Christians, your opinion on halloween please?

Question

I'm not sure what to do, when I was younger my mom didn't let me celebrate Halloween and then she changed her opinion, but I chose not to do it anyways. Now my friends want me to go trick or treating (at 15 I may seem to old, but everyone in school does it for candy) They also want me to go to a haunted house. Being the adrenaline junkie type person, it seems like something I would like and I sort of want to go, but I'm not sure if I should.

The thing that bothers me is the roots of Halloween. It is a pagan holiday and long ago human sacrifices were made on this day. Some wiccan/witchcraft groups still take it seriously.

Answer 1

Just because something is very "popular" or masks itself as "fun" (I mean what kid doesn't like candy?) doesn't mean we should just jump on the bandwagon. You sound like a very conscientious young person, which is GREAT! And you are at that age where if you go against the grain, you may risk feeling like the oddball out, because let's face it, misery loves company, and you could face a little peer pressure for your choices. I do understand your enjoying candy, and I also understand wanting to feel excited and thrilled, (good thing we have amusement parks,lol) but you're going to find that lots of activities that come up are going to challenge your own personal conscience, and only you will have to live with those choices. Yes, you would have temporary fun, but the bigger question, if you are wondering from a Christian viewpoint, is: Would God or Jesus approve of Halloween as it is now or how it's ever been? I'm gonna say the chances are, 99.9%, oh what the heck, I'll say 100% NO. It is nice to see young people who at least think beforehand about their choices, though. That is something you can be proud of.

Answer 2

from Reasoning from the Scriptures
Holidays
What underlies holidays in memory of the “spirits of the dead”?

The 1910 edition of The Encyclopædia Britannica states: “All Souls’ Day . . . the day set apart in the Roman Catholic Church for the commemoration of the faithful departed. The celebration is based on the doctrine that the souls of the faithful which at death have not been cleansed from venial sins, or have not atoned for past transgressions, cannot attain the Beatific Vision, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the mass. . . . Certain popular beliefs connected with All Souls’ Day are of pagan origin and immemorial antiquity. Thus the dead are believed by the peasantry of many Catholic countries to return to their former homes on All Souls’ night and partake of the food of the living.”—Vol. I, p. 709.

The Encyclopedia Americana says: “Elements of the customs connected with Halloween can be traced to a Druid ceremony in pre-Christian times. The Celts had festivals for two major gods—a sun god and a god of the dead (called Samhain), whose festival was held on November 1, the beginning of the Celtic New Year. The festival of the dead was gradually incorporated into Christian ritual.”—(1977), Vol. 13, p. 725.

The book The Worship of the Dead points to this origin: “The mythologies of all the ancient nations are interwoven with the events of the Deluge . . . The force of this argument is illustrated by the fact of the observance of a great festival of the dead in commemoration of the event, not only by nations more or less in communication with each other, but by others widely separated, both by the ocean and by centuries of time. This festival is, moreover, held by all on or about the very day on which, according to the Mosaic account, the Deluge took place, viz., the seventeenth day of the second month—the month nearly corresponding with our November.” (London, 1904, Colonel J. Garnier, p. 4) Thus these celebrations actually began with an honoring of people whom God had destroyed because of their badness in Noah’s day.—Gen. 6:5-7; 7:11.

Such holidays honoring “spirits of the dead” as if they were alive in another realm are contrary to the Bible’s description of death as a state of complete unconsciousness.—Eccl. 9:5, 10; Ps. 146:4.

Regarding the origin of belief in immortality of the human soul, see pages 101, 102, under the main heading “Death,” and pages 379, 380, under “Soul.

Answer 3

It really depends on your reason for celebrating it!
It is always good to celebrate and get into the neighborly spirit. For some this is the only time they see who is living aroung them. So I say, It is healthy to get into the spirit and share with your friends but if you use it as an opportunity to grand stand religous ideals then it becomes overshadowed by guilt and pagan references.

I think God, Allah, or Buddah, what ever your religous preference, would be OK, with us, having fun and dressing up as fictional characters, as long as we aren't using them as idolic representations of our beliefs.

The true origins never had anything to do with the Devil or human sacrifices nor am I aware of human sacrifices being committed specifically on this holiday by ANY main stream group or culture in history.

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

Answer 4

halloween is not the only holiday adopted from the pagans. may day easter and christmas also have pagan influences. but that does not make them evil. all religions borrown something from other religions.

today halloween is very different from the ancient pagan holiday. yes human scarifices were made on this day, but mind you this was over 2000 years ago, and every religion used sacrifice as a means of worship at some point. pagans today celebrate it as a new year and as the final harvest festival. there is nothing brooding and evil about it.

halloween is now a cultural holiday. so have fun and let loose.

Answer 5

Of course you should if you want to? I see no harm. Some people don't want to celebrate Halloween b/c they think it is worshiping the devil. In reality all you're doing is having fun and getting a little candy. I don't see how this could be bad. Seriously, why does something that is fun have to be made into a huge issue?

Answer 6

Celebrate it! Any way you want. If you want candy, fun? go for it. If you want to pay tribute to the dead loved ones or those in memory, or even just in recognition that they are still part of our world. (weather they can influence it physically or just in our thoughts) Do it. any way that's fitting to you.

Halloween never originated as anything evil. The Celts/Druids/Pagans celebrated the harvest, gave thanks for the bounty to see them through the winter and promise for the new spring to come. (yes, gave sacrifice, too. Not necessarily human, mind you- human sacrifice was more commonly heard of in history when it was the Christians burning "witches "for their "pagan" beliefs - their medical or spiritual knowledge, or any truth that might make others question... )
Before Christianity, pagans had love of life and beliefs of an after life- apparent by their healthy respect for the dead, for nature, etc.... they didn't take for granted that winter would always end, that spring would always save them with new bounty before the stores of last harvest were spent, or that the new harvest would bear enough....
When Rome/Christianity rose to power, they crushed out pagan religions by force. Part of their "total cleansing" included covering over pagan holidays and ritual practices w/Christian holidays- giving them Christian meanings. (brace yourself! But truth is, ALL the Christian holidays we celebrate today are re-written re-makes of pagan holidays. RITUAL is the one thing that remains with the people longer than a generation, or any specific stories, reasons.. The Christian empire's other option would be to exterminate all pagan followers. But since the Christian church survives on it's follower's fear and "contributions" - killing them off would only lower the revenue/tithe payers.)
you get the picture?

Answer 7

So, your major objection is that you think Halloween has "pagan roots"??
Do you celebrate Christmas? Did you know that many, if not all, of the traditions we as Christians hold dear actually had their beginnings in paganism? Yet, we have taken these traditions, and made them our own. Whatever "they" are celebrating on that day, I am celebrating the birth of Christ, as Christians have been doing for 2000 years.
Do you celebrate Easter? Again, it is true that many, if not most, of the traditions that have been incorporated into our celebration of Christ's resurrection...the holiest time of all, for Christianity...come from paganism. And yet, I can't see Jesus frowning because a little child celebrates His resurrection with a fluffy bunny and some chocolate eggs...

Whatever the origins of Halloween (All Saints Day!), it has become a time for kids to dress up and play pranks, have parties, and collect candy. If it ever was "Satan's Day", how it must irritate him to hear the kids screams and giggles, and how he must gnash impotent teeth as the little ones enjoy their childish pranks, and their candy.
My own opinion, as a Christian, a Mom, and a Grandmother, is that you need to lighten up, and go enjoy the holiday as kids ought to be doing...and thank God for it.
Halloween, like all the rest of the days in the year, is a Day that the Lord has made...go, and rejoice, and be glad in it!!

Answer 8

I'm a year older than you, and I've never celebrated Halloween. I'm a Christian, as is my family.

Basically, Halloween is a pagan festival shrouded in the guise of a holiday. Also, the whole principle of knocking on peoples' doors and demanding sweets is not right. Leaving offerings of food and drink (now candy) to masked and costumed revelers is an ancient custom stemming from Samhain, a pagan Celt festival, thought to be the predecessor to Halloween. Samhain, now Halloween, was also known as Night of the Dead. Until recent times in some parts of Europe, it was believed that on this night the dead walked amongst them, and that witches and warlocks flew in their midst. In preparation for this, bonfires were built to ward off these evil spirits.

It may be disappointing to see everyone else going out on Halloween but surely it's better to set an example to your friends and say: "Sorry, but as a Christian I don't feel that it is right for me to come a celebrate Halloween. I hope you enjoy yourselves." That's what I've always told my friends, and they respect that.

I very strongly advise that you don't celebrate Halloween. It might seem harmless, but it really isn't. It's all to do with evil spirits and pagan customs. Please don't celebrate it!

Answer 9

Its a tough question to answer, as many people are very opinionated about Halloween. Halloween for you should be about having fun, and dressing up....not glorifying Satan. Going to a haunted house IS about the adrenaline rush, and I don't have a problem with it. My church actually has an organized group going to Knotts Scary farm, which if you are not familiar is a theme park that is set up with scary monsters walking around, they have haunted houses/mazes etc. Personally I think that it is fine for you to go, but know your limits with this stuff because you need to differentiate between having fun on Halloween, and glorifying Satan. Don't go using a Juigi board for example.

Answer 10

honey, almost all of your Christian holidays have pagan roots.


Halloween I.E. Samhain (sow-en) was not a day of sacrifices, it was a day of warding off evil spirits and what not, they burned fires on hills to ward off spirits until daylight came, etc etc etc.

Christmas comes from the Roman *PAGAN* holiday Saturnalia, it celebrated harvest and waht not.

there were very many holidays celebrating 'rebirth' in the spring like the christian easter. i'm not sure how old it is by this name but the Pagan religions (specifically wicca) now celebrate Beltaine, equivalancies of which were around looong before chrisitianity or even judaism.


very little in chrisitanity is new or special to it (heck, even a 'savior that dies and is reborn to save humans' isn't a christian idea.) if you've got a problem with pagan religions then i'd suggest not celebrating *any* holidays, because all of them were around long before christianity ever existed.