What About Halloween

QUESTION – IN DEALING WITH THE OCCULT WERE YOU ABLE TO DISCERN BETWEEN SATANISM AND WITCHCRAFT?

Answer – Yes. There is a difference within the various orders of Satanists there are white and black witches. These titles do not refer to race but rank. There are however witches who profess not to be associated with Satanism. They practice witchcraft and not Satanism. Thought the two religions are different, in reality the object of their veneration is most often the same.

QUESTION – ISN’T HALLOWEEN A HOLIDAY SHARED BY BOTH GROUPS?

Answer – Yes, it is considered by both groups to be a high “holy day.” It is one of the three days a year Satanist offer 33 living sacrifices; one of which has to be a human. One sacrifice is offered for each year of Christ’s earthly life. Witches have a special ritual for the occasional Only a small number of witch groups offer living sacrifices though they cast spells on the day.

QUESTION – WHAT WAS THE ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN?

Answer – Within the occult world most celebrations are a perversion of a Christian event. Halloween predates the Christian holiday with which it came to be associated.

The word comes from “All Hallows Eve” referring to the evening before All Hallows. It is now the evening before the day Christians celebrate as All Saints Day. In parts of the country Christians mark this day by placing flowers on graves. Cemeteries bloom with such profusion on this day in parts of the country that florists say it is one of their three biggest days of the year.

QUESTION – WHEN DID IT ACTUALLY BEGIN AND BY WHOM?

Answer – Before the time of Christ, the ancient Druids in Briton, France, Germany and the Celtic countries had a celebration honoring some of their deities, Samhain, Lord of the Dead. Reputedly Samhain called together all souls of those who had died during the last twelve months and had been condemned to inhabit animal bodies. It was a celebration of the dead conducted on the first day of the Celtic new year, the last day of October.

Druids believed that on this night, the souls of the dead returned to their former homes to be entertained by the living. If acceptable food and drink was provided for these evil spirits, they would cast a spell causing havoc and terror; they would haunt the living. Thus the principle of “Trick or Treat” emerged.

QUESTION – HOW DID THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY GET INVOLVED IN THE CELEBRATION?

Answer – Around 100 AD the Roman Emperor Hadrian built the Roman Pantheon as a temple to the goddess Cybele and various other deities. It was the principle place where the pagan Romans prayed for the dead. When Rome was sacked by the pagans, the Pantheon fell into disrepair. Emperor Phocas recaptured Rome in 607 AD and gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV. Boniface was trying to incorporate all of society into the church. He did not want to alienate the segment of society that revered the ancient practice of praying for the dead in the Pantheon. Therefore, to “Christianize” the place and custom, he reconsecrated it to the Virgin Mary. Roman Catholics were encouraged to gather there and pray for their dead. The mass said on this day was called “Allhallowsmas.” For two centuries the major celebration in the Pantheon occurred in May and was called All Saints Day.

In 834 AD it was moved to November to coincide with the ancient Druidic practice which had gone on for centuries. This was done to accommodate the recently conquered German Saxons and Scandinavian Norsemen. Thus, the merging of All Saints Day with Halloween was completed.

QUESTION – FROM WHERE DID THE JACK-O’-LANTERN COME?

Answer – Legend says a man named Jack tricked the devil into not bothering him during his life time. At death Jack was denied both heaven and hell. He groped his way back through the darkness by carrying a glowing coal in a carved out turnip. From this myth came the concept.

QUESTION – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HALLOWEEN TODAY?

Answer – Fright has become big business in the secular world. Occult worship has intensified in our society. Danger has increased. Most adults with children grew up in a time when Halloween and trick-or-treat was innocent fun. There is a natural tendency to interpret an event in light of our experience with it. However, in light of the danger involved and a current understanding of the nature of the event Christian parents would do well to find an alternative. A “Fall Festival Party” or an “All Saints Party” would be an alternative allowing children to costume and play games. Children could costume like “good guys” not evil or demented characters.