I grew up trick-or-treating. I had fun and there was no "devil-worship" or B.S. involved. It was fun.
I am a born-again Christian Evangelical, and I do not fear Halloween.
Catholic Encyclopedia on CD-ROM
Contains 11,632 articles. Browse off-line, ad-free, printer-friendly.
Get it here for only $33 plus FREE shipping worldwide
[The vigil of this feast is popularly called "Hallowe'en" or "Halloween".]
Solemnity celebrated on the first of November. It is instituted to honour all the saints, known and unknown, and, according to Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year.
In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407). At first only martyrs and St. John the Baptist were honoured by a special day. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in number when a regular process of canonization was established; still, as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a "Commemoratio Confessorum" for the Friday after Easter. In the West Boniface IV, 13 May, 609, or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary. Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November. A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on 1 May. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church. The vigil seems to have been held as early as the feast itself. The octave was added by Sixtus IV (1471-84).
Nothing to do with the disgusting candyfest promoted by every drug store in our neopagan culture, because they seek ruin of souls. Don't do it, folks.
The Pagan roots of things in our culture and our language are all around us and don't mean anything unless we choose to let them. Relax, Halloween is all about a bit of fun, just like Harry Potter.
Doug, if you are married, you are probably wearing a wedding ring. That was a pagan invention and a pagan practice. Does the Bible tell you to wear a wedding ring?
And it is routinely trashed for having done it proving the truth of another old axiom- No good deed goes unpunished.
This whole anti-Halloween thing started with Jack Chick. Think about it.
I always thought it rather hypocritical for the same people that told me that Halloween was so evil to also let their kids watch witches on Disney movies and think nothing of it.
Dungeons and Dragons was another satanic evil that the same Baptists warned against. Playing D&D was exactly the same as performing a satanic ritual and people that did it were just begging to become possessed.
I guess when being persecuted is the highest aspiration of one's faith, one will find as many things as possible to persecute them...
Snatch the little monsters off the front porch and haul them off to a well deserved exorcism.
"I understand that many don't like to hear this type of thing, but it's important to know where the customs we observe come from and why we observe them."
Well, Jesus was not born on December 25. From what I understand, the whole reason why we celebrate Christmas in December is because early Christians wanted a holiday to counter the pagans' Winter Solstice. Does that mean we shouldn't celebrate Christmas?
I am very much a Christian, and while I try and avoid the occult, I don't see anything wrong with a kid dressing up as Spider Man to get some free candy (Provided the kid is supervised, of course).
Herbert W. Armstrong is still rearing his ugly head, I see.
Rule no 1 in my house, all treats that are M & M's belong to mom. Anyone found holding out will also give up all Milky Way Bars!
It's an interesting article. Thanks.
It is also Reformation Day.
I am not going to freak out because in the past people actually did evil deeds on that day.
One can go after Easter for the same reason.
But, that does not mean such criticism is right.
I am a very strong conservative Christian, but I will celebrate Halloween. Deal with it.
I like a little scary stuff, and there is nothing evil about a mask.
The anti freaks who hate Holloween are just as bad as the anti freaks who hate Christmas. They both are just plain wacko!!!!!! I can't stand either one!!!!!
~~sigh~~
You know it's Fall when the leaves start to change, the air gets a chill, the sky get's bluer and the "Halloween is Evil" threads start popping up on FR!