condemns not only the practice but also the people who are involved in it. As Christians, we are to have nothing to do with the occult. Tarot Cards, contacting the dead, séances, lucky charms, etc., are all unbiblical and can harm a Christian's fellowship with God and open the Christian to demonic oppression. Most Christians know this and avoid these activities. But, the question still remains. Since there are ancient pagan connections and present occultic connections, what is the Christian to do?  The simple and Godly answer is:  AVOID ANY APPEARANCE OF EVIL or "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1^st Thessalonians 5:22).

Halloween originated from the Celts, and have to do with observing the end of summer sacrifices to gods in the Druidic tradition in Scotland, Wales, Britain and France in Northwestern Europe.  Superstitiously, October 31 is believed by the Celts to be the end of their summer and November 1st the beginning of their new year, and they also believed that Samhain, (pronounced Sow ane), meaning end of summer, the lord of death,  sent evil spirits around the world to attack human beings. 

These Celtic superstitions are associated with fairies, and that demons, witches, and evil spirits wandered around at night deliberately looking for living human bodies to persecute and inhabit. To prevent the evil spirits from possessing the inhabitants, the humans disguised themselves in costumes as evil spirits, and paraded the streets making loud noises in an effort to prevent, confuse and frighten the spirits away. In addition, the new year began for the Celts on Nov. 1. 

Halloween practices has been traced back to old pagan rites and superstitions of the Druids.  Those who follow Wicca, practice witchcraft, and October 31 gives them an opportunity to practice devilish activities.

The word Halloween is derived from the term "All Hallows Eve" which occurred on Oct. 31, the end of summer in Northwestern Europe. "All Saints Day," or "All Hallows Day" was the next Day, Nov. 1^st. Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.
  
There was much superstition associated with this time of change including the belief in fairies, and that the spirits of the dead wandered around looking for bodies to inhabit. Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and frighten the spirits away.

Later, around the 5^th century, as the Catholic Church developed and moved into the area, instead of adding a new day to celebrate, it took over the Samhain celebration. Nov. 1^st became "All Hallows Eve" where all the saints of the Catholic church were honored. A later custom developed where people would go door-to-door on Nov. 2, requesting small cakes in exchange for the promise of saying prayers for some of the dead relatives of each house. This arose out of the religious belief that the dead were in a state of limbo before they went to heaven or hell and that the prayers of the living could influence the outcome.

Halloween has never been a Christian celebration, and it will never be, because the Lord's Apostles and never practiced it. Neither should all born-again Believers in JESUS CHRIST. In fact, it is an abomination to God, and we should take our stand firmly against it. As we look at it's history, we find that its roots go deep into heathenism, paganism, satanism and the occult; and the modern celebration is becoming bolder in satanism.

Celtic New Year

October 31 is the most important day in the satanic year. [It is known as the devil's birthday.] It marks the Celtic new year. It was the end of the growing season. It became a festival of death. On this day, the god of the Celtics was to have called up the spirits of the wicked dead who had died during the past year. At the same time, other evil spirits arose and went about the countryside harassing the people. On October 31, the Celtics expected to be harassed by ghosts, evil spirits and demons; and it was no fun and games to them. So they lighted bonfires to guide the spirits to their own town and to ward off evil spirits.

DRUIDS

The Celtics had priests called druids. On October 31, the druids went from house to house demanding certain foods, and all those who refused were cursed. The people were tormented by means of magic. As they went, the druids carried large turnips which they had hollowed out and on which they had carved demon faces as charms. Each one was believed to contain the demon spirit that personally led or guided that priest: his little god.

DIVINATION

Those who practiced fortune telling and divination found that this was the night that they had the most success. They called upon satan to bless their efforts. One form of divination was to put apples in a tub and bob for them. The one who first successfully came up with one without putting them in his teeth was to have good luck throughout the year. They would then peel the apples and throw the peeling over their shoulders and then quickly look around. They expected to see a vision or an apparition of the one they were to marry.

SACRIFICES

These sacrifices occured several centuries before CHRIST. Sacrifices were made to the gods, especially the god of death - Samhain (pronounced Sow ane), meaning end of summer. Sacrifices all the way from vegetable to human were offered. This still goes on in some parts of the world.

8th CENTURY

In the 8th century, the Pope, in an effort to get the people to quit the festival of Samhain, invented All Saints Day (Nov. 1). This was an attempt to get the people to turn away from the horrible observance of Samhain. All Saints Day was intended to honor the martyrs of the Roman persecutions. It did not work! It never works to Christianize a pagan holiday. The holy and the profane do not mix.

THE MIDDLE AGES

In the Middle Ages, there was a great revival of satanic practices and witchcraft and magic - like there is today. During this time the belief developed that witches traveled on broomsticks to the black Sabbaths to worship satan on October 31. They were guided by spirits in the form of black cats. The Druids worshiped cats believing them to be reincarnated evil people.

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT

This festival of death has survived all the efforts of the church to stamp it out. The church is joining the opposition by celebrating this festival.

All Saints Day became All Hallows Day. Hallow means holy or sacred. October 31 is the evening before All Hallows Day and came to be called in the western world all hallows evening and then all hallows een. Een is an abbreviation for evening. Finally, the word was reduced to the way we have it today, Halloween. That's where the name came from, and even if it is called all hallows evening, it has nothing to do with Christian faith, and it never did.

MODERN HALLOWEEN

Now let's look at the present day celebration of Halloween. Isn't the whole theme one of darkness, death, fear, threats, destruction and evil? There are witches, broomsticks, bats, owls, ghosts, skeletons, death, and monsters. You dress up your children as demons and witches and ghouls and monsters and werewolves and send them out into the street in the darkness to reenact the Druids' practice of demanding food from people under threat of tricks (or curses) if they don't comply.

You take, not a turnip, but a pumpkin and carve demon faces in it and decorate with it.

At Halloween there will be apple bobbing, divination, fortune telling, haunted houses, candles lit and spirits called up. There will be seances and ouija boards in the name of fun and excitement. There will be sacrifices of dogs, cats, rats, chickens, goats and even humans!

Let us know if you have made a decision to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into your life as the only Savior, who will grant you Eternal Life with our Almighty GOD. 

In addition, if you have re-dedicated your life to Christ, we would love to hear from you.  We welcome you into Christ’s Church, and look forward to worshiping with you at First Century Gospel Church.

To learn more on how to become a Christian, click here

First Century Gospel Church is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian ministry, and meets every Sunday @ Lakeside Community Center, 137 Lakeside Blvd., Hamilton, NJ 08610, and @ ACC Bldg., 6040 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 22205, E-mail: fcgcusa@yahoo.com  

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