SELaplana >> Society >> Is The Halloween a Christian Festival?

On the night of October 31, people will celebrate a very popular holiday, the Halloween. I am not sure if Filipinos really celebrate Halloween. But when I was still in College, I once attended a Halloween Disco held in Tacloban City.

Halloween is actually a shortened name of the festival called, “All Hallows Even” which means the eve (evening) of the “All Hallows Day”. Today “All Hallows Day” is called “All Saints Day”.

But, you might wonder why the Halloween is celebrated on the evening of October 31 while the All Saints Day is on November 1. So, how come that the Halloween became the evening of the All Saints Day?

To let you know, the old way of measuring the day starts on the sunset to the next sunset. So, the evening comes first before the day time. And by considering the old way of measuring the day, Halloween is really part of the All Saints Day.

All Hallows Eve, A Pagan Festival

Historians traced the origin of the Halloween back to the ancient Celtic Festival which is called Samhain (So-Wen). Samhain is the festival celebrated by Celts of Ireland, Britain and France at the end of the harvest season which is also called as the Celtic New Year.

The end of the harvest season usually falls on October or November. But when the Celts adopted the Julian calendar, they fixed the date of Samhain to November 1.

It’s the Julian calendar wherein the day is measured starting on the sunset to the next sunset. In other words, Halloween is the evening of the November 1 if based to Julian calendar, but it is the evening of the October 31 if based on the calendar that we are currently using, the Gregorian calendar.

Samhain is actually a pagan harvest festival and at the same time the celebration to honor the dead ancestors similar to the All Saints Day of the Catholic Church which is celebrated on the same day, November 1.

Christians and the Halloween

The question of one of our subscribers is: “Is the Halloween a Christian festival?”

That question is already answered above. Halloween is originally a pagan festival. The activities included on this festival like trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, etc., are all originally pagan activities. So, even if a Christian Church will adopt this festival and Christianized it, it remains pagan.

Another question is: Should we, as Christian, celebrate Halloween?

Well, the true Christian is part of the body of Christ as taught by the Apostle Paul:

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. (Romans 12:4-5, NKJV)

Now, since a true Christian is part of the body of Christ (Christ is the head of that body), therefore the true Christian follows the teaching of Christ.

So, are pagan’s ways of living acceptable to Christ?

If we will examine the Bible, we will learn that Christ told his followers to avoid the pagan ways of worshiping God, and pagan ways of dealing others. For example:

1. Christ commanded his follower to avoid praying in pagan way:7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8, NIV)
2. Christ told his followers not to worry of the earthly things because these are the things that pagans are after:31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (Matthew 6:31-32, NIV)
3. Christians are taught by Christ not to follow how the pagans love others.44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (Matthew 5:44-47, NIV)
4. The Christian who doesn’t want to be reconciled to his brother in the Church should be considered as pagan:15″If your brother sins against you,[b] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[c] 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17, NIV)

Now, since Christ obviously is against to pagan and their ways of living, then it is also clear that Christians should not be part of any pagan festivals.

So, what should we do during the Halloween?

Actually, there are lots of things that you can do during the Halloween without taking part of the festival. While other people celebrate this pagan festival, you can spend your time with your family doing any family related activities that can help enhance your relationship to the other members of your family.

Finale

I hope that you are satisfied on my answers to the questions sent to me. And if you have anything to say about Halloween or about my thoughts contained on this article, please feel free to reply this email that Feedburner has sent you. You can also drop your comments at our comment section by visiting (click here >>> Is The Halloween a Christian Festival?) the live version of this article.

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