Trick or Treat?

IMORTANT NOTE: although we encourage awareness of Halloween and its origins, we ask you to please not research it in depth. The witchcraft and satanic practices are still real today, and learning about them can be very deadly to a believer, or anyone for that matter.

Hey all, I thought that since it's halloween today, and not many people are aware of it's origins a post about might be in order, so we're taking a quick break from the meditation series to post this. :)

I’ve heard several opinions on Halloween. Some people believe that it is an evil holiday and Christians should avoid it and everything to do with it like the plague, others think that it’s a good opportunity to dress up, get candy and have some harmless fun. I myself have enjoyed dressing up and going trick or treating, but I also know that the origins of Halloween aren’t that great. So let’s take a look at the holiday’s history.

• Halloween was first celebrated about 2,000 years ago as the Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1, the day marked the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of the freezing winter, which was usually associated with death. They believed that the night before the New Year the boundaries between the living and the dead are blurred. They believed that on the night of October 31 ghosts of the dead would return to earth, they thought that the spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests predict the future. Druids would build gargantuan, sacred fires where people would burn crops, animals and sometimes humans as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. The people would gather in celebration, they would dress up in costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and try to tell each others fortunes. It is said that if a person did not give sacrifices to the spirits that they would be punished, but if they did give to them they would be rewarded, thus the modern “Trick or Treat”. It is also said that the spirits would posses the people.

• On All Souls Day in England the poor would go around asking people for food, and in return would pray for the souls of their dead relatives. At the time it widely believed that a person’s soul could not enter heaven until it was prayed for. The Christian church encouraged this to replace the practice of leaving food and drink out for the spirits. The poor people would be given “soul cakes”, pastries for the people who promised to pray for the dead.

• What about jack o’lanterns? How did they start? The early Celtic people were said to take embers from the sacred fires and bring them to their homes to start their fires. They would carry them in hollowed out turnips or gourds. The Irish myth that gave the jack o’lantern its name, says that a man know as “Stingy Jack”, who was swindler and a drunk, invited the devil to have a drink with him. Apparently Jack was able to convince the devil to change himself into a coin so he could buy the drink. The trickster took the coin and placed it in his pocket next to a silver cross which trapped the devil and prevented him from changing back. Eventually Jack freed him on the condition that he would leave him alone for a year. After a year had passed, Jack managed to trick the devil into climbing a tree to retrieve some fruit, while the devil was up in the tree Jack carved a cross in it, once again trapping him. This time Jack freed him on the condition that he’d stop seeking his soul. When Jack died, he was not accepted into heaven because of his wrong doings, neither was he accepted into hell because the devil would not go back on his deal. According to the story the devil took pity on Jack and gave him an ember in a hollowed out turnip to carry on his lonesome wanderings of the earth. People in Ireland and Scotland would make jack o’lanterns to ward off Stingy Jack and other restless spirits. Creepy isn't it?

So now that we know a little about the history of Hollows Eve, what does the Bible have to say about it?

Ephesians 5:7-11

Therefore do not be partners with them. For you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light. (For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

Also…

Deuteronomy 18:10-12

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their 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; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.

More Verses:

2 Corinthians 6:16-18

2 Corinthians 7:1

Jeremiah 10:2

Galatians 5:19-20

1 Corinthians 10:20, 21

1Thesolonians 5:21

Romans 12:2

According to these verses we should not have anything to with the ways of the world, but does that mean trick or treating is wrong? That we shouldn’t carve Jack o’lanterns? I think that what it all comes down to is your heart, and what is distracting to you. Now obviously the origins of Halloween are quite evil, but I don’t think that necessarily means we can’t get together to dress up and eat candy. So now that I’ve told you all these facts, verses and what I think, what’s your opinion?

Questions to Ponder:

Do you think that people really consorted with evil spirits?

What about the story of Stingy Jack, is there any truth in it?

What does all this mean to Christians, what are we to do about Halloween?

How can we avoid falling into ways that are evil?

How can we encourage one another in the ways of God?

Do you think that people still consort with evil spirits? If so what should a Christian do when you meet one?

Please leave your answers, thoughts and any questions you might have in the comment box. Go!