Happy Halloween friends!
A time when it feels like we are already in a nightmare situation with Life imitating art and even a premise in my novel that I have been writing for two years now which I just finish editing my 1st draft. My book which I wrote well before COVID-19 details a pandemic taking over the world, but one in which is virus is completely manufactured by the United States government in their attempt to rule over the world where they are the only ones who hold the keys to curing the world. There is so much more of course, but in these scary times can one really enjoy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and then the New Year, hard to say.
As a Christian we are taught that we shouldn’t really celebrate Halloween as it has evil significance in what is stands for. Prior to becoming a Christian, I was not really a Halloween celebrator but of course growing up I went treat or treating, wore a costume the whole nine yards it was fun. I remember as a child I dressed up as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Jason, E.T., Killer Clown.
I have always loved horror movies which now as a Christian goes against my beliefs but I can’t help but to love Horror movies especially watching the marathons during this time watching Halloween about five zillion times, but yet I never get tired of watching them. Some of other favorites include the Exorcist, the Insidious Series, Saw Series, Nightmare on Elm Streets series and whatever else TV wants to throw my way I will enjoy.
Here is what many Christians believe in to NOT celebrating Halloween, not everything I fully embrace: This is courtesy of :http://www.fillthevoid.org/Occult/TenReasonsChristiansShouldNotCelebrateHalloween.htm#:~:text=Ten%20Reasons%20Christians%20Should%20Not%20Celebrate%20Halloween%201,occultic%20practice%20or%20divination.%20…%20More%20items…%20
Why Christians Don’t Celebrate Halloween
1. 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.
2. Halloween today is performed usually by adherents of witchcraft who use the night for their rituals. Witches celebrate Halloween as the “Feast of Samhain,” the first feast of the witchcraft year. Being a festival of the dead, Halloween is a time when witches attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of divination.
3. Christians should not be involved with occultic practice or divination. Note God’s command against divination in Deuteronomy 18.
4. 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 Iying on a grave and listening to the messages from the long-departed.
5. Occultists 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.
6. Occultists also would try to scare away the spirits by carving a scary face into a pumpkin. This horrible visage would hopefully move the spirit on to another home or village and spare that home from destruction. Sometimes the villagers would light a candle and place it within the pumpkin and use it as a lantern (hence the name, Jack-o-Lantern). This is the origin of carving pumpkins at Halloween.
7. In some witchcraft covens, the closing ritual includes eating an apple or engaging in fertility rites. In the Bible (Genesis 3), eating a piece of fruit brought sin and death into the world. In witchcraft, eating an apple is symbolic of bringing life. The practice of bobbing for apples brings together two pagan traditions: divination and the fertility ritual.
8. Schools are removing any religious significance from Christmas (often called winter break) and Easter (spring break). Isn’t it ironic that most public schools still celebrate Halloween even though it has occultic origins?
9. Participating in Halloween gives sanction to a holiday that promotes witches, divination, haunted houses, and other occultic practices.
10. Christians should avoid Halloween and develop creative alternatives. Churches can hold a Fall Fun Festival and/or celebrate Reformation Day (also October 31). They should not endorse or promote Halloween.
Many churches today do provide some form of activities to non-believers where many will wear costumes, but these events are not meant to pass judgment but to spread the gospel to non-believers in a loving way which I encourage, but ultimately we all have to make our own decisions if we choose to celebrate.
I have seen many Christians still celebrate with candy, costumes and I always wonder how they justify participating. Many say its all in good fun, they still believe in JESUS, they will ask for forgiveness and many other excuses. I am not perfect there is no such thing as the perfect Christian regardless if you think they are.
But Halloween to me has a special significance as a time when I was in school would dress up, have our miniature parades where we would be walking around in our costumes, get candy. After a certain point I got to old for trick or treating and although adults still do it I felt I no longer wanted to go door to door so my mother would take my sister and I to Macdonald’s for our Happy Meals.
This year I anticipated Halloween will not be cancelled but many should be cautious, but in most cases kids are wearing masks as part of the costumes and in any case it appears Kids affected with COVID has no spiked like adults but still strange days in what each of us have to endure.
The other parts of Halloween I always enjoyed was decorating my house inside and out, it must be something my mother passed down to me because she always loved decorating for holidays. There was one time I decorated the house and hung a fake dummy from a tree which many passerby’s thought it was a real person, but if that was seen today surely I would be told to take it down.
I guess the main interest in Halloween has always been the spirits especially what may or may not happen on this day. I encourage you to listen to my Halloween Pod on some of the creepy event dealing with spirits in my life, something I feel is attracted to me and my family.
Remembering this year and Halloween my only wish is for everyone to be safe, enjoy the day! With hopes by this time next year we will be enjoying the year, the holidays with a whole new light.
Joseph’s Adventures in Writing 