Ignorant neo-pagans and secularists with agendas claim falsely that Christians “stole” holidays from the pagans in-between burning witches and proclaiming the flat earth. Pagan traditions have crept into Christian holidays, not the other way around!

It is funny, because it is true. This is the perception.

I also like the advice you give us for approaching Halloween. Very nice!

Well, you're close. Halloween is a contraction of "All Hallows Eve"- All Hallows, being "all saints". If you really knew your church history, you'd know that Nov. 1 is All Saints day. The day we honor all the holy ones before us that have made it to heaven, but don't have an officially recognized day of their own.

So what's All Saints Day about? The American version would be Memorial Day, or Veterans Day, except that Veterans Day honors the living and the dead. It's a day to remember those holy Christians who have gone before us. To remember their witness. Maybe remember how they handled similar situations to what we're going through.

The "Eve" part, is that we often start celebrating important things the evening before. We got that from our Jewish ancestry (Jesus was a Jew, as were the first Christians, Remember??)

The Trick-or-Treating came from door-to-door collections for and/or by the poor. While you're getting ready to remember how holy and generous Grandma was, It's kind of hard not to give a few pennies to a poor beggar at your door. It also has roots in a Jewish Holiday, Purim, where the essentially do the same thing.

Costumes... The "traditional" costume would be a saint. One you were named after, or maybe one who you wanted to emulate. If they had been martyred, you'd dress up like how they were killed. Heart cut out? You'd carry a bloody heart. Stephen, the first recorded martyr? You'd be black & blue, maybe carrying a stone, and reciting one of the longest speeches in the bible.

So, what's a Christian to do?? If you believe your scriptures, then remember the cloud of witnesses. Remember the holy ones before you. In your family, and friends, or from hundreds of years ago. Dress up like one of them. Have your kids dress up like one of them, and tell their story. Go Trick or Treating... Then take most of the loot to a local shelter. Do you kids really need all that extra sugar?

Now, if you've stripped all of church history away and are left with only your interpretation (KJV only please. If it was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me!) Well, you're on your own. Do as you please. But you already were then anyway, weren't you??

Linda, thanks for the comments! We would love for you to submit an article with sources for your information.

1. If you don't like my explanation for the Halloween contraction, I suggest you read and respond to the Bob and Gretchen Passantino article I referenced. It gives the "Holy Evening" explanation as well as some background on All Saint's Day, which I clearly reference in my article. Please provide sources for your claims to the contrary. I would love to see them!

2. Please cite Scripture references supporting your view that "If you believe your scriptures, then remember the cloud of witnesses". You indicate the Scripture supports such behavior.

3. Take the candy to a local shelter? Are you saying we should give the candy our children shouldn't be eating to the homeless?

4. I already gave the idea of dressing up as a Biblical character in my original piece, but thanks for reinforcing what I already stated.

5. "Now, if you've stripped all of church history away and are left with only your interpretation (KJV only please. If it was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me!) Well, you're on your own. Do as you please. But you already were then anyway, weren't you??"

I have no idea what the above means. Please elaborate.

Again, thanks for the comments. It's great to see the Christian love and kindness in your remarks.

Linda, Gretchen Passantino was on the Bible Answer Man today and again refuted your claim about the "Halloween" contraction. Passantino claimed that Halloween is a contraction of "Holy Evening".

Awaiting your response,

Dan

Linda,

one year later and still awaiting your reply. You must really be thinking hard about those answers!

EI
The problem many of us have with the alternative is that it is another invented holy day that the Lord has not given us. We believe that there are only 52 holy days a year, i.e. the Lord's day, the first day of the week. All other days are creations of man and should not be celebrated... OK, should I mention that those of us who believe this way are a very small minority, as if you haven't guessed it.

Since this is the case, inventing another day to celebrate is wrong,f or us. So what are we to do? We see both traditions, the evil and church created day, as wrong. Therefore we seek to educate and say no! But alas, we are a minority for a reason b/c little Johnny looks just so cute in the costume... :)
Blessings

Timothy, thanks for your comment. How did you come to the conclusion that we are only to celebrate (as holidays) the 52 Lord's days and no other days?

How can you condone Halloween! It is a satanic holiday that is sending our children to hell. Christians need to wake up and not allow their children to celebrate this trash. Nobody can call themselves a true Christian and go trick or treat. Repent!

Satanic? So that's why I've been getting all those razor blades in my candy bag!

Interesting discussion. I was just wondering what anyone's opinion of trick or treating is? I was never allowed to go as a child because my father said it was a form of black mail i.e. your saying to people that unless you give them something nice you'll do something horrible to them. I guess he was right but it still seems a bit hard-line!

I go with the kids, but I don't allow demonic costumes, witches, or anything like that. Halloween is just a fun time to walk around the neighborhood and dress up for us.

We do it now with the kids as well. It's fun. I was never into it but the kids seem to enjoy dressing up.

God gives us a list of all the Holy Days that we are command to observe in lev. 23. Nothing more, nothing less. Everything else celebrated is in the traditions of man. The Lord said " If any one adds or take away from my word I will add curses and take away your blessings. Not word for word but you should get my point. Only God has the authority to esablish a Holy day not man. So it realy doesn't matter if paganisum came first or man made christians holidays. If it doesn't spring from Gods word then it's all erelivent.

God gives us a list of all the Holy Days that we are command to observe in lev. 23Are Christmas or Easter mentioned in Leviticus??

laaaaaaaaaaaaaa lalala i love halloween dont u...the best time of the year...

Re: Johnny O's comment: "God gives us a list of all the Holy Days that we are command to observe in lev. 23Are Christmas or Easter mentioned in Leviticus??" Didn't find any of above in Leviticus, or anywhere, but did find what Christians should observe (1 Cor 11:24) and not (Gal 4:10, 11).

Linda, two years and counting...

You must really be researching those sources!

hi im joy and before i read ur stuff i was going to dress up as a voodoo doll with my friend erica as the witch. Now i know that's probably a bad idea. I still think halloween is good fun for kids but the whole evil spirits thing is creepy and i dont want a part of it. i think I will go as Zapora now. She's cooler than a voodoo doll anyway. I think Halloween is fun but just to be on the safe side im gonna give out bible verses along with the candy. Happy Halloween and thanx for posting this!

You're welcome Joy. Thanks for the comment. It's nice to read that the post helped.

Just curious, where do you guys stand on the Harry Potter books?

1. Harmless fun, that at least gets kids reading?

2. Promotes the occult and should be banned?

3. Somewhere between the two?

Somewhere between the two as far as I'm concerned. If a child is old enough and intelligent enough to understand the difference between fantasy and reality, I don't see much harm in them.

I think those who want to ban Harry Potter altogether should ask themselves if 40-year old Christians who don't understand their faith should be reading Left Behind or Joel Osteen. Which is more dangerous, really?

That is exactly my view on them. Despite our vastly different views on the existence of God(s), we do have a lot of common ground don't we?

I'm glad I came on this site. I will be honest originally it was for the debating, but the views and subjects on here are so varied that I am learning a lot and have dispelled many misconceptions I had. I suppose many of them were biased by the media, where you see Christian book burning rallies and the like being reported, but these are far from the norm and I'm seeing that now.

I will still stick at trying to convince you all about Evolution and Natural Selection though ;-)

Thanks

There was a book burning and I missed it?! Why didn't you tell me? ;)

LOL

Good points re. reading material. It is all about discernment when choosing such things.

No offence but...ummm...no...Christmas and Easter are not mentioned in Leviticus because Leviticus is in the OLD Testament. Christ was not born yet. No one would have been celebrating His birth or death at that time. He had not yet walked the earth.

chandelle,

Well put.

Christmas and Easter are not mentioned in Leviticus because Leviticus is in the OLD Testament. Christ was not born yet

I am aware of that fact, which is why I brought it up in response to these statements...

God gives us a list of all the Holy Days that we are command to observe in lev. 23. Nothing more, nothing less

Only God has the authority to esablish a Holy day not man

To the best of my knowledge both Easter & Christmas dates were decided by man...

I might be ab Atheist, but I'm not (completely) ignorant of the Old and New Testaments ;-)

Wow...I don't think that God would be upset with up celibrating Christ in His birth or His death...and although I am new to my walk with Christ I am pretty sure we are told several times to CELEBRATE Jesus....am I wrong?

Hi Sammie,

Amen to that... Christmas and Easter and all the rest were created specifically for this purpose: to celebrate Jesus and not the pagan deities.

Linda, 3 years and counting...