the origins of Halloween stretch back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic Festival known as sawin sawin was celebrated by the Kelts a group of people who lived in what is now Ireland the United Kingdom and northern France for these early Europeans sa marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter a period associated with Darkness cold and death the Kelts whose lives were heavily influenced by The rhythms of nature viewed this as a time of transition when the boundary between the living and the dead was at its weakest on the night
of October 31st the Kelts believed that the spirits of the Dead could return to Earth they thought that these wandering Spirits could cause trouble by damaging crops or spreading illness among the people to protect themselves from these Supernatural entities the Kelts would light massive bonfires to drive the spirits back to the spirit world these bonfires were also considered a way to honor the gods as the Kelts made offerings of crops and animals asking for protection during the coming winter costumes played an important role during sawin people would wear disguises often made of animal skins in
an attempt to blend in with any roaming Spirits the logic was simple if the spirits could not distinguish the living from the dead they would be less likely to harm or harass them in addition to wearing costumes the Kelts also engaged in various forms of divination during sawin because they believed the veil between worlds was at its thinnest they thought it was an ideal time for their Druids priests to predict the future these predictions were vital as they would help guide the Kelts Through The Long Dark winter Sinn was not just about fear or survival
however it was also a time of community celebration feasts were held and people gathered together to enjoy the Bounty of the Harvest in many ways it was a festival of both life and death honoring the past while looking toward the future as the the Roman Empire expanded and the influence of Catholicism grew across Europe many Pagan Traditions including sahin began to blend with Catholic practices when the Roman Empire conquered Celtic lands they brought their own festivals with them including feralia a day in late October when Romans commemorated the passing of the dead and a second
Festival honoring Pomona the Roman goddess of fruit and trees some historians believe that the combination of these Roman Traditions with SA influenced the eventual creation of Halloween in 609 ad Pope bonface IV established the Feast of all Martyrs a day dedicated to honoring Christian Martyrs who had died for their faith this Feast was later expanded by Pope Gregory III to include All Saints not just Martyrs and it was moved from May 13th to November 1st this shift aligned the celebration of All Saints Day with the Celtic Festival of sawin creating a blend of Catholic and
Pagan Elements by the 9th century Catholic influence had spread deep into Celtic lands as it did the church sought to replace or absorb the existing Pagan customs with its own religious celebrations in 1000 ad the church added November 2 as All Souls day a day to honor the dead and pray for the souls in purgatory All Souls day was celebrated in a manner similar to Sinn with bonfires parades and dressing up in costumes though now people dressed as Saints angels and Devils rather than as spirits of the Dead the blending of these Traditions eventually led
to the creation of All Hallows Eve the night before All Saints Day which in time became known as Halloween the word Halloween itself is derived from the term All Hallows Eve the evening before All Saints Day the Catholic Church's intent was to offer a Christian alternative to the Pagan Festival of sawin but many of the original Customs remained especially those inv evolving spirits and the supernatural Halloween as we know it today began to take shape in the United States during the 19th century massive waves of immigrants particularly the Irish fleeing the Irish Potato Famine brought
their Halloween customs to America Irish and Scottish communities continued their old traditions such as dressing up in costumes playing pranks and carving turnips into lanterns an early precursor to today's pumpkin Jacko lanterns in the early days of of Halloween in America pranks and Mischief were a central feature of the celebration young people would play tricks on their neighbors sometimes going so far as to damage property or cause chaos in the streets however by the late 19th century there was a movement to tone down the more unruly aspects of Halloween and focus on making it a
family-friendly event communities began organizing parties parades and festivals and the emphasis shifted from pranks to costumes and treats and by the 20th century Halloween had become a mainstream holiday in the United States it continued to evolve with trick-or-treating becoming a widespread practice in the 1920s and 1930s children would dress up in costumes and go door Todo asking for candy or other treats in exchange for refraining from playing tricks on the homeowners this tradition was heavily influenced by the earlier European practice of souling in which people would go from house to house on All Souls day
offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food as Halloween became more popular it also became more commercialized by the mid 20th century stores began selling pre-made costumes decorations and specially packaged Halloween candies today Halloween is one of the most commercially successful holidays in the United States second only to Christmas in terms of retail spending now the question is should Christians celebrate Halloween the question of whether Christians should celebrate Halloween is one that has sparked debate for many years years on the one hand Halloween's Origins Are undeniably pagan and some of its modern practices such
as the glorification of fear death and the Occult are clearly incompatible with Christian beliefs on the other hand many of the darker elements of Halloween have been Stripped Away or replaced with harmless fun such as dressing up in costumes attending parties and trick-or-treating for many Christians the fact that Halloween has pagan origins is reason enough to avoid it altogether together sawin the festival that eventually gave rise to Halloween was steeped in beliefs about spirits death and the supernatural even though many of these elements have been toned down or reinterpreted over the centuries Halloween still carries
some of the same themes of fear and darkness the Bible makes it clear that Christians should have no part in activities that involve the occult witchcraft or the worship of false gods in Deuteronomy 18: 10-12 there shall not be found among you anyone 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 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 for those who believe that Halloween still retains some of its pagan and occult Roots participating in the holiday can feel like compromising their faith as Christians we must ask ourselves Is it wise to engage in a holiday that aligns so closely with witchcraft and Pagan practices the Bible consistently warns us to avoid involvement with the occult divination and practices that invite spiritual Darkness Halloween which coincides with sawin the most sacred holiday for witches is a time when many engage in rituals
to honor the Dead and seek communication with the spiritual realm this is not a coincidence but a continuation of pagan Traditions that have carried over through history while Society May dress Halloween up as harmless fun with costumes candy and festivities it is essential to look beneath the surface what might seem innocent on the outside is still rooted in spiritual practices that the Bible clearly warns us against even though the modern version of Halloween has been commercialized and stripped of some of its darker elements the fact remains that witches and those practicing Pagan religions continue to
see this time as one of deep spiritual significance the Bible calls us to be holy set apart for God in 1 Peter 1:16 it says be holy because I am Holy another critical point to consider is the dramatic rise in the number of practicing witches in recent years according to recent analyses the number of practicing witches in the US has grown significantly in 1990 there were an estimated 8,000 practicing witches but by 2018 that number had surged to around 1.5 million surpassing some Mainline Protestant denominations including the Presbyterian Church this dramatic growth indicates a shift
in spiritual practices particularly in Western countries events like the pendel side hospice witch Festival in bareford park in Lancashire in 2022 which had 1,882 attendees further illustrate this Trend breaking the previous record of 1,67 attendees set in Spain in 2013 imagine that we are witnessing events where over 1,000 witches gather together and it has happened on more than one occasion while witches celebrate other holidays like Ule winter solstice and belain Halloween Remains the most important this fact should give Christians pause as the growing popularity of Witchcraft and Halloween's association with the occult reflect a spiritual
environment that is increasingly hostile to biblical values in contrast to its pagan Roots Halloween has become highly commercialized in modern times for many people the holiday is less about honoring the dead or engaging with the Supernatural and more about having fun with costumes candy and decorations the emphasis has shifted from its darker religious aspects to light-hearted activities that are largely seen as harmless for Christians who are concerned about the pagan origins of Halloween this commercialization can be viewed as a positive development the holiday has become so secularized that it Bears little resemblance to the ancient
Festival of sawin and for many people it has lost any spiritual or religious significance altogether However the fact that Halloween has been commercialized does not necessarily mean that it is appropriate for Christians to participate while dressing up in costumes or going trick or treating may seem harmless it's important to remember that not all aspects of Halloween are benign haunted houses horror movies and occult themed costumes still play a significant role in the holiday and these elements can send a confusing message to both Believers and non-believers participating in these darker aspects of Halloween can blur the
lines between good and evil leading to spiritual confusion one of the key principles of the Christian faith is the concept of freedom in Christ while we are called to live in accordance with God's word we are also given the freedom to make choices in areas where the Bible does not give Specific Instructions Romans 14: 5-6 says one person considers One Day More sacred than another another considers every day alike each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord this passage reminds us that
as Christians we have the freedom to make decisions about how we observe certain days and holidays Halloween is not mentioned in the bible so the decision of whether to celebrate it is is ultimately a matter of personal conviction for some Christians Halloween may be seen as an opportunity to engage with the community and participate in innocent fun without compromising their faith for others like myself the holidays association with the occult and the supernatural makes it too problematic to celebrate or be involved in my family my local church my children and I choose not to celebrate
Halloween due to its dark elements and its origins in Pagan beliefs I encourage other Christians to consider doing the same as Believers we should avoid associating with anything rooted in Pagan practices as 1 Corinthians 10:31 says whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God ask yourself can you truly celebrate Halloween in a way that glorifies God personally I cannot what about you comment below with your thoughts
