Why We Don't "Do" Halloween

Now that harvest/canning is nearing an end, I'll be able to resume my school/life posts soon, but in the meantime, here is a repost (please excuse the margin mess-up in the transfer)...

 

I did a post last year about Why We Don't "Do" Halloween, which became by far my most viewed post EVER!  So, since it's "that time" again,  I thought I'd  repost with just a few updates (mostly additional images).

May the LORD be glorified!  

Most of the month of October and particularly October 31st is a time of avoidance for our family:

• Our family tries to avoid going to stores where we are bombarded with displays of witches, haunted houses, ghosts, & the like, and sometimes costumed employees.  And where check-out clerks use to ask the girls what they were going to dress as;
• We avoid going out to eat at most restaurants with again costumed wait staff and when the children were little we would avoid all those Happy Meal-type toys that took on a more ghoulish theme.
• And I would cringe when the girls were little and in gymnastics or swimming and it never failed, the instructor always thought she had to go around the group and ask what each child was dressing up as on Halloween.

Not that we think we have to stick our heads in the sand or that we are stuck-up or holier than Thou, far be it!  We just take to heart God's Word when He says:  

 

^{I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. ~ Psalms 101:3}

 

^{Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ~ Philippians 4:8} 

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.   Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. ~ II Corinthians 6:14-17

Now, I can't say we have always had such a diversion to Halloween.  Both Jeff & I grew up thinking Halloween was more or less a harmless fun night.  Our parents, I guess, didn't seem to know or understand what all was behind such a holiday and so we dressed up in costume like everyone else (mine were probably more of the princess variety, as I know my parents didn't allow the scary kind) and went around collecting candy.  For my family (mom, dad & me), we moved a lot, but I recall one time when we lived in a neighborhood that had a lot of young families and for the fun of it, we counted with hash marks the number of trick-or-treaters that came to our door one Halloween that year -- 500!!!  That was a fun year!  So what I'm about to share, I certainly don't judge or condemn anyone for their degree of participation in this yearly ritual and ask that you please provide our family with the same courtesy.  The last thing I want to seem is self-righteous or condemning.  I have no idea who is going to read this, if anyone, and I don't know what your family does on October 31, so really, I'm not pointing fingers at anyone.
With that said however, I just felt I wanted to humbly share why our family doesn't "do" Halloween.  For some, it may seem controversial and narrow. but for our family, it has become an area we feel very strongly about and will not compromise our convictions.  I know there are others of you out there that feel the same way and I hope this encourages and reaffirms your beliefs; and for others perhaps you feel an uneasiness about joining in on the festivities, but didn't realize the extent of the deep darkness behind the holiday; ...or perhaps you are just curious why some of us odd ducks don't join in on the fun of October 31st.

Like many families a generation or so ago, and most families today, Halloween is considered just a make-believe fun holiday.  In fact, I just read that for the first time in history, more is spent on Halloween than Easter and the average family spends $80/yr on costumes, candy, and decorations.  I'm no expert on Halloween (or anything really), but have done a little research on the subject as a way of apologetics.  So lets just address each of the main elements of Halloween and see what God's Word says about it, shall we?

1. Halloween's Pagan Roots:

Not being one who enjoys reinventing the wheel, please go to the following site:

http://belief713.hubpages.com/hub/Why_Do_We_Celebrate_Halloween

I think this site sums it up pretty well.  NOTE:  Do watch the short YouTube videos there, but I wouldn't recommend watching the third video entitled "Halloween Origins" with children in the room, it's pretty frightening.  And the first video on that site is marked private for some reason, so you won't be able to view it, but the rest are good.

But if you don't have time to look up the link now (I hope you can find time later, it's excellent), in a nutshell, Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Druids, who were a highly educated or 'priestly' class of the Celts of the time. The Celts worshiped many false gods, including Samhain, the lord of the dead, on October 31.



Modern Druids at Stonehedge

It was (and is) believed that on October 31st, "the lord of the dead would gather all the souls of the evil dead who had been condemned to enter the bodies of animals. He then decided what animal form they would take for the next year. (The good dead were reincarnated as humans.) The Druids also believed that the punishment of the evil dead could be lightened by sacrifices, prayers, and gifts to Samhain (the god of the dead).

It was taught that evil spirits roamed the earth on October 31st and villagers had many practices to scare them away. They would light huge fires, dress in grotesque masks and costumes, and make both animal and human (usually infant) sacrifices in hopes of appeasing the gods and keeping their families safe. Sacrifices like these are still made today in many pagan circles, although it is seldom talked about or revealed.

~~~

Now, I'm very careful not to get too carried away with rejecting everything that has pagan roots to the point of being ridiculous because if one goes back far enough, most anything can have some history of the pagans using it for their heathen purposes.  Even many of our English roots, suffixes, and some of the letters of our alphabet have pagan history, but I still use them to speak English if you get what I mean.  But, when it comes to Halloween, there is absolutely nothing Christian about it, nor is it a neutral fun night.  The devil is very clever at making things look fun and wonderful on the outside that are very wrong on the inside -- Halloween is one of those things.

When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his 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 [those that 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. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God ~ Deuteronomy 18:9-13

2. Whom Do we Honor on Halloween?

For most of our American holidays, arguably, we honor (show great respect for) someone by setting aside a special day, a holiday, to remember some important person or event.  If one celebrates these holidays in the Christian tradition... they celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmastime; thank God for His blessings at Thanksgiving; and celebrate our Risen LORD at Easter.  But whom do we honor at Halloween???  In many parts of the world Halloween is a religious holiday -- a holiday when people worship Satan and honor evil.  It's the biggest holiday on Satan's calender!    

  In Exodus 20 (the 10 Commandments), what does it say?  We are to honor the LORD our God and Him only.   In Isaiah 42:8 God says He will not share His glory with another!  And many times over God states that He is a jealous God.

3. What About Trick or Treats?

(Speaking nothing of the health "benefits" of all that candy -- are our children really so sugar deficient come this time of year?  Or does the Bible okay gluttony certain times of the year?).

Going back to Halloween's pagan origins, it all began as ancient cultic ceremonies and witchcraft rituals, honoring and appeasing evil spirits, and communicating with the dead.  People (Celts) worshiped statues and nature (sun, stars) and believed that the spirits of the dead could control the living.  They believed the souls of wicked people who had died (evil spirits) returned on Halloween, roaming villages, going from house to house, and if the families did not appease the evil spirits, they would harm & scare (haunt/torment) those living in that house.  So in order to keep the evil spirits happy, they set out sweets and treats to appease the evil spirits.  So when children Trick or Treat, they are taking part in the playing out of a very real pagan belief, whether they know it or not.  And when people offer treats to the children, they are acting out the tradition of offering sacrifices to evil spirits or Satan, whether they know it or not.  We have always had a rule in our home that it's never okay to emulate evil or to play or be entertained by anything that God calls sin.

I say the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God participants with demons. You cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. ~ I Corinthians 10:20-21 

4. What About Jack-O-Lanterns?

According to one story, Jack-O-Lanterns started from the Irish legend of "Irish Jack", a stingy drunk who tricked the devil into climbing a tree for an apple, but then carved the sign of the cross in the trunk to stop the devil from climbing back down. Jack then forced Satan to promise never to come after his soul, to which the devil reluctantly agreed. When Jack died, he was turned away at the gates of Heaven and was sent to the devil, who also rejected him. Jack was then condemned to wander the earth. As he was leaving hell, Satan pitched a piece of burning coal at him. Jack put the coal inside a turnip and was forced to forever roam with no resting place, holding only his 'Jack o' lantern' for light. The turnip was eventually traded for a pumpkin, and villagers then set the pumpkins & turnips outside their front gates to scare away the evil spirits who might think Jack was there.  Whether one goes by that legend or other thoughts, the whole idea was/is to scare away evil spirits!

  

 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. ~ James 4:4

5. What About Costumes?

First indoctrination.

Halloween costumes also originated from a time when costumes were used at pagan festivals often to change the personality of a person to allow for better communication with the Spirit world. The Celtic Druids wore large animal heads at rituals, in an attempt to pull energy sources out of that particular animal.  Costumes are used in Halloween tradition to either ward off evil spirits, blend in with the evil spirits, or appease evil spirits.  Even today, most costumes are often intended to be scary or risque´ -- not wholesome, and pure, and God honoring.  Personally, I don't know anyone who dresses their children in costumes with the pagan intent in mind, however, even if we dress our child in the most adorable costume, it doesn't make Halloween any more righteous. 

 

As you can see, Halloween centers around evil, scary things.  Many costumes picture witches, ghosts, skelatons, and evil creatures that are enemies of God.  God calls witchcraft a sin!  (I Samuel 15:23, II Chronicles 33:6, Micah 5:12, Galatians 5:20).  Jesus does not want us to have anything to do with evil.  If we are His children, how can we please God if we look & act like His enemies?  We want to be like Jesus!

 

 

6. What About The Religious Aspect of October 31st, All Hallow's Eve, and All Saints Day?

 

Hundreds of years ago, Rome passed a law that everyone had to accept Christianity as the new state religion.  Most became Christians because they had to, not because they wanted to.  Instead of giving up their pagan beliefs and the worship of many gods, they added these to Christianity.  When the rulers of Rome tried to stop Halloween parties, the people revolted.  They saw nothing wrong with mixing their many false beliefs with the the worship of Jesus.  Jesus was just another god to their collection.  So the Roman rulers moved a Roman Catholic holiday, All Saints Day, to November 1st and gave October 31st the name Halloween, which means Holy Evening.  Then they told the people to pray for the dead on Halloween instead of praying to other gods. (Note: The Roman Catholic Church officiated the solemnity of all saints and also called All Hallows or Hallowmas as a solemnity celebrated on November 1st in honor of all the saints, known and unknown.  All Hallow's Eve mean the "eve of all holy" because it's the night before All Saints' Day. All Saints' Day is specifically a Catholic feast day celebrated on November 1st.)  So basically, All Hallow's Eve and All Saints Day are a holiday of the Roman Catholic Church (not of the Bible).  Halloween takes place on the day before and was always a religious holiday, but it was never a Christian holiday.  It still isn't!  Changing the name of something doesn't change what it is, it's still a pagan holiday.  I don't ever recall anyone celebrating Halloween because it glorifies God.

 

Holiday of the Roman Catholic Church

A Holy Day to the LORD???
It's not in the Bible!

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.   He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. ~ Romans 14: 5-6

7. What About Attending A Church's Harvest Celebration, Family Fun Night, Church Carnival, Or Some Other Church Alternative On October 31st?

First of all, I don't see anything wrong with attending a church's Harvest Celebration, but I question why some churches think they have to have it on October 31st?  Usually harvest is long over by the end of October (at least it is here in Minnesota).  I would think if it is truly a "harvest" theme, it would be better held around Thanksgiving or better yet, at Sukkot.  I've also heard about some churches that have called their October 31st celebration a "harvest" celebration, but when families arrived there, they found it nothing but a Halloween party, complete with haunted house.  Or why would a city or suburban church even hold a typical agricultural-based event anyway?   If a church is really working that hard to distance itself from Halloween, enough to throw a distinct celebration, why are we linking ourselves to it by having it on the same night?  When we pull out of the driveway, do our neighbors know we are going to church to honor and glorify God or might they presume we are headed to a Halloween party?  Might it hinder our testimony if what we are doing requires an explanation?  The Bible clearly insturcts us to:

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." ~ I Thessalonians 5:22 

Personally, I believe God cares very much about the methodology of our orthadoxy and orthapraxy.  That is to say, he cares about the method in which a church does things.  Is it Biblical?  What saith the Scriptures?  Are there any verses or examples found in Scripture that support what we are doing?  A church event on the devil's holiday so that we Christians might not feel left out of secular fun just doesn’t sit well with me.  It really sounds like an updated version of what the Roman Catholic Church did hundreds of years ago to appease the pagans that were forced to be "Christians".  Another argument I hear is often times churches put on events to attract the unchurched or bring others in to a non-theatening environment "to see what the church is all about".  About what?  The church of fun & games???  A Christian Club Med???   Is that really what the church is all about?  And how many new attenders/members/Godly/growing Christians did this event attract?  And most importantly, did Jesus do that? 

Is it really that hard to treat October 31st just like we do any other non-holiday?  Would we be guilty of child neglect if we did?  Many people (including many Christians) will argue that Halloween is "no big deal".  They feel that by completely rejecting the holiday and refusing to celebrate it in any way, places their family as being 'over the top' - over-reacting.  For our family, the question lies in, "whom does this holiday glorify?".  The roots of Halloween are wickedly pagan, the past and present-day associations are directly connected to Satanism.

We are without excuse

Let's face it. When most of us were little, we didn't realize there was really anything wrong with Halloween -- yes, we probably knew (or not) that we shouldn't dress up as witches if we grew up in a Christian home, but neither us nor our parents knew the details of Halloween's darkness. Information was not as easily attainable as it is today with personal computers and instant internet access. So really, as today's Christians, we are without excuse. Even though one probably won't hear about it from the pulpit (shame on churches), information is readily available. All's one has to do is Google "Halloween Pagan", "Halloween Christian", "Why We Don't Do Halloween", or similar searches and one can find a whole slew of articles on the history of Halloween and why Christians should not be participates of this pagan holiday. Even many secular websites question why Christians continue to celebrate "the devil's holiday".

Those of us who now know the truth about Halloween are accountable for the information we have received and must answer to God someday.  We have been intrusted by our LORD with the nurture, protection, and spiritual training of the children He has blessed us with.  Dispite any human reasoning, good intentions and fond memories are no justification for ignoring God's Truth.  If we know the Truth, we are accountable; and if we choose to close our eyes & ears to the Truth, we are accountable before God for that as well.  What you do with this information is between you and God, but for our family, we found it was time to draw the line in the sand and say, "As for me and my house, we will serve [and honor, and glorify] the LORD!"

 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. ~ Ephesians 5:11

 

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.   And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.   And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods; ~ Joshua 24:14-16

~~~

And now a few practical tips on what a family can do on Halloween

First of all, it's best to never even start celebrating Halloween.  When our first born was yet a baby, my husband and I agreed that we wouldn't do Halloween (or Santa, or the Easter Bunny for that matter).  However, there's nothing like the present to make changes.  Pray about it and as a family sit down and humbly make confession and explain the changes that will be made and why. 

 

When our girls were young, I found at a Christian bookstore, the book, "Mommy, Why Don't We Celebrate Halloween?"  by Linda Hacon Winwood, and read that to them every Halloween.  The girls never questioned why we didn't do Halloween, they knew, and easily accepted it.  This year we will be reading and viewing the YouTube videos from the link I gave you (under #1 above).

Some years we have gotten together with other friends that we knew didn't do Halloween as well and would have a potluck supper, sing worship songs, talk, & laugh (a lot) around a campfire.  Very fun Christian fellowship!

Most years we do nothing special and treat it as any other day.  This year friends are coming to visit (who don't do halloween) in the afternoon and then this evening we will enjoy a very quiet family night.  We are planning to cook out on our firepit.  Perhaps play some board games or watch a dvd (non-halloween related) and just enjoy eachother's company.  We live at the end of a quiet dead end road and never have any trick-or-treaters visit, thankfully, however, we keep the front lights off not to encourage any newcomers either.  To us, it's just another day and we never feel deprived or like we are missing out.  This is the day that the LORD has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it.  (and never give place to the devil).

May the LORD be Glorified!