Halloween is one of the big days of the Pagan/Occult calendar of Druids, Witches & Satanists. Trick or Treat?

Question

Do you celebrate Halloween or All Saints Day? Does your church hold an alternative "Harvest Festival" to give families an alternative activity?

I've read about a new DVD that traces the pagan origins, history and rituals of Halloween. The occult rituals seen in this film are real and not re-enactments. This dramatic documentary may change many opinions on Halloween!

There are lots of anti-Christian, pro-Halloween web sites out there, masquerading as objective.

Some Christians view Halloween simply as a day to dress up in a costume and have fun.

Other Christians regard Halloween as a satanic holiday designed to worship evil spirits and promote darkness and wickedness. So, who is right? Is it possible for a Christian to participate in Halloween without compromising their faith?

Halloween, no matter how commercialized, has completely pagan origins. As innocent as it may seem to some, it is not something to be taken lightly. Christians tend to have various ways to celebrate or not to celebrate Halloween.

For some, it means having an “alternative” Harvest Party. For others, it is staying away from the ghosts, witches, goblins, etc., and wearing less evil or pagan costumes e.g., little princesses, clowns, cowboys, super-heroes, etc.

Do you hide out on Halloween, with light out like not home? What else can we we do?

BOO!!

Some one asked for a link to the new DVD on Halloween. I wasn't going to "promote" the sales this way, but since I have been asked...

http://christiananswers.net/catalog/halloween-vs.html

All the seemingly innocent symbolism of Halloween — black cats, snakes, broomsticks, bonfires, “trick or treat,” jack-o-lanterns, apple dunking and Halloween costumes — has its roots in Sorcery, Witchcraft and Satanism. Parents' responsibilities are challenged to decide whether to allow their children to participate in celebrations which glorify Pagan Occultism.

Seth thanks for adding some more web sites, but your web link is a "New Age" sight created by an "astrolager" who only identifies herself by her first name Marcia.

Not a great source of info IMHO.

The site says "Before becoming an astrologer, Marcia was involved with various New Age, occult, and Eastern beliefs and practices, including Inner Light Consciousness, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Hindu teachings and meditation, and psychic development classes. During these years, she also participated in past life regression, numerology, Tarot cards, spirit contact, seances, astral travel, and received a spirit guide through a guided visualization."

Frankly I'm not limiting myself to a new age lady who doesn't give her full name.

She is the kind of person who might be comfortable with celebrating an old Celtic pagan holiday, but I am squeemish about it.

Sorry, I don't mean to spoil clean fun. But clean fun is not at all what "hell night" arsons and halloween car eggings.

these traditions are all about having fun being bad. "Treat me OR ELSE!"

The second web link was part of the "The Wiccan Pages". Sorry, not interested in wiccans beliefs either.

Every honest source agrees that the holiday has "baggage" from God haters. I think we need to pray to Him about what to do.

I don't mean to be a kill joy. But God comes first in my life! If I can't ask His blessings on an activity, I can't go ahead with it.

If it is all about the candy bars, we can just have a "candy day" at home with our children, safe from needles in apples, etc.

Answer 1

I enjoyed Halloween when I was young because of the fun of wearing a costume and knocking on doors. I know the purpose of Halloween and why we wear costumes.

I do not participate in Halloween as an adult. Our church has an annual harvest time for adults and children. I would never celebrate Halloween. It used to be intended for fun for children.

Thanks though, for posting this. I know your intentions are good.

Answer 2

Occult Calendar

Answer 3

Halloween was my favorite Holiday before I became a Christian, but sense then I hate it. We never celebrated Halloween with our children. We did go to All Saints celebrations with the Children at church. They're having an alternative at the Church I go to now but I didn't sign up as I have in the past. I have come to the conclusion that these alternatives look too much like Halloween. Our church has a big jackolantern out front right at this moment. A pumpkin...fine, but not a jackolantern. Some of the kids never get the fact that it's supposed to be an alternative and they come dressed as occultic characters. I really think all the churches need to open their doors on Halloween and have a sermon and some serious prayer on that Day. They could have a hay ride,give bags of candy at the door or something, maybe have a dinner afterward. But what we are doing now, looks too much like Halloween to me. I think the people have them as a safe way for their kids to celebrate Halloween instead of a way to avoid the occulticness of it. I like what worshipful heart said her church did.God bless!!!

Answer 4

Halloween is a commercialized holiday, Samhain is sacred to us, so please stop promoting images of evil and hate. That is not what we are about.

All Saint's Day is a Christian holiday. I don't go around calling it evil or bad, why do you have to treat us with so little respect? I posted several questions recently about us all turning the other cheek when someone offers us words of ill will or calls us mean spirited names, like evil, like you just did.

I turn the other cheek. I hope sincerely that you have learned something by reading all these very informative answers from my fellow pagans. We are good people, you just happen to believe in something different from what we believe. And there are many paths to spiritual truth.

so mote it be!
Lady Morgana )0(
pagan Witch

Answer 5

Our church used to have a "Bring in the Light" night
I attended a few so called "harvest Festivals" and 'alternatives to halloween' but found they were just Halloween in disguise.
Bring in the light night was nice- people did not have to hide out at home and pretend they were not home, they did not have to compromise. We would all go to the church, we would have a short time of prayer, then we would have popcorn and a movie and a time to just hang out and fellowship. No one wore costumes, though you were not turned away if you came in one, but there was no emphasis on alternative tick or treating or halloween games and activities. We learned the origins of Halloween but it was not a time focused on preaching the evils and condemning those that celebrated it.
There was not the tones of cowering in in fear while the rest of the world celebrated evil nor was there the tones of anger or condemnation about what was going on outside- it was just a time to fellowship and enjoy an extended family (church family) night in a safe environment and it was certainly not halloween dressed up as something else seemingly acceptable for the church to participate in.

Answer 6

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I always dress up. I do dress in something cute because I am a nurse and I don't want to upset my patients. I did have a patient whose husband was a fundamentalist preacher and he wouldn't allow me to see his wife, even though I was dressed as Raggedy Ann. That was the only time I ever had an objection.

I guess because I have celtic (Irish) origins, the pagan aspects of holidays (and ALL holidays have pagan references) don't bother me.

Isn't it just nicer to let people live their lives the way they want to?

Answer 7

This Is no Kiddie holiday !!
Samhain began at sundown on October 31 and extended into the following day. According to the Celtic pagan religion, known as Druidism, the spirits of those who had died in the preceding year roamed the earth on Samhain evening. The Celts sought to ward off these spirits with offerings of food and drink. The Celts also built bonfires at sacred hilltop sites and performed rituals, often involving human and animal sacrifices, to honor Druid deities.

By the end of the 1st century ad, the Roman Empire had conquered most of the Celtic lands (see Rome, History of). In the process of incorporating the Celts into their empire, the Romans adapted and absorbed some Celtic traditions as part of their own pagan and Catholic religious observances. In Britain, Romans blended local Samhain customs with their own pagan harvest festival honoring Pomona, goddess of fruit trees. Some scholars have suggested that the game of bobbing for apples derives from this Roman association of the holiday with fruit.
It's not Innocent !

Answer 8

I celebrate halloween...
there are good occults and bad occults, just like there are good christians and bad christains, and like christianity, you need to take everything with a grain of salt. Every halloween, I set up a alter to honor my dead family, say a few blessings, dress my kids up and go trick or treating. Nothing evil there. I don't sacrafice black cats at midnight, or small children. Most pagans unless they are participating in a group ritual are in bed by 10 cause they have to work the next day;) don't take everything you see as total reality...
alright, I'm adding on now. Every Christian holiday has their roots in some sort of pagan mystisim. Do you celebrate Christmas? I bet you get a tree...pine tree actually. The pagans believed the pine tree (evergreen) to represent the life that is to come after the long winter. Do you burn a yule log? Pagans burnt one every year on Yule (the solstice holiday) which happens to occure around christmas. How about easter? do you do a egg hunt? eggs represent fertility to pagans. Alot of things arent' what they seem. If you really want to cut out all things pagan from your life, your christain holidays would be rather dull, kinda like a jehovas witness(who don't celebrate holidays at all) so before you buy into the "devils birthday" hype, do some research for youself and see what everything symbolises. and NO, most pagans honestly don't sacrafice animals, all live is sacred to us. Please please, just do some simple research
** add on**
if your not interested in beliefs other then your own, why did you ask? If you ask for gods blessing, what kind of sign are you expecting from him? a burning bush saying it's ok to trick or treat? or a booming voice from the heavens saying , hey, it's the year 2007, have fun on october 31st like everyone else and don't worry about it?? I'm now sorry I even answered this question...typical of just about every christian I ever met who was afraid to branch out and learn about others, because it might interfear with their beliefs.

Answer 9

most churches to a harvest festival as an alternative to halloween.

i personally think that its fun to sit out on the front porch giving candy to kids who are all dressed up. i love seeing all the little outfits they have. especially the dogs who are dressed up!

Answer 10

So you're read about something that you've never actually seen for yourself?

Sounds like how Christianity and Catholicism was born.

Edit: "These traditions are about having fun being bad. Treat me or else!"

Ever hear of the inquisition? "Convert to Christianity or we'll kill you." There's a big difference between changing your beliefs or be killed and not giving candy and having your mailbox TP'd.

It's funny how "His" believers are about being closeminded when "He" was about giving love and accepting people.