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Halloween: is it for you? All Hallows Eve is the evening of October 31st. Religiously, it is the vigil of Hallowmas or All Saints Day, which falls on November 1st and is observed by Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. Many Latin countries still celebrate it as a religious event while other countries such as the United States, Ireland, and Great Britain celebrate it from a different festive perspective.
Popular beliefs trace this day to the Roman harvest festival of Pomona and to Druidism. The ancient Celts called this day Samhain (pronounced Sow-wan), which meant the end of summer (nowadays, with our year divided into four parts, it means the end of autumn), the beginning of winter, and the Celtic New year. In Ireland this festival is Samhein the Feast of the Sun. In ancient Ireland the Druids sacrificed to the gods by burning victims in wicker cages and it was believed to be the best time to communicate with the dead. Many believed that on the eve of this holiday the dead walked amongst the living. The holiday of Feralia was observed by the Romans and thought to bring peace to the dead.
Sacrifices and prayers were made to honor the dead and for lost souls. In the 7th century Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saint's Day, replacing the pagan festival of the dead; this was celebrated on May 12th. Later, Gregory III moved this holiday to November 1st.
In Folklore, many customs are associated with the pagan observance of this holiday:
· Souls of the dead wandering
· Witches
· Spirits
· Devils
· Supernatural powers
· A time to rid your life of faults by writing them down and tossing them in a fire.
· Bonfires on hilltops with a dance performed
· Cakes baked as offerings for the dead
Halloween came to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. Adaptations flourished over the years, and Halloween began to take on many facets, mostly evil and having to do with Satan, witches and ghosts. Churches believed that the gods and goddesses of traditional religions were evil fallacies and images of the devil. The Christian church has long believed that all things associated with Halloween are evil.
The Jack-o-lantern comes from Irish folklore. The story goes like this: An ill-tempered drunk named Jack was at a local pub on All Hallows Eve and the devil came to claim his soul. Jack didn't want to go and begged the devil to let him have one more drink. The devil said okay. It seems Jack was short on cash and so he asked the devil if he would transform himself into a coin so he could buy a drink and then he could change himself back. The devil agreed and changed into a coin. Quickly Jack grabbed the coin and put it in his coin purse, which had a cross on it. Now the devil was trapped in Jack's coin purse. The devil, it seems, was yelling at Jack telling him to release him immediately. Jack made another bargain, asking the Devil to not bother him for a year. At the end of the year, Jack was to release the Devil. The devil agreed.
During the next year Jack changed. He gave up drinking and carousing and began going to church. He began spending more time with his wife and children. This did not last long, and soon Jack returned to his evil ways.
All Hallows Eve was fast upon him and the Devil was right there waiting for him. This time the Devil demanded that Jack come with him, but Jack played another trick. He asked the Devil to get an apple from a nearby tree. The apple Jack wanted was high in the tree, and as the Devil went into the tree to get it, Jack quickly took out his knife and carved a cross in the tree. Trapped again, the Devil began screaming and said he would leave Jack alone for ten years. Jack didn't like this and said that he would only release the Devil if he promised to never bother him again. The devil agreed.
Jack continued living as an ill-tempered drunkard.
Jack died a year later, and at the gates of heaven he argued with St. Peter. St. Peter didn't want him because of his evil ways and told him to go to hell. So down he went; but the devil didn't want him either, because of the tricks he had played on him. Jack was now in a state of limbo and didn't know what to do.
The Devil said, "here" and threw him a hot coal. "Use this to light your way in the darkness."
Jack put the coal in a turnip and cut some holes in it to the let out the light. In America pumpkins became the container of choice; it was sturdier than a turnip; it looked better and lasted longer. That is how the Jack-o-lantern, as we know it today, came to be.
Trick or Treat money or each: A popular belief in 9th century Europe was that your soul remained in limbo after you died and the only way your soul would go to heaven was for the Christians to go "souling." On October 31st, all souls day, the Christians would go to all the villages and gather soul cakes. Soul cakes were made out of pieces of bread with currants. The families of the dead would give the cakes to the Christians who then promised to pray for the deceased and this would send the soul to heaven. The more cakes a person had to give the more prayers would be said.
Another version of trick-or-treating comes from Great Britain. A night called Mischief Night was popular in parts of northern England. Mischievous things happened if treats were not given out. Over time it became “trick or treat, money, or each.” The person would have to do a trick to get a treat and in some circles if no treat was given, a trick was played on the home or the people.
Popular types of tricks were moving outhouses, soaping windows, knocking on doors and running away. Another popular form of trick was to get bags of manure and set them on fire on the door step. The people would come out (generally in their stocking feet) and stomp the fire out, thus receiving a fresh moist treat of their own, not to mention the lovely smell.
Eventually the people began giving out cookies and candies and asked the children to do a trick for the treat.
Halloween: Is it the spirits of the dead? Is it the realm of witches, goblins, ghosts and demons? What exactly is the controversy over Halloween? Is it the spiritual or supernatural events that are said to take place on Halloween? Is it in the mind only? It
seems Halloween has many origins all bordering on some type of religious or spiritual facet. The reality of what it is stems from inside of you.
In other words the amount of faith or belief that you place in any one event will determine its amount of realism to you. Did Jack truly see the devil? I believe that Jack felt he did. Did Jack truly defeat the devil a number of times. I believe that Jack felt that he did. Did the Christians that went from house to house seeking soul cakes so they could pray their dead into heaven believe that this would actually work? I believe they did. Do people today believe that witches can cast spells? Do people today believe that ministers can heal the sick in the name of Jesus? What you believe or have faith in becomes as real in your life as your faith will allow.
The Bible teaches that Christians should not try to approach the world where the dead live.
Deuteronomy 18:9 “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. (10) 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, (11) Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. (12) 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. (13) Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. (14) For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do."
So, what are the spirits and the manifestations? According to the Bible, they are demons, fallen angels, under the rule of Satan. Demons, spirits, ghosts, and witches have all developed a role in the holiday known as Halloween because of the Christian traditions from years ago and the secular renditions of those traditions. How you view, react and participate in anything is just that—your participation. If you believe in something it will eventually manifest its self to you. If you believe in fear, fear will eventually overcome you. If you believe in the world of spirits and darkness, witches and evil things, and participate in them openly and actively, then they will become reality to you. The Bible clearly states that Christians should have no part of things of darkness:
Ephesians 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."
Halloween: Do we celebrate it, do we stay away from it, or do we fear it? The answers to these questions lie within your heart. You are the only one who can determine if Halloween is a holiday that you want to participate in. What does it represent to you?
In many Christian circles today, Halloween is celebrated as a Harvest festival, a time when the crops are gathered, a time of good instead of evil.
How do you choose to celebrate this holiday? I believe you can make this holiday anything you desire to make it! Just because one person does something one way does not mean it is right for everyone!
For every religion or belief system there will be a differing opinion on the celebration or non-celebration of this holiday. As a Christian Pastor, I choose to view this time of year as a celebration of the harvest. We call it a harvest party, a harvest festival, and we do not allow costumes that depict demonic or evil things. We celebrate joy and life not death and destruction.
Halloween is what you make it!
Resources:
Webster's Dictionary
Compton's Encyclopedia
Encarta
Groliers
History of Halloween
KJV & NIV Holy Bible
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