Happy Halloween! Or not...

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Permalink Reply by Hammie_Lammie on October 30, 2009 at 8:25pm

I gave up Halloween because it's my conviction that it is not something I should participate. I used to love Halloween when I was a non-Christian.

I believe we don't need to get any revelation for this because sometimes God wants you to decide how you want to honor Him. (And it all depends on what kind of revelation you are waiting for. Maybe He did give us revelation but people choose to look the other way.)

Let me put it this way. What is the spirit of Halloween beneath the supposed "fun" and "thrill"? What are people celebrating?

Maybe... if I have the courage to get myself into a Bible custom or walking cross, I will participate in one of those Halloween party.

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Permalink Reply by Adira on October 30, 2009 at 9:50pm

Tried to get my husband to dress up as Martin Luther this year, and he felt like no one would get the implications.

That kind of made me very sad, because it is more than likely true. Very few will go "yay for Martin Luther" tomorrow.

Aside from that. I L-O-V-E Halloween!

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Permalink Reply by Drowned on October 30, 2009 at 10:42pm

I wonder, when did Halloween become such a dark thing in the eyes of Christians? Every older (55-75 age range) one I've talked to lately has mentioned only their love of the holiday and how much they adore watching the kids dress up. My grandfather, for instance, was one of the most pro-Halloween men I've met in my life. And he was Baptist Deacon! =O

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Permalink Reply by Spy Hunter on October 30, 2009 at 10:52pm

Halloween itself is an excuse to get wild and crazy. The resemblances to the Celtic Samhain and the Mexican Dia Del Muertos are pretty thin. La Dia Del Muertos is actually based from the Catholic All Saints' Day, while Samhain (which means "summer's end", and is actually the Irish Gaelic name for the month of November) actually resembles Shemini Atzeret, which is the eighth day of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles that usually takes place in October. Of course, that goes along with people who think Druidism had its roots in the Jewish Disapora, but that's another thread entirely.

Halloween is itself harmless, so have a good time. It's the stuff that coincides with it that is an effrontery to goodness and holiness, and I don't see how someone can't eat candy with their unsaved friends while opposing more of the dark practices that take place.
I don't know if anything happens here in Texas, but my area of Oregon saw a bonfire in the woods outside of virtually every town. One year I even lost a black cat.

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Permalink Reply by Cassondra on October 30, 2009 at 11:13pm

Hammie: I celebrate getting to dress up and candy, mostly.

Adira: I love Halloween, too. Which is why this question is such a problem for me.

Drowned: I don't know when Halloween started looking so dark, but nowadays with the internet and all, we know more about the origins of things and such then we did before. I think before people just took things at face value and maybe they didn't really know the origins like we do.

Spy: I thought Halloween had a lot to do with Samhain (although Dia De Los Muertos is entirely different, IMO). I know eating candy with your friends and dressing up as cool things is harmless...but what if by doing these things you appear to be promoting the evil things that come along with Halloween, thus causing your weaker brother to stumble?

Halloween is very...secular nowadays, I think. Does this seeming disconnect with its origins make it ok to celebrate it. Or has it been redeemed from its origins?

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Permalink Reply by Skiouros on October 30, 2009 at 11:21pm

I love Halloween! It's my favorite holiday...and at 20 I still dress up every year. lol
This doesn't sit well with my step dad. He doesn't think Christians should participate at all.

Ultimately, I think it's a decision you have to make on your own. And I don't do it to glorify evil, I do it for the fun and the candy.

Also, I think you should make a full decision...don't halfway it! I hate when Christians celebrate in the exact same manner, but do it on a different day or call it something different and act like it's not the same thing. (On a related note, I hate "Judment Houses.")

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Permalink Reply by RETS on October 31, 2009 at 1:53am

I always like to point out in discussions like these, preferably before someone goes on a massive anti-Halloween kick, that if you wish to give up Halloween and condemn those who do celebrate it... Well, prepare to give up nearly every other holiday as well.

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Permalink Reply by Spy Hunter on October 31, 2009 at 9:06am

Samhain has more in common with Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, than it does with modern Halloween.

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Permalink Reply by Hammie_Lammie on October 31, 2009 at 9:31am

RETS said:

I always like to point out in discussions like these, preferably before someone goes on a massive anti-Halloween kick, that if you wish to give up Halloween and condemn those who do celebrate it... Well, prepare to give up nearly every other holiday as well.

Muhahahaha...

I don't feel sorry for being anti-Halloween. I don't think there is a reason for me to give up Christmas or Easter so I won't be a hypocrite for anti-Halloween. After all, Christmas and Easter, although had pagan origin and mixed with lots of blah non-Christianity related whoo-whooness, are considered as Christian holidays by most people including non-Christians. Christmas and Easters become memorial of Christ's birth and resurrection and give thanks to God. But I fail to see how Halloween help us give thanks to God. Perhaps, we shall start take over Halloween by sharing with friends how scary a man whom were pronounced dead emerged from a tomb two thousand years ago. A man walked on the water and people thought He was a ghost. Then, this dude also told His disciples to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Then, share how scary hell is and so on. Then, we can take Halloween over and celebrate it as the "dark easter". (Lord Jesus have mercy on me. You know I am just joking, right?) Hmm... you guys should check out the trailer of "Zombie Jesus".

Sorry, I had enough fun with Halloween as a non-believer. I know what ideas and thoughts runs in my little silly unsaved head back then. So I celebrate Halloween no more even though it was my second favorite holiday after Christmas.

I do not look down on Christians who celebrate Halloween. It just doesn't make any logical sense to me to claim to be a Christ loving Christian while participating in celebration of dark because of my past. But then again, I am the crazy hamster who believes that God created evil.

If you believe that you are using this opportunity to build relationship with non-believers and go on with Jesus dinned with sinners etc, uhm, ok. You know why you are in a Halloween party. I don't know your thoughts. I only know if you ever find me in one, ideas related to "building relationship with them so I could be a light and salt" would be the last thing in my silly head. I would be there to party. But you may be more noble and strong in faith than me. I build my relationship with them in other ways.

Being born in a country full of pagan practices and religions, there were a lot of feasts and celebrations for "spirits" and gods. So it is not a comfortable thing for me to be participate in Halloween related functions because they reminded me of those pagan celebrations. In a way, I admit I can be paranoid over matters and link them to pagan belief or dark spirituality.

However, if you don't feel anything wrong or celebrating Halloween would dent your relationship with God, go party and have fun. Don't let a hamster with crazy past involvement in pagan practices stop you.

Maybe I should consider celebrating Jewish holidays list in the Bible only.

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Permalink Reply by RETS on October 31, 2009 at 10:41am

Oh, I like the hamster with the crazy past.

Actually, I was talking mainly about those folks who are very much anti-Halloween, but also feel the need to condemn anyone who celebrates it. Near as I can tell, you don't fall into that category.


If I go to a Halloween party, there will be three reasons. First, I'm there to have fun with friends. Seriously.
Secondly, I'm there in full costume because it's the only time of year I can flaunt my makeup talents without people looking at me strangely. (see picture)

Thirdly, if the Lord leads, I have no problems in opening up a can of "died-for-your-rear" on the party as a whole. Done it before and I'll do it again. If I may quote the hamster:

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Permalink Reply by Juan Carlos Estremera on October 31, 2009 at 11:45am

Spy Hunter said:

Samhain has more in common with Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, than it does with modern Halloween.

I agree. Also, I don't know where Holloween started being about demons and stuff, many pagans do not believe in demons or satan, they consider them "Christian mythology." I can see one point of view; why celebrate the new year of a religion we don't observe? Not everyone observes Rosh Hashannah. But on the other hand, it's fun and gives us a reason to be with friends and family, if nothing else. The origins had nothing to do with demons or satan, so why worry about it?

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Permalink Reply by Hammie_Lammie on October 31, 2009 at 12:08pm

Demons and Satan are what you westerners call it.

Asian pagans believe in spirits and do classify them into "good" and "evil".

In Taiwan, the 15th of the 7th month of Lunar calendar, we have a similar "Halloween" celebration. We called it the "month of ghost". On that day, all the spirits in hell would be allowed to come out to breath some fresh air. So on that day, in order to please them so they won't bring harm to human beings, we would have celebration for them to entertain them. There are rituals being done on that day as well.

Somehow, I have this believe all cultures have something like this. And Halloween was the Western counterpart of "Month of ghost". Hence I believe the origin of Halloween has something to do w/ worshiping and pleasing spirits that are not of God.

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