Thursday morning October 31, was just a morning like other mornings with my usual daily routine. I usually wake up at 3 am every morning to do my morning devotions, "Morning Glory," and to plan on the days work. My devotions are not typical of what most of you may think. Morning Glory for me is more a time for meditation and reading the WORD of God in quitness of the morning. During my devotions I go to God with a open heart and mind, not only to talk to him but more so to listen to Him.
It is at this devotion time I come up with a theme for the day, ..start your day with God..." and multiple other inspirational, challenging and faith building themes for throughout the day. This day was unique in that the spirit reminded me that it is Halloween's celebration day. I was not receptive to the fact that I thought about Halloween, leave alone doing anything about it. As a result I screemed, " I DON"T CELBRATE HALLOWEEN." See Ephasians 5:7-12
There are many other Bible verses similar to this, but nothing that specifically warns against observing Halloween. Rather than providing an answer, the purpose of this article is to cause you to ask yourself questions and think about your convictions on this issue. 2 Corinthians 3:10.
As Christians, why are we here in this world? Are we here to live in a safe and protected environment, guarded against the evils in the world, or are we called to reach out into a world filled with dangers and be the light of Christ? Halloween brings people of the world to our door step. Halloween brings our neighbors out into the streets. I can think of various creative ways to seize this opportunity for developing new relationships and sharing my faith.
Is it possible that our negativity toward Halloween only alienates the people we seek to reach? Can we be in the world, but not of the world? Romans 12:2
Considering the pagan celebrations that were once prominent this time of year, it’s understandable why a God-fearing preacher, chaplain and born again christian might be cautious, however today’s traditions are certainly very different from the pagan practices that mark the now so called Halloween. As noted in one of my inspirational posting on social media, Halloween celebrations as adopted by Pope Boniface IV, was set aside to honor Martyrs and saints, an idea that the church in Rome drived from early Celtic Culture. Today however the imagery, emphasis and symbols used deviate from the original initentions of the celebrations to hold christian church services of prayer, fasting and remember those departed.
Halloween's History
Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
By 43 A.D., the Roman Empire had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain. The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.
On May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome in honor of all Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day was established in the Western church. Pope Gregory III (731–741) later expanded the festival to include all saints as well as all martyrs, and moved the observance from May 13 to November 1. By the 9th century the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands, where it gradually blended with and supplanted the older Celtic rites. In 1000 A.D., the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead.
It is widely believed today that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. All Souls Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils. The All Saints Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.
Credits:
Encyclopedia Britannica- 1920
Wikipidia- Not a reliable source
Catholicism in Rome, By Bishop of Myan (Main) 1977