I read this on Chilly's blog and thought I would share it. If you want to check out his blog just click on the title or click on the link to his page on the right side of my blog.
HALLOWEEN… is it as evil as “they” say it is?? or are Christians playing defense and missing the whole point… again?!! what IF this is a chance for us to PUNK the devil and have fun laughing at death?! Read on…
Since the eigth century Christians have celebrated All Saints’ Day on November 1 to celebrate the known and unknown Christian Saints. Saints are not just those whom the catholic church has canonized, but ALL members of the “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) who proclaim Jesus as Lord - including you and me!
Almost as old as the celebration of All Saints’ Day is the tradition associated with All Hallow’s Eve. (”Hallows” mean “saints,” both mean “holy ones.” As in “Hallowed be thy name.”) So, Halloween means “the evening before All Holy Ones’ Day.” Today we call that festival Halloween and we have many secular ways of recognizing it. However, it’s important to remember that its celebration has a long, positive history in the Church.
“Are you crazy, Chilly?! This day is evil & satanic!”
Hold on, before hauling me out into the town square and burning me at the stake, let me explain… You see, our history is clear, and we know that many of our liturgical (Christian/church) festivals including Christmas and Easter, have some connection to pagan festivals. Obviously, this is true of All Saints’ Day and All Hallow’s Eve as well. Is it any surprise that the enemy invents sinful events to compete with holy days - the devil’s never been original at anything (except SIN). People of many races and cultures have remembered their dead and have had superstitions about death itself. History shows that Christians remembered death itself on All Hallow’s Eve and celebrated Christ’s victory over death. During the Middle Ages, Christians would gather in Churches for worship and they would remember the saints’ victories over evil. Likewise they would put on little displays showing Jesus’ victory of Satan, often using unusual masks and costumes to act out the story. They would laugh, rejoice and boast about their victory over death! It was FUN!!
Thus, the festivities on All Hallow’s Eve was the Christian’s way of laughing at death and evil, something we can do in certain hope of Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness. The Church for centuries, however, has seen All Hallow’s Eve not as a glorification of evil, but as a chance to affirm eternal life in the face of the death of our mortal bodies.
I LOVE THIS! Let’s quit being so uptight and legalistic and embrace our VICTORY over death… laugh, smile ( and yeah, eat some candy)!
2 comments:
That's great that it has such a positive history in the church. However there is no doubt that the majority of the world sees it as a celebration of things scary and evil, hence the costumes. It is also an excuse for mischief - TRICK or treat!
Christmas is a purely Christian holiday, yet it's wider purpose in the world has been distorted from celebrating Christ's birth to a materialistic gift giving time that, contrary to Christ's teaching, focuses on money!
My point - you can justify most things to suit either way. However, if you 'do' Halloween in the same way as the world, you are really following the world, no matter what you believe on the inside.
No not justify, use it to change the worlds idea. Teach your children this history and have pure fun in going out dress in fun costumes and getting candy. You don't have to TRICK just treat!
My question for you would be do you celebrate Christ birth by buy others gifts? Wouldn't you be "following the world" as you say regardless of YOUR beliefs?
Post a Comment