Why Christians Should Not Celebrate Halloween

!
The origins of Halloween lie deeply rooted in the occult, and Christians should not participate in this celebration. The October 31st holiday that we today know as Halloween has strong roots in paganism and is closely connected with worship of the Enemy of this world, Satan. It is a holiday that generally glorifies the dark things of this world, rather than the light of Jesus Christ...The Truth

October 31st has long been known as "The Festival of the Dead." The Celtic tribes and their priests the Druids celebrated this day as a marker for the change from life to death.

Those involved in witchcraft use the night for their rituals.  It is a festival of the dead and it's a time
when witches attempt to communicate with the dead.

Christians should absolutely NOT be involved with occultic practice or divination. Note God's command against divination in Deuteronomy 18.

Occultists believe Halloween is a time of transition between life and death. Some occult practitioners practiced divination and believed you could learn the secrets of life and wisdom by lying on a grave and listening to the messages from the long-departed.

They also taught that spirits and ghosts left the grave during this night and would seek out warmth in their previous homes. Villagers, fearful of the possibility of being visited by the ghosts of past occupants, would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits on their way. They would also leave food and other treats at their door to appease the spirits so they would not destroy their homes or crops but instead move on down the road. That is the real reason why kids dress up in costumes today and go door-to-door seeking treats.

Occultists also would try to scare away the spirits by carving a scary face into a pumpkin. This horrible appearance of the scary face would hopefully move the spirit on to another home or village and spare that home from destruction. Sometimes the villagers would light a candle in the pumpkin and use it as a lantern (Jack-o-Lantern).

Participating in Halloween says we agree to a holiday that promotes witches, divination, haunted houses, and other occultic practices.

Christians should not endorse or promote Halloween.  The real reason we don't agree with Halloween is not that we are against people who have different opinions about the event -  but we stand "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12,  NKJV).

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 ("Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.")
James 1:27 ("keep oneself from being polluted by the world")
3 John 1:11 ("do not imitate what is evil")
Romans 12:9 ("abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.")
Deuteronomy 18:9-14 (do not learn to imitate detestable ways, including spiritists, sorcerers and witchcraft)

The Truth About Halloween

I published this information last year - compiled by Scott Thomas of Lakeland, Fl.  I thought it appropriate to post again.  Many people seem to be uninformed of the truth of Halloween, thus causing a wide acceptance of this Un-Holy day and ignoring the effects it can have on children.

"Halloween was not the original name of this day. the Pre-Christian Druids and Celts of Northern Europe held a celebration every Nov. 2nd called "The Vigil of Shamhain", lord of death. They held the belief that Shamhain, the lord of death, was overpowering their sun god (Muck Olla), because the leaves were falling, the days were shorter and the weather was getting colder. Their belief was that Shamhain sent the spirits of those who had deceased over the past year into animals, because of the evil they had committed while alive. Then, on Nov. 2nd, the Vigil of Shamhain, those spirits would be released to go back and visit their homes and family members with acts of horror and evil. Therefore, in efforts of keeping these released evil spirits from coming to their homes, a ritual of this holiday included locking up various species of animals (including humans) in wicker cages and burning them alive, all in attempts of appeasing Shamhain and preventing the visitation of these evil spirits upon their homes!

Christians, desirous of their own fall celebration, refused to participate with the Druids, and established Nov.1st, one day earlier than the Vigil of Shamhain, as "All Hallow's Day" (recognizing/honoring christian martyrs and saints). In reaction to the Christians' action, the pagan/satanic worshippers counteracted "All Hallow's Day", preempting them by one day - October 31st, with their own celebration, "All Demon's Night." This festival evolved into the 'high holy day' of all opposing Christ(ianity) and was celebrated via incantations, sacrifice, satanic worship/rituals and horrors for all who opposed them. Finally in a horrid attempt to Christianize the paganistic holiday, the eve prior to "All Hallow's Day" became known as "All Hallow'en" (Oct. 31st) which was eventually shortened to "Halloween."

Keeping the pagan rituals in mind, costumes were worn in order to make the people look like evil spirits, so that the evil spirits that had been released would mistake them for other evil spirits. However, in the event that you could not dress in a costume, you could avoid horrors in your home by appeasing the evil spirits by offering them a "treat" on your front door step. If they liked it, you were safe; if they didn't like it... Finally, the carved face in a pumpkin carries a depth of significance. The World Book Encyclopedia, 1977 edition, vol 9, page 24-26, says, "The apparently harmless lighted pumpkin face of 'Jack-O-Lantern' is an ancient symbol of 'a damned soul'." The folklore story holds that a man named Jack was banned from heaven and hell and his spirit was left to wander the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day. History holds that people would place these 'lit pumpkins' on their porches in order to display their sympathetic nature towards the satanist - gaining mercy from the horrors that were to be released.

It's more important to follow Christ than tradition. The act of recognizing and participating in any of this day's festivities is, in fact, celebration. Stand for righteousness...and please God.

Reference material: The Occult Conceit - A New Look at Astrology, Witchcraft and Sorcery, by Owen S. Rachleff