HALLOWEEN The Devil's Birthday

Halloween's Origin:

Halloween, as we now know it, originated in Europe on the eve of "All Saints Day," when witches and ghosts were free to roam. So we Americans continued that fall festival of corn shucks and pumpkin faces, cider, donuts and "trick or treating." The truth is, it was brought over from the Satanic Druid culture of the Celts.

Halloween - The Devil's Birthday:

We tend to overlook the reality of Satan worship, for it is becoming more and more open and accepted. There are real witches, real spells and real rituals. As we buy cards about witches and other Halloween symbols, are we unconsciously approving of such worship? Personally, I believe that we are partaking in that which is evil.

It's on Halloween or "All Halloween eve," as it's called, that the witch covens have their great annual worship service and offer a blood sacrifice to Satan. All through the year the Satanists sacrifice cats, dogs, and other animals, but on the special day they offer a human being - one of their own children - which they select for this ghoulish murder! This is shocking! It is the Devil's birthday. Instead of "Halloween," perhaps it should be called "Hell-o-ween."

Celtic-Druid Influence On Halloween:

The ancient Celtic empire extended to Europe, England and Ireland. The Druids were Celtic priests. The Celts and their Druid priests chose October 31st for their New Year's Eve, and "intended it as a celebration of everything wicked, evil, and dead. During their celebration they would gather around a community bonfire and offer as sacrifice their animals, their crops, and sometimes themselves. The celebration remained much the same after the Romans captured the Celts (43 A.D.)," (World Book)

Did you know that the Druid priests held sacred the hours of midnight and noon? The Gaulish (French) word, druides, might be derived from the word druvides meaning "those who know the oak." The oak tree and the mistletoe were considered to be sacred, also. The Druids forecasted events both by interpreting the flight of birds and by examining the markings on the entrails, the liver, and other inner organs of sacrificed animals.

The folklore of early Ireland depicts Druids as a priesthood, offering human sacrifice. One of the chief Druid doctrines which is prevalent today, according to the Encyclopedia Americana, was their decisions "to inspire a belief that men's souls do not perish but transmigrate after death from one individual to another." This is a very serious Satanic practice. Many people today believe in the transmigration of souls. We hear them interviewed on radio and television shows. They believe they existed in a former life.

The Druids were Satanic to the core in their worship and pagan practices. Halloween is a Druid holiday that we in America have received from Satanic paganism. It was "baptized" so to speak, and accepted by the Roman Catholic church in the early A.D. 700's. Its name was changed into "All Hallow's Day" which means "All Saints Day." That's November 1st. And "Hallow's Eve," the evening before the "Hallow's Day," is October 31st or "Hallow'en, " Hallow evening," or "Halloween."

Halloween Bonfires:

Have you ever wondered about the "bonfire?" Strictly speaking, the bonfire is of pagan origin. We may call them "camp fires" today. But the bonfire was used in conjunction with worship by the Druids under the oak trees. The oaks were a very sacred symbol to the Druid priests and the bonfires were an important part in the worship of the oaks and mistletoe.

Halloween and Samhain, Lord of Death:

One of the evil practices of the Druid priests relating to Halloween concerns a festival known as Samhain. According to the World Book Encyclopedia: "The Druids had an autumn festival called Samhain, or summer's end. It was an occasion for feasting on all the kinds of food which had been grown during the summer. The custom of using leaves, pumpkins, and cornstalks as Halloween decorations comes from the Druids. The early peoples of Europe also had a festival similar to the druid holiday." The Druid priests believed that on Halloween "Samhain, Lord of death, called together the wicked spirits (souls) that within the last 12 months had been condemned, and allowed them to inhabit the bodies of animals."

Paganism and Trick or Treating:

Here's what Mildred Arthur in her book, Holidays of Legends had to say about the origin of "trick or treat": "The modern custom of trick or treat began in Ireland hundreds of years ago. A group of farmers went from house to house begging food for village Halloween festivities." (p.87). This quotation is in the article, "Should A Christian Celebrate Hallowe'en?" The food was believed to placate the evil spirits that were thought to come out to haunt people on Halloween. If these evil spirits were given food, the people believed that the spirits wouldn't scare people as much as they would otherwise.

Halloween and Jack-O-Lanterns:

Though the faces of the Jack-o-Lanterns might be pleasant to look at they too, have background of superstition connected with them. The World Book Encyclopedia gives some information to us about the history of the Jack-o-Lantern. It was taken from "a man named Jack, who could not enter heaven or hell. As a result, he was doomed to wander in darkness with his lantern until Judgment Day."

This is certainly false theology. If we're trusting the Lord Jesus as our Saviour who died for us, who shed His blood to forgive our sins, we are saved and we're safe. We don't have to wander, or wonder, either one, until Judgment Day. The Bible says: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 8:1). The Jack-o-Lantern is an ancient symbol of a damned soul. Yet people began "hallowing" him like many other things in the Halloween season.

Halloween and The Devil's Colors:

The Good Housekeeping Book of Entertainment on page 168 says: "Orange, black, and red, the Devil's colors, are the colors associated with Halloween." The book also says that "this scheme should be carried out as far as possible." It is interesting that the Good House Keeping Book of Entertainment which had as its main purpose to tell people how best to decorate their houses for Halloween, makes a theological comment to the effect that "orange, black and red" are "the Devil's colors."

Some Bible Verses To Consider With Halloween:

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (Ephesians 5:11)

"Abstain from all appearance of evil" (I Thessalonians 5:22)

"When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 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 time, 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 the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee." (Deuteronomy 18:9-12) This Scriptural injunction in Deuteronomy 18 strictly forbade the people of Israel from having anything to do with the Satanic practices of their Canaanite neighbors. This is a Scriptural principle to follow.

"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them; I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 19:31)

"And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver." (Acts 19:18-19)

Conclusion:

It is my conviction that true Bible loving Christians should not be a part of the evils and wickedness of Satanic things. We must realize that Halloween is the Devil's birthday. On that day, Halloween, October 31st, the witches and Satan worshipers make a human sacrifice by slaying a child. We seek to enlighten people about the Satanic origins and practices of Halloween. That's what we are endeavoring to do in this article.

Information Available:

Perhaps you would like to write for more of these tracts (5/$1.50); quantity on request) and a listing of other materials we carry about Halloween. We would especially urge you to order "Should A Christian Celebrate Halloween:" (BFT #164 one for $1.50). In addition to that title, we have included articles from both the World Book Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia Americana on Halloween and the Druids which give additional information on this important subject.

Remember this verse in all of your considerations about Halloween: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (I Corinthians 10:31)

For more information, write or call:

The Bible For Today, Incorporated

900 Park Avenue

Collingswood, NJ 08108

Phone: (609) 854-4452

Fax: (609) 854-2464

Orders: 1-800-JOHN 10:9