Should Christians celebrate Halloween?

[MichaelZ]

We have a Harvest Fest at church where the families come with the kiddos. There is Christian entertainment for every age. This year is country western theme and volunteers pass out goodies at booths and just walking around. It was great fun last year for adults too🎃

I can see the value in this. A family by us has a big fall party in mid-October as well. The fun without the association with witches, devils, and ghosts. Also, another family used to put on a spring costume party and square dance for church friends but nobody dressed as a witch, devil, or other sinister character.

 

[MichaelZ]

Looking forward to the pagan holiday threads. High entertainment venue for sure.

I realize that Christmas was a substitute for a pagan holiday, but to Christians, it is the celebration of Christ’s birth and lends an opportunity to share the good news. I give out all kinds of tracts at Christmas time, and folks take them. The traditional Christmas carols have a wonderful message. I was in a Christmas musical last year and we ended up giving out over 100 tracts with the gospel message in our local community, something never done before! Yes, Christmas has its questionable origin, but it can and does serve as a great way to reach people for Christ! Halloween, at best, is a good party, and hopefully without some lady dressing as a hooker or witch, or some kid in a devil costume.

 

[aalligator45]

Because it's fun?

Sneaking out of the house is fun but you're not supposed to do that. Halloween is the same thing.

 

[Lanolin]

I went to a church full of witches once. I didnt know at first it was one before they started casting spells but they called it prayers and almost all of them were widows who had killed their husbands or nagged them to death. I was terrified.

 

[tourist]

I went to a church full of witches once. I didnt know at first it was one before they started casting spells but they called it prayers and almost all of them were widows who had killed their husbands or nagged them to death. I was terrified.

The nagging them to death seems a bit problematic.

During a trip to Orlando my soon to be wife asked me to go online to locate an SDA church that we could visit on Saturday. With the directions in hand we set out from Walt Disney World. Got to the parking lot. I must've screwed up because it was not an SDA church but rather a Buddhists Temple.

I told her "sorry about that" and said we were leaving. She said that" no we are not, and that God put us there for a reason".

We went inside and met the man in charge who was sitting quietly in the corner. I said 'Shalom' and, as was custom there, took off our shoes. We spent a few peaceful minutes inside looking at the stained-glass windows and statues. My honey gave the man a $20 dollar donation and offered thanks for the gracious hospitality. He said we were both welcome. She also gave him a bible tract about salvation.

Before we left, he offered us a glass of tea and an apple. Very nice man. As we were walking out the door we saw that he was reading the bible tract. The Word of God is never returned void. Who knows what came of the spiritual seed that my soon to be wife planted.

Most interesting and memorable experience. Well worth the cost of admission.

 

[Kavik]

Well, All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day was supposed to be a christian replacement for the pagan festival of samhain, not sure that worked out all that well since those parts seemed to have been forgotten in modern times. I'd say it depends on what your celebrating, mind you for a lot of people it's nothing more than a costume party.

Many assert that the establishment of All Hallows' Eve, All Saint’s Day and All Souls Day (collectively, 'Hallowtide') was the early church’s attempt to “Christianize the Gaelic Samhain” or co-opt some of its customs, but this not at all the case nor does it stand to reason. Think about this logically for a moment, why would the church change a major feast day affecting all of Western Christendom just to accommodate a small group of Christians who lived on, what would be considered at that time, some remote group of islands in the middle of nowhere, centuries after Druidism and the observance of Samhain? The final change from May to November was primarily initiated by the German Christians for political reasons.

One scholar has suggested that November 1st may have been chosen simply so that the many pilgrims who traveled to Rome to commemorate the saints “could be fed more easily after the harvest than in the spring (when it was originally celebrated).” He's got a point and I have to wonder if this didn't play some small part in the decision.

 

[Tall_Timbers]

I'll be sitting on my porch handing out candy to kids that come by. I have no idea what satanists will be doing. I remember I loved collecting loot as a kid so I will keep up the tradition. This is my first year in over two decades where I have the opportunity to hand out candy, as I'd been living way out in the boonies and it would have been a lot of work for kiddies to make it to my door during those years...

 

[Karlon]

NO! halloween has pagan ritual roots. something about wearing costumes to bring in the harvest. don't know the whole story & it's certainly not Biblical.

 

[aalligator45]

NO! halloween has pagan ritual roots. something about wearing costumes to bring in the harvest. don't know the whole story & it's certainly not Biblical.

 

[Subhumanoidal]

The pagan roots argument 😂
So much of regular life has pagan roots, and no one ever worries about those. But holidays come around and suddenly it matters. Be consistent.

 

[MichaelZ]

There is one positive aspect of Halloween. It is a time you can get the Gospel out to folks. A church in our area used to do a Halloween play every year where they contrasted the Kingdom of God vs. The realm of Satan and shared the Gospel of Salvation. I help out with a street ministry every year that gives out hundreds of bibles and children’s Bible story books on a vey busy trick-or-treat street. And there are plenty of children’s Gospel tracts.

 

[aalligator45]

There is one positive aspect of Halloween. It is a time you can get the Gospel out to folks. A church in our area used to do a Halloween play every year where they contrasted the Kingdom of God vs. The realm of Satan and shared the Gospel of Salvation. I help out with a street ministry every year that gives out hundreds of bibles and children’s Bible story books on a vey busy trick-or-treat street. And there are plenty of children’s Gospel tracts.

 

[Billyd]

I don't think we should. Our family (my kids) did not but I did when I was a kid. And I remember also my older sister toying with occult activities like seances and Ouija board during Halloween. Here is something from the Churchofsatan website:
View attachment 256743

Depends. Who do you celebrate? God, or Satan, or noone.

I would venture to say that most people celebrating it, do so for fun and treats. Neither God nor Satan have any part in their celebration. But, if you feel that you, even maybe, are celebrating Satan, stay as far as you can from it. Don't tempt yourself.

One family I know, calls it candy day. They go on the candy gathering mission with other children, but they add a twist. They trade a gospel track for a treat.

Another family puts a New Testament in a small bag of candy. If I were doing this, I would put a small book of Bible Stories in bags for small children.

We live so far back in the woods that we are not faced with the need to celebrate it.

 

[Kavik]

NO! halloween has pagan ritual roots. something about wearing costumes to bring in the harvest. don't know the whole story & it's certainly not Biblical.

No, Halloween, contrary to what you read/see on the internet, has no ties to an ancient pagan past. Most people try to attach it to Gaelic Samhain, but other than a common date and perhaps a "feeling", there's no connection. When we celebrate Halloween, we are definitely participating in a tradition with historical roots. But those roots are firmly situated in the medieval Christian past at best, not an ancient pagan one.

 

[Locoponydirtman]

 

[PinknGreenPhoenix]

we participate in local church or community for kids and family events only.

harvest <3

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

Capitol Trick-Or-Treater Dressed As Zelensky Receives $40 Billion In Candy
U.S.·Oct 30, 2023 · BabylonBee.com
Click here to view this article with reduced ads.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A lucky young boy who went trick-or-treating at the United States Capitol building came away with $40 billion in candy after dressing up as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Jackpot! I knew this costume would pay off big time!" shouted young Tommy Billington after being notified of his candy haul. "All my friends thought I was stupid for dressing up like that Zelensky guy who is always on the news, but now they look like the stupid ones. I've got enough candy to last me 20 lifetimes!"
Billington had arrived early for trick-or-treating in a cardboard mask depicting the Ukrainian President's face. Believing him to be the actual Zelensky due to his short stature, Capitol Police ushered him directly into the corridors of the Capitol to meet with congressional leadership. Within an hour, Billington had been informed he would receive $40 billion worth of candy. "He knows his stuff," said one unnamed member of Congress. "He specifically asked that half of it be in Reese's peanut butter cups, with the remainder being split evenly in Snickers, Twix, KitKat, and Jolly Ranchers. This was identical to a request we had received from President Zelensky last year."

Soon afterward, Billington watched excitedly as Capitol Police officers helped load pallets laden with candy-filled duffle bags onto several large trucks outside the Capitol building. "I'm never wearing a different costume," he said. "Dressed as this Zelensky guy, I can get whatever I want!"
At publishing time, Billington was believed to be on his way to the White House, where he was expected to ask President Biden to pledge an additional $25 billion in candy over the next six months.




Babylon Bee

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

I hope nobody takes offense, but I was reminded about some REALLY scary movies.
I'm just not sure which thread they belong under.

 

[Underwhosewings]

No Never!

1 Corinthians 5:6 KJV
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that

a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?