Halloween has never been nor will it ever be a Christian holiday, and it has no place in the life of a true born again Believer or follower of JESUS CHRIST. In fact, it is an abomination to God, and we should take our stand and be heard saying we are firmly against it. As we look at its history, we find that its roots go deep into heathenism, paganism, satanism and the occult; and its modern expression is no better. Matter fact before the Irish and Scottish immigrants carried their versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century (1800’s) there was no Halloween or Harvest Fest. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century (1900’s) including Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom as well as of Australia and New Zealand.

NOW A BRIEF HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

Celtic New Year

The days leading up to October 31 is the most important days in the satanic year, but it is the 31st that is known as the devil’s birthday. It marks the Celtic new year. Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced “sah-win”). The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Samhain was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter.

The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. as well as on this day, the god of the Celtics was to have called up this spirits of the wicked dead who had died during the past year and 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 for they understood the consequences. There festival would frequently involve bonfires. It is believed that the fires attracted insects to the area which attracted bats to the area as well as these bonfires included sacrifices, the word “bonfire” is an adaptation to the actual word “bone fire” this is what the word bonfire comes from.

The history of Halloween has evolved. The activity is now popular in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and due to increased American cultural influence in recent years, imported through exposure to US television and other media, trick-or-treating has started to occur among children in many parts of Europe, and in the Saudi Aramco camps of Dhahran, Akaria compounds and Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia. The most significant growth and resistance is in the United Kingdom, where the police have threatened to prosecute parents who allow their children to carry out the “trick” element.

In continental Europe, where the commerce-driven importation of Halloween is seen with more skepticism, numerous destructive or illegal “tricks” and police warnings have further raised suspicion about this game and Halloween in general. In places like Ohio, Iowa, and Massachusetts, the night designated for Trick-or-treating is often referred to as Beggars Night as to where the night before is called devils night in many places in Canada.

Now on to the 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.

Part of the history of Halloween is Halloween costumes. The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays goes back to the Middle Ages, and includes Christmas wassailing. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of “souling,” when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2). It originated in Ireland and Britain, although similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy. Shakespeare even mentions the practice in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593), when Speed accuses his master of “puling [whimpering, whining], like a beggar at Hallowmas.” Yet there is no evidence that souling was ever practiced in America, and trick-or-treating may have developed in America independent of any Irish or British antecedent.

Masquerading As If Angels Of Lite 2 Cor 11.14

DIVINATION (Deut. 18:10-12)

is the act of practicing “witchcraft” this is what the druids did they practiced it and did such things as fortune telling and magic etc. when they did there divination they 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 things happened several centuries before CHRIST. Sacrifices were made to the gods, especially the god of death – Samhain. Sacrifices all the way from vegetable to human were offered. This went on and on, and, in some parts of the world, still goes on today.

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.
The Catholic Church called it All Saints Day and then it 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 the Catholic Church called it all hallows day or evening, it has nothing to do with Christian faith after all the Catholic Church is not a Christian Church it isn’t a Church of Jesus Christ, and it never did so it could not make the evils of Halloween good.

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 and now so called Christians are now justifying this day or night by dressing there children in biblical costumes and take them around the neighborhood getting candy then take them to a church were there doing the same kind of thing called Harvest Fest witch in no different then Halloween.

At Halloween there will be apple bobbing, divination, fortune telling, haunted houses, candles lit and spirits called up. There will be séances and Ouija boards in the name of fun and excitement. There will be sacrifices of dogs, cats, rats, chickens, goats and even humans, horror films glorify the occult, etc.

You say, “Well, we don’t take it seriously.” But the devil surely does and so does God. Particularly this is true when His Church which He purchased with His own precious blood builds houses of horror in its fellowship halls so that the little lambs who have been entrusted to its care can be terrified and opened up to invading spirits of fear and torment and confusion.

On the matter of Christians celebrating Halloween:

At the end of it all, we will not be held accountable to men for what we did in this life, we will be held accountable unto God. This by no means is granting a pass for a believer when it comes to Halloween, the truth is, we will all be held accountable for every action – good or bad, where we will all stand before Christ to be judged for what we did here on earth.

What another Christian decides when it comes to Halloween, and whether they partake of it or not is not for me to judge but I am to forewarn, let every man decide for themselves how they should live (meaning do what is right in the sight of Jesus and read His Word to find out what He wants you to do). I have however, provided the necessary information which is available online for each person to decide if this “holiday” is worth partaking in.

Yet all I am to do is to preach the gospel, edify the Lord Jesus Christ and guide men into His perfect truth, give them the information they need to make WISE decisions. Still, men must seek God on this matter, but the facts relating to this gathering of darkness is very real and very disturbing.

The truth is, if a believer partakes of Halloween, or any other holiday, that does NOT negate their salvation, for we are saved by faith, not by works lest any man should boast. People need to work out their own salvation and allow the Lord to guide them in their proper walk.

Yes, I give people guidance with the Word, but at the end of the day, let every man work out their own salvation – with fear and trembling.

This is the aspect of LIBERTY which is found in Christ, not a liberty to do whatever one wills, but understanding that some matters of personal behavior needs to be left to God and the individual believer. That is my stance and position on this matter.

Pastor Steve Burns