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This post was updated on 10/28/21. Is Halloween (Samhain) Innocent Fun was originally posted in October 2019.
An estimated 65% of Americans intend to celebrate Halloween or participate in Halloween activities this year, up from 58% in 2020 and comparable with 68% in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey consumers plan to spend an average of $102.74, marking the first time the amount has hit triple digits.
While Halloween is still dominated by the trick-or-treat crowd (82 percent), those without children are planning to embrace the holiday this year as well: (55 percent) plan to celebrate, up from 49 percent in 2020.
| Halloween Expenses for: | 2019 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Costumes | ||
| Decorations | ||
| Candy | ||
| Greeting Cards |
Wow, that’s a lot of hard-earned money spent on a night of demons, witches, spirits, and candy, Oh my! Is Halloween innocent fun? Let’s take a closer look. Where did all this originate?
Once Upon a Time Halloween … Saman, Lord of the Dead
It all began with a celebration of Saman, Lord of the Dead, who was the god of evil spirits. Julius Caesar wrote about the Gauls during his invasion campaigns in Ireland during the 4th Century BC. He wrote of their warlike inhabitants and many of their barbaric celebrations, which included Samhain (pronounced sow-in). In most of these accounts, Samhain is immersed in blood and sacrifice. Often in the earliest of times, those sacrifices were human.
Approximately 2,000 years ago, about the same time as Jesus, walked the earth; The Celts lived in the area of Ireland, the UK, and northern France. Their new year begins on November 1. Their New Years’ Eve celebration was called the festival of Samhain, (pronounced sow-in) and started at sunset.
This day marked the end of summer and the harvest. Celts believed that on Eve of Samhain, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred, and demons, witches, and evil spirits freely roamed the earth. Moreover, It was believed that this thin veil provided extra energy for communications between the living and the dead. Consequently, Druid Priests and Celtic Shamans attempted to tell the fortunes of the individuals. Is Halloween innocent fun?
The ceremonies of Samhain began by lighting a giant bonfire, to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
Halloween… I mean Samhain Costumes
During the Samhain eve, celebration the Celts wore costumes and danced around the bonfire. The Celts believed, demons had fun with mortals that night, frightening, harming, and playing tricks on them. Costumes were worn for three primary reasons:
- To honor the dead who were allowed to rise from the “Otherworld”.
- Celts dressed up as evil spirits in order to confuse the demons. Thereby ensuring, If you encountered a real demon they would think you were one of them.
- To honor the Celtic Gods and Goddesses of the harvest, fields, and flocks.
Trick or Treat
After the Samhain celebration was over, each family would take a torch or burning ember from the bonfire. Once home, they would relight the hearth fires that had been extinguished during the day. With the hearth fires lit, families would place food and drink outside to appease the roaming spirits who might play tricks on the family.
Likewise, in the Middle Ages, children and sometimes poor adults would dress up in costumes and go around door to door begging for food or money in exchange for songs and prayers, often said on behalf of the dead.
Modern-day trick-or-treating didn’t catch on in the US till the 1920s.
Witches
Where did the Wizard of Oz image of the witch with a pointy black hat and warty nose come into play? She was a pagan goddess known as “the crone,” AKA “the old one” and the “Earth mother,” who was honored during Samhain.
The Celts believed that after death, all souls went into the crone’s cauldron. The cauldron symbolized the “Earth mother’s” womb. There, the souls awaited reincarnation, as the goddess’ stirring allowed for new souls to enter the cauldron and old souls to be reborn. Is Halloween innocent fun?
Black Cats and Bats
The black cat’s bad reputation dates back to the Dark Ages when witch hunts were commonplace. Elderly, solitary women were often accused of witchcraft, and their pet cats were said to be their “familiars,” or demonic animals that had been given to them by the devil. Likewise, another medieval myth told that Satan turned himself into a cat when socializing with witches.
Moreover, medieval folklore also described bats as witches’ familiars and seeing a bat on Halloween was considered to be quite an ominous sign.
Roman Celebrations Merged with Samhain
By A.D. 43 the Roman Empire had succeeded in claiming the majority of the Celtic lands. They ruled for approximately four hundred years combining or influencing many Celtic traditional celebrations with their own. Two Roman holidays were merged with Samhain.
- Feralia, a day Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead.
- Pomona’s Day of Honoring, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees.
Then, Catholic Holidays then Merged with Roman
In 609 A.D., the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day was established. Pope Gregory III expanded the festival to include all saints along with martyrs and moved the date from May 13 to November 1. In 1000 A.D., the Catholic church made November 2 All Souls’ Day, their day to honor the dead. It’s widely believed that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, church-sanctioned holiday.
All Souls’ (Saints’) Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain. The All Saints’ Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before it, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, began to be called All-Hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.
Christians and Halloween?
What we call Halloween today has no direct reference in the Bible. However, there are many Biblical principles that directly relate to the celebration of Halloween. Consider the following verse from the amplified version of the Bible.
- Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is
- honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is
- right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is
- pure and wholesome, whatever is
- lovely and brings peace, whatever is
- admirable and of good repute;
- if there is any excellence,
- if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart] Phil 4:8
For a moment, let’s logically think about this $9 billion celebration (this is just in the USA) we call Halloween. Is Halloween innocent fun?
- The roots of Halloween are in the festival of Samhain.
- Celts worshiped Pagan gods.
- Celts sacrificed humans to their gods.
- the dead were consulted just to name a few items.
Does this day meet the criteria in Phillipians 4:8? Not at all!
The King of Heaven Speaks
What does God our Creator have to say? Is what Halloween represents acceptable for those who say they follow Jesus Christ?
“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord … you must be blameless before the Lord your God … the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.” – Deuteronomy 18:9-14 (NLT)
When the people [instead of trusting God] say to you, “Consult the mediums [who try to talk to the dead] and the soothsayers who chirp and whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? – Isaiah 8:19 (AMP)
A man or woman who speaks to spirits as a medium or necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall stone them. Their blood guilt shall be upon them. – Leviticus 20:27 (MEV)
Is Halloween innocent fun? Not according to our Father Gods’ declaration. Next, consider what a former satanist has to say.
John Ramirez Speaks on Halloween
John Ramirez is now a born-again believer and a Pastor. He knows all about the dark reality of Halloween. John states in an interview with CBN that he was a general to the kingdom of darkness in witchcraft. Furthermore, he once sacrificed animals as part of satanic rituals. His friends knew him as “Lucifer’s son.”
He strongly warns Christians against celebrating Halloween. John said “Halloween is the most diabolical demonic holiday. Halloween isn’t just about costumes and candy – there’s a much darker reality.”
John Ramirez stated, that in his opinion; other events Christians hold such as “Trunk or Treat” nights, are really no different. “Why would you pick a day … October 31st and then call it “harvest”? You’re going to dress people up. You’re going to bring candy. What is the difference between that and Halloween?
Is Halloween innocent fun? Not according to John Ramirez or Anton Lavey.
“after one’s own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht and Halloween.”
Anton LaVey
I Was Blind, But Know I See
Yes as I child, my parents allowed me to celebrate Halloween. As a young parent, I allowed my children to celebrate Halloween. My 3-year-old daughter wet herself and cried after being unnecessarily scared as we walked up to a house. What looked like a stuffed dummy, jumped up off the porch and growled at the unsuspecting kids as they approached. Therefore, I no longer allowed my kids to go door to door. Yes, I did take them on occasion to church “harvest” events.
However, God was stirring my spirit and I began researching and finally understood the dark satanic agenda. You see Satan is the master deceiver. He hates our guts and enjoys pulling the wool over people’s eyes.
Especially those who claim to be Christians. I have been trying to educate Christians and others of this psyop of his.
Is Halloween innocent fun? NO, IT IS NOT! IT IS A LURE of the demonic realm. This could be the first tiny step into opening a door that God is warning you away from. God does not wish that any should perish. This is one reason why He is so adamant that we:
- Reject every kind of evil. 1 Thes 5:22
- Do not imitate what is evil but what is good. 3 John 1:11
- Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom 12:2
In Conclusion
Perhaps it’s time to take a stand against the sneaky tactics of the one that wants to destroy us and our families.
- Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Pe 5:8
- Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Co 11:14
- We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12
Maranatha! Until next time, I am Passionately Loving Jesus, the Anchor of my Soul.
Maranatha! Until next time, I am Passionately Loving Jesus, the Anchor of my Soul.
Information gathered from:
- TIME.com
- LiveScience.com
- The Pagans Path – Samhain History
- What is Halloween and should Christians celebrate it?
- John Ramirez Ministries
