It's that time of year again. Vampires, ghouls, ghosts and skeletons will be haunting our doors. American retailers celebrate a dollar 5 billion a year candy, card and costume business ($ 1.5 billion in Canada).
But Halloween is not just a time for cornstalks, pumpkins, apples and cute and not-so-cute costumes. There are many, many more. Before deciding to celebrate or not celebrate any holiday, it is important to understand the history of this holiday.
Before addressing thehistory and what the Bible says about pagan holidays to answer these questions:
* How would you feel if your spouse has kept photos of his former girlfriend of boyfriend?
* How would you feel if he or she celebrated an anniversary of special moments with one another after her marriage with you?
* Our God is a jealous God demanding exclusive devotion (Exodus 20:5). Do you think he cares if you encourage your children to participate in a celebration that honors Satan, the god of thisworld?
History of Halloween
Halloween roots from the ancient Celts, a tribe living 2,000 years ago in areas that are now Ireland, Great Britain and Northern France.
The Celts were first described as a fierce warrior, terror, many of whom have strings of human heads tied on their bridles. Halloween has been their main festival, called Samhain. It was a festival honoring the Samhain, the Celtic lord of death. The celebration marked theearly season cold darkness, and decay. The Celts associated with the human death, and they believed Samhain allowed the souls of the dead return to their earthly homes for this evening. The night of the festival, the Druids, the priests and teachers of the Celts, ordered the people to their home fires.
The Druids built a huge bonfire in the year of oak branches, which they considered sacrificed. They burned animals, crops and even human beings as sacrifices. Theneach new family lit their hearth fire from the fire of the Year. Informing decision-o'-lanterns used today are symbols of the lamps and torches. During the celebration people wore costumes made of animal heads and skins. They told fortunes by examining the remains of sacrifices.
These pagan Celts believed that evil spirits lurked about as the sun god grew pale and the Samhain grew stronger. The Celts believed the evil spirits would come home and you have to treator they go wrong.
The Romans conquered the Celts in the year 43 and ruled what is now Great Britain for 400 years. During this period, two Roman autumn festivals were combined with the Celtic festival of Samhain. Both pagan rituals, one of them called harem, took place in late October to honor the dead. The other festival honored Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. Apple has partnered with Halloween because of the festival.
Regional Halloween customsdeveloped among different groups of Celts. In Ireland, for example, people begged for food in a parade that honored Muck Olla, their sun god. The head of the parade wore a white robe and head of an animal. In England, families sat around the fire and told stories while they ate treats such as apples and nuts.
Halloween USA
In the United States, many early American colonists brought with them various customs such as the above. However, because of Christianityamong many other settlers, Halloween celebrations were not celebrated until the 1800's when many immigrants from Ireland and Scotland introduced their Halloween customs. They brought various beliefs about ghosts and witches with them. Other groups have added their own cultural influences to Halloween customs. German immigrants brought a vivid witchcraft lore, and Haitian and African peoples brought their native voodoo beliefs about black cats, fire, and witchcraft.
All Saints Day, a daythe seventh century church set aside to remember the early Christians who died for their beliefs, has been celebrated in the month of May In the year 900 the date was combined with the pagan rituals to be celebrated November 1. Another name for All Saints Day was All Hallows. October 31 was known as All Hallows Eve which was shortened to Halloween. The church has made a serious mistake to try to combine pagan worship with Christianity . This is not scriptural! Because of this wrong decision,Halloween is a holiday in America today.
Scriptures warn us that the sins of the fathers are visited on the third and fourth generations. You can not bow down to them nor serve them. For me, the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. Exodus 20:5.
Those who ignore God's warning and make contact with occult spirits risk terrible repercussions in the form of poverty,illness, insanity and even early death.
Why do people who live in this age, especially Christians, desire to be part of any pagan worship? This pagan belief, even celebrated by Christian churches, celebrates the union of gods and goddess in the universe that control so-called season, bring fertility to crops and animals, and confer magical powers on their followers.
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