Every year for our Halloween party, my grade level collects money from each student and we go shopping at Sam's and buy candy. We have the students decorate paper bags and then stuff the candy inside and give it to them at the end of the day. We don't have the kids come to school dressed up, I don't decorate my classroom with witches, ghosts, jack-0-lanterns, etc.. So I have never been too bothered by the way our grade level handled the whole Halloween party thing, but that all changed for me today.
I gave the kids their bags to color and I told them to write their name on it and decorate it. They all knew what the bags were for so they started decorating them with pumpkins, candy corn.....seems sweet right? Then, I heard some of the boys giggling and showing each other their bags. I went over to see what was going on and to my surprise they were drawing the goriest scenes with people stabbing and killing each other, bleeding, heads rolling off, etc.. I immediately told them that they needed to get another bag and they couldn't draw anything violent. Then, one of my girls raised her hands and asked me how to spell "devil." I just looked at her and told her nicely that I didn't think she should spell that on her bag. She just looked at me for a second and then began drawing again, unfazed by my comment.
Me on the other hand, I was sick to my stomach. I can't describe it except I knew deep down in my spirit that God was revealing something to me. So, I came home tonight and I began researching about the origins of Halloween. I have read about it before and I knew it's origins were in paganism and witchcraft, but I wanted to read as much as I could about it and learn more.
The Bible says that God's people perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). I don't think that most people (even most Christians) really know much about the origins of Halloween. I know for a long time after I was saved that I didn't and obviously I am still learning. There is no way I could write all of what I learned on this post, but here is a link to a great article I found on the Internet about the origins of Halloween and some of the customs that go along with it. For example....
Do you know the meaning behind these Halloween symbols?
Jack-0-lantern
The term "Jack-o'-lantern" came from an Irish folk tale of the 18th century. Jack was an Irishman. He had tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree. He then cut a cross symbol in the tree trunk, thus trapping the Devil in the branches. At his death, he was unable to gain access to Heaven because of his meanness. The Devil, having a long memory, would not allow him into Hell. So he was forced to walk the earth endlessly. The devil took pity on him and gave him a piece of coal to light his path. Jack put it inside a hollowed-out turnip that he had been eating. Latter turnips were replaced with pumpkins, thus resulting in the jack-0-lantern.
The Witch on a Broomstick
This image (however cartoon-like) shows an actual ritual in which witches mount broomsticks (symbol of the male organ) and leap high around the fields on them to "teach" the crops how high to grow. In our drug-conscious society, it should be noted that the flying witch actually related to the fact that witches believed they could fly great distances to their feasts by smearing their bodies with "flying ointment." This ointment actually contained drugs like bella-donna, aconite and cinquefoil and gave them psychedelic "trips" so that they thought that they flew distances.
Black Cats
The black cat is also both the witches' "familiar" or magic helper, and is the chief totem (idol) of the goddess of Wicca, Diana. In legend, she turns into a black cat to commit incest with her brother, Lucifer. It is also a form of the Egyptian goddess, Bast.
Ghost and Skeleton
These relate to the belief that spirits of the dead were roaming throughout the land. They induce fear in children.
Skulls and Masks
The Druids wore masks, skulls and costumes, even offered human sacrifices on October 31st, to ward off evil spirits.
Bobbing for Apples
In AD 43 the Roman Empire was in solid control of the Celtic people. As a result of this control the idol worshipping Romans introduced another ceremony honoring their false gods to the already demoniacal Druid New Year's celebration. It was in honor of their goddess of fruit trees. They would try to grasp fruit, floating in water, without the use of their hands.
Trick-or-Treating
Some trace the origins of present day "trick-or-treat" to Samhain, which was the supreme night of demonic jubilation. Spirits of the dead would rise out of their graves and wander the countryside, trying to return to the homes where they formerly lived. Frightened villagers tried to appease these wandering spirits by offering them gifts of fruit and nuts. They began the tradition of placing plates of the finest food and bits of treats that the household had to offer on their doorsteps, as gifts, to appease the hunger of the ghostly wanderers. If not placated, villagers feared that the spirits would kill their flocks or destroy their property. The problem was... if the souls of dead loved ones could return that night, so could anything else,human or not, nice or not-so-nice. The only thing the superstitious people knew to do to protect themselves on such an occasion was to masquerade as one of the demonic hoard, and hopefully blend in unnoticed among them. Wearing masks and other disguises and blackening the face with soot were originally ways of hiding oneself from the spirits of the dead who might be roaming around. This is the origin of Halloween masquerading as devils, imps, ogres, and other demonic creatures.
That is just the beginning, but this post is getting very long :)
Summing it up....here is a part of one of the articles I read that really spoke to me.....
"While some may say, "But we only do this in fun...we don't practice
witchcraft," those things that represent Satan and his domain cannot be
handled or emulated "for fun". Such participation places you in enemy and
forbidden territory and that is dangerous ground. "
"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so." (Deuteronomy 18:10-14)
"Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. "(1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." [Romans 12:2]
"For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?" [2 Corinthians 6:14, 15]
"Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." (3 John 1:11)
Please join me in praying that this weekend God would open people's eyes to the truth about Halloween, for the safety of the kids, and that God would continue to use Christians to be a light in darkness this Holloween!
