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Halloween.... What's the meaning of it?
"At first Halloween was for European pagan traditions, but eventually it received a Christian interpretation by missionaries."
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Still not conviced about how pagan Halloween is? Here are some quotes from pagans themselves concerning halloween:
"Christian holidays were deliberately set at times that had been sacred since the earliest Pagan days. The Christians knew the power Paganism had over the people, and usually, renamed rather than reinvented holidays" (Witches, by Erica Jong, 1981, p. 124)."
"The best known of all the feasts, Halloween is "looking in mirrors at midnight, bobbing for apples (the tree of knowledge and immortality) or eating them from strings which enacts the battle for life in death" (Magic For The Aquarian Age, Marian Green, 1983, p. 131)."
"When they changed this autumn holiday to All Saints' Day, Pagan symbolism lingered. Thus, October 31 has variously been called, November Eve, Samhain, All Hallow's Eve and (today) Halloween" (Witches, Erica Jong, 1981, p. 122)."
"Halloween is a day that witches celebrate above all other days. It is a festival of the dead, and represents the "end and the beginning of the witches year. It marks the beginning of the death and destruction associated with winter. At this time the power of the underworld is unleashed, and spirits are supposedly freed to roam about the earth; it is considered the best time to contact spirits" (Halloween and Satanism, P. Phillips and J.H. Robie, 1987, p. 146)."
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The 1910 Edition of Encyclopedia Britannica Vol. I, p. 709: "All Souls Day . . . the day set apart in the Roman Catholic Church for the commemoration of the faithful departed. The celebration is based on the doctrine that the souls of the faithful which at death have not been cleansed from venial sins, or have not atoned for past transgressions, cannot attain the Beatific Vision, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the mass. . . . Certain popular beliefs connected with All Souls Day are of pagan origin and immemorial antiquity. Thus the dead are believed by the peasantry of many Catholic countries to return to their former homes on All Souls night and partake of the food of the living."
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Encyclopedia Britanica (1959), Volume 11, page 107: "After the Reformation, Protestants rejected this feast (Halloween) along with other important ones such as Christmas and Easter. Nevertheless, Halloween folk customs of pagan origin flourished."
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Encyclopedia Americana (1977), Vol. 13, p. 725: "Elements of the customs connected with Halloween can be traced to a Druid ceremony in pre-Christian times. The Celts had festivals for two major gods a sun god and a god of the dead (called Samhain), whose festival was held on November 1, the beginning of the Celtic New Year. The festival of the dead was gradually incorporated into Christian ritual."
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What is the meaning of
Halloween?
By F. Martin and L. McGuire
F.O.Y. Pub 2006
Deut 18: 10-12, "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto YHWH: and because of these abominations YHWH thy Elohim doth drive them out from before thee"
I don't know about any of you, but I used to celebrate Halloween. You know that holiday when everyone dresses up like ghost, witches, goblins or any other of their favorite character. What a fun time it was, running door-to-door, racing to each house screaming, "TRICK OR TREAT!". The memories, oh-boy were they fun. However, there are a few questions we must ask about this tradition.
For instance, 'What does Halloween mean and where did this custom originate from?" "What is the meaning behind pumkin carving?" "What does role playing, like children dressing up, have to do with this tradtion?" Many people are blinded by the true meanings that surround Halloween. What is it, you ask? Come with us as we begin to uncover some of these ancient customs for you.
Halloween came from the Celts in Britain, France and Ireland. Which was a pagan celtic harvest feast over 2,000 years ago. Halloween was NOT popular in America until the late 19th to early 20th century. This harvest feast goes by many names; Halloween, Hallowe'en, All-Hallow-Evening, All Hallows Day, Hallow Eve, All Saints Eve, Pooky Night (named after a demon called puca), Samhain Night Samhain, Trick Night and many more. October 31st was originally a day for religious festivities. While in America, the most profitable. At first Halloween was for European pagan traditions, but eventually it received a Christian interpretation by missionaries. European cultures believed it was a special day, a day when the spirit world could communicate with the physical world. They also believed that magic worked at its best on Halloween, October 31st.
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What is the point of dressing up, making bonfires, apple bobbing, witches, black cats and Jack'o Laterns? Have you been taught that Halloween is Harmless Fun? If you celebrate Halloween, you may be shocked, even angry after reading this. We are told in Yohannan (John) 8:32, "...the truth shall make you free."
~Bonfires~
Lev. 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed PASS THROUGH THE FIRE to Molech, neither shalt thou profane THE name of thy Elohim: I am YHWH.
There would be large bonfires, with the thought that it would scare off evil spirts. Ponder on this for a moment? As we will soon discover mostly everything surrounding Halloween is about protecting one's self from evil spirit. Scriptures reveal to us when one is submissive to Elohim then the devil must flee. The only protection one needs is the whole armour that can be found throughout the Scriptures. These huge fires was to keep away evil spirits. Children would have salt sprinkled on their heads. What happened at these bonfires? Sacrifices.. they would sacrifice children, animals and adults. These innocent victims would be passed through the fire to please demons.
~Apple Bobbing~
Bobbing for apples is a game when someone tries to pick up an apple in a barrel of water with their mouth. Sometimes if an apple was picked up, the apple was peeled and the shavings would be placed into the barrel, the shavings would then mysteriously make an intitial. This is a demonic manifestation. Whatever the initial is, that would be the bobber's true love's initial.
~Jack-o-Lanterns~
What is the point of carving a pumpkin and putting it on porches and windows? They are thought to keep off evil spirits. The evil spirts which are demons, sees the evil looking carved pumpkin and were supposed to get scared and run away from the home, without harming the residents living there. When one has read the Scriptures clearly the only thing that will run off demons is when one has the protection of Elohim through His Son, Yahushua Ha Mashiach. One can butcher those innocent pumpkins all they like it will not protect YOU! They were also a symbol to evil spirits that the household was safe from evil tricks, it was a mark for the evil spirit to passover that house. If there was no pumkin, then the children in that household would be taken away, to be sacrificed in the bonfires to some deity. Scriptures refer to this demon as Moleck.
~Black Cats~
Were considered to be reincarnated beings, with the gift to divine the future. People say witches were able to turn themselves into a black cat. They were also at times considered to be bad luck. Actually, in withcraft the white cat is sacred whereas the black cat was used for sacrificing.
~Trick or Treating~
(1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all APPEARANCE OF EVIL)
Another name for it is Guising or role playing. This is when children dress up like ghosts, witches, goblins or any other of their favorite characters. They go door-to-door, screaming 'Trick-or-Treat', receiving candy from strangers. But everything has an origin... what is the origin to this practice? In a pagan perspective, Halloween, October 31st was and still is, a day when spirits (demons) rise from their graves, roaming around, returning to the homes they once lived. In the 18th Century, villagers were so frightened by these spirits/demons, they left gifts on their door-steps. Offering nuts and fruits, on their finest dinner-ware, to feed these hungry spirits. The villagers feared that if they left no gifts they would be punished by these spirits (demons), tormented, and haunted, in other words... cursed! People were so terrified of these spirits/demons that they decided to dress up as ghosts, witches, goblins, and other evil things. Why? So they could blend in with the spirits/demons, and not be harmed by them. Hmmm, let's think, spirits/demons walked the earth, going door-to-door, begging for fruits and nuts. And now-a-days, children go door-to-door, begging for candy, fruits or nuts. Sounds the same, huh? You be the judge.
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The End
