Most of you know my family and I don't celebrate Halloween. We used to in years past, but haven't in most recent years ... I have gotten alot of questions lately as to why, so I thought I would take the time to include this excert from an article we use - I think it will better answer the questions than I could.
Here is the excerpt:
'October 31st again and all the kids are trick-or-treating,' said Jerry as he looked out the window in front of his house. 'Mom, why can't we go trick-or-treating like all the other kids? Are you afraid we'll eat too much candy and our teeth will rot?'
'Well, Jerry,' said Mom, 'I certainly don't want your teeth to rot, but no, that isn't the reason you can't go trick-or-treating. As Christians, Daddy and I don't let you take part in Halloween because we know Jesus doesn't want us to do such things.'
'But why, Mommy?' Sarah exclaimed. 'What's wrong with Halloween?'
'Think for a moment, children, about other holidays we celebrate. Take Christmas, for example. How does Christmas make you feel?' asked Mom.
Happy!' exclaimed Sarah.
Excited,' added Jerry.
'That's right,' said Mom. 'Christmas is a time of happiness and excitement as we celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus. Do you remember what the angel told the shepherds the night He was born?'
'Yes,' said Sarah. 'The angel told the shepherds good news of peace and great joy.'
'That's right,' said Mom. 'Halloween has none of these. Halloween is filled with fear, meanness, and sadness.'
'I don't understand, Mom,' said Jerry. 'How is dressing up in funny costumes and going door-to-door to get candy scary or sad?'
'The devil is very good at making things look wonderful on the outside that are wrong on the inside. Halloween is one of those things,' Mom said.
'Many Christians haven't been taught the true meaning behind Halloween. They can't see the truth behind the costumes, parades, and candy of Halloween,' continued Mom. 'Only when we know the truth about something can we know whether it is good or bad for us. That's why the Bible says we are free when we know the truth.' (See John 8:32.)
'So, what's the truth about Halloween, Mom?' Sarah asked. 'Why shouldn't Christians take part in its fun?'
'Let me see if I can explain it a bit better,' Mom said. 'First, let's think about Christmas again. When the three wise men came to visit Baby Jesus, what did they bring Him?'
'Presents!' Sarah said.
'Yes, presents,' Mom agreed. 'When they gave Jesus the presents, the wise men knelt before Jesus to show that they honored Him.'
'What does it mean to honor someone?' Jerry asked.
'To honor someone means that you show great respect for that person. You show that you understand his importance and great worth,' Mom replied.
'But we don't kneel before anyone at Halloween,' Sarah protested.
'You see, Sarah,' Mom said, 'there are many ways to show honor. One way is to set aside a special day, a holiday, to remember some important person or event.'
'Yes!' Jerry agreed. 'Thanksgiving reminds us of the big dinner the Pilgrims shared with the Indians to thank God for His help in the New World.'
'Exactly,' Mom responded. 'What event do we celebrate at Easter?'
'That's when the angel rolled away the stone,' Sarah answered. 'Jesus wasn't dead anymore!'
'That's right,' Mom replied. 'At Easter we remember God's love when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We also honor God for His great power that brought Jesus from death to life.'
'So what do we honor at Halloween?' Jerry asked.
'A long time ago,' Mom answered, 'many people did not believe in God or honor His Son, Jesus. Instead they honored statues made of wood or stone. They also worshiped things in nature like the sun and the stars.'
'Do you mean they bowed down to them like the wise men knelt before Baby Jesus?' Sarah asked.
'Yes, Sarah,' Mom said. 'They sang praises to their statues just like we sing praises to Jesus. They believed that the sun and stars had great power.'
God must not have liked that! He wants us to worship only Him,' Jerry said.
'You are right, Jerry,' Mom replied. 'God's first laws for His people teach us not to worship any other gods or to bow down to their statues.' (See Exodus 20:3-5.)
'But, Mommy, we don't worship any statues or other gods at Halloween,' Sarah said.
'In many parts of the world,' Mom answered, 'Halloween is a religious holiday - a holiday when people worship satan and honor evil. In fact, it is the biggest holiday on satan's calendar, kind of like Christmas and Easter on our calendar.'
REMEMBER - PLEASE DON'T JUDGE US, AS WE DON'T JUDGE YOU. We are all free to make our own decisions based on our beliefs.
My feeling on the subject is this. Whatever you feel convicted to do is right for you. My mom really disliked Halloween quite a bit (for many of the reasons that you have in that article) but if we could get friends to take us, she didn't stop us from going. But we knew how she felt. I just don't feel that same conviction to not allow my kids to go trick or treating like you do. I don't decorate, and I don't make a big deal out of it either. But I don't mind letting them dress up and go get candy. I do not let them dress in scary costumes though. Silly distinction I'm sure! LOL What I find interesting is that the Jehovah's Witnesses use many of the same 'examples' to prove why they don't celebrate any holidays at all. Not Christmas or our Easter. Because according to them, both the Christmas time and Easter time were originally pagan holidays reserved for the pagan gods and when Christianity became more prevalent, many of the people kept the same holiday time and many of the same traditions and just changed gods, so to speak. Not that that's either here or there, just an interesting tidbit of information. :)
ReplyDeleteI like what Windi said. Mostly because I just said a little of it over on Facebook.. I normally don't let Andre dress up all scary. But last year I let him because he wasn't interested in trick or treating anymore. He was just handing out candy so I let him. I don't decorate and stuff just because that is just not me. Just like I don't decorate the outside for Christmas, I just don't see the point.
ReplyDeleteHere is a video posted by a new friend that can help explain some of the way I feel.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=4174c9af773d5f1b6426
I let my kid dress up as she wishes. She likes to dress scary. We are not worshipping the devil, or doing anything else religious, nor is anyone else we know. We are just going out to have a good time and be a little goofy. I don't think she will grow up to sacrifice dogs in the graveyard because I let her celebrate Halloween. To each their own I guess. Many many people celebrate Christmas without celebrating its true meaning. This to me isn't really any different. Then again, although I believe in God I don't currently actively practice any religion, and I don't feel that is wrong either. Fights over religious beliefs have gotten this country and many countries into lots of trouble, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteMOST definitely ! That is why I am not out to judge others for thier beliefs, just state my own. I think religion should bring others together not tear them apart ... and if people disagree with one another they should just realize that we all have a right to chose for ourselves and what is right for us.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
ReplyDeleteVery good blog Tammie!! I think it's neat that you explain yourself. I agree with Windi a bit. I don't have the same convictions you do about not letting me kids go. I don't let them dress scary. We use to go to the churches Trunk or Treat or to the parties at our church but it was pretty much the same thing. It's on Halloween and your getting candy. I know they are just trying to offer a safer way to go Trick or Treating. To be honest it wouldn't be the end of the world if we stopped Halloween all together. I think if more churches would back that then there would be more people that wouldn't. Halloween is becoming more and more gross and nasty. People dressing up as serial killers and nasty things. I wasn't very happy with the stuff the are offering on the apps on facebook. There spooky, scary things. Hardly any cute sweet stuff. Halloween in general is just a lot of scary evil stuff. So I think it's neat you don't do it. Plus it's another pressure the stores put on people to get new costumes and spend, spend, spend. My kids are reusing old costumes this year. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!! Hugs to you!!
ReplyDeleteHalloween is a takeover of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. It celebrates the end of the lighter half of the year and the beginning of the darker half of the year. Christmas corresponds with a Roman solar holiday as well as many other winter solstice festivals. And Easter supplanted April festivals to honor the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Eostre. Christianity learned early on, that the easiest way to win converts and grow their ranks, was to take over already popular holidays and make them their own. There are no new ideas in the world, just recycled old ones. All the more reason why my Amazon.com shopping cart is filled with books on how to raise my future children without religious indoctrination. As always, you know I say, to each his own. I will keep the holidays in my way, and you can keep them in yours. And everyone is happy! (And I'm still envious you get to go to Florida this Decmeber!)
ReplyDeleteI think whatever is best for your family. My son trick or treats. He loves scary costumes. I love horror movies. We don't decorate for it other than a few window clings. We probably would decorate more if storage wasn't an issue. But to each their own. ;)
ReplyDeleteI as a child have always dressed up for halloween. I as a parent have always allowed my children to dress up whether it be funny or scarey. We DO NOT worship the devil and never have. The true meaning of halloween is not about worshipping the devil.
ReplyDeleteThis is the exact reason I don't practice any religious beliefs. To each their own but I think it's ridiculous personally. It's a fun holiday and the kids love and enjoy it.
Don't you decorate your house for halloween? I know i've seen pictures of it. Your background is decorated for halloween. I just find it odd that you think it's okay to do all that but then judge that people that celebrate halloween are devil worshipers. That is simply NOT TRUE AT ALL.
History
ReplyDeleteHalloween has origins in the ancient festival known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in or sau-an),[4][5] which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".[5] This was a Gaelic festival celebrated mainly in Ireland and Scotland. However, similar festivals were held by other Celts – for example the festival of Calan Gaeaf (pronounced kalan-geyf) which was held by the ancient Britons.
The festival of Samhain celebrates the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half", and is sometimes[6] regarded as the "Celtic New Year".[7]
The celebration has some elements of a festival of the dead. The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm. In Scotland the spirits were impersonated by young men dressed in white with masked, veiled or blackened faces.[8][9] Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. All other fires were doused and each home lit their hearth from the bonfire. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames.[10] Sometimes two bonfires would be built side-by-side, and people and their livestock would walk between them as a cleansing ritual.
Another common practise was divination, which often involved the use of food and drink.
The name Halloween and many present-day traditions, derive from the Old English era
Tonya, I wasn't trying to start anything by sharing my beliefs, just simply share them.
ReplyDeleteMy page (and yard) are decorated for FALL. pumpkins - not carved - a hay bail and some corn this year... oh and a blow up happy man scarecrow. NOT anything scary, no witches or ghosts or things like that.
I knew the history of the 'holiday' and wasn't trying to push my beliefs onto anyone, just got asked about them and wanted to share. I don't feel it is any reason to be defensive.
I know you aren't trying to start something BUT if you know the true meaning of Halloween then you must know that what you wrote in this blog is simply NOT TRUE!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are saying the devil is disguising it and that's BULLSHIT! Excuse my language but the devil has nothing to do with this holiday.
I know you aren't trying to push your beliefs on anyone but you have to stop and think that what you wrote is basically saying that any of us that DO celebrate it with our children are in some way worshipping the devil and that's a LIE. What you are teaching your children is lies! Not the TRUE meaning of the holiday.
Yes it's your choice if you don't want to celebrate it and I respect that. I just don't agree with teaching your children something that is NOT TRUE!
Re read your post and the things you said.
Just because some things are scary does not mean the devil has his hand in it. For God's sake, we watch scary movies too but it doens't mean we don't believe in God nor do we worship the devil.
It's people like you with these stupid NOT TRUE beliefs that have screwed up children having fun at this time of year. Makes me sick!
Sorry, but that's my feelings back on it. I am entitled to mine as well.
Hey girl.....just so you know I'm not mad at you. YES, I voiced my opinion but I LOVE YOU regardless. You have a right to your opinion and me mine.
ReplyDeleteHUGS!!!!
Tonya, how can you say you love Tammie and respect her beliefs but use language that is angry and offensive? You stooped to calling her names and swearing. You don't have to like the message, but leave the messenger alone. All Tammie was doing was offering an explanation for her beliefs. If you don't agree, just say so respectfully like everyone else did.
ReplyDeleteTammie is absolutely teaching her children the TRUTH!! You only posted a very small portion of some of the origins of Halloween. The truth behind Halloween is that it dates back to the ancient Celts and Druids. The god they worshiped dates back to "Baal" of the Bible. This false god demanded blood sacrifice of virgins, children, and the people are ultimately worshiping Satan. Why then, is October 31st the highest holiday of Wiccans and Satanists if it has nothing to do with the devil?
There's so much more to this celebration than meets the eye. It is rife with practices of divination, superstition, and occultic symbolism. For Christians who believe that the Bible is true, this celebration is evil. The Bible teaches that we are not to participate in the ways of the nations. We are not to yoke ourselves with unbelievers. We are not to imitate that which is evil. There is not one symbol or practice or tradition of Halloween that comes from anything but pagan rituals of blood, sacrifice, and worship of satan.
Tammie has the right to teach her children what she believes is the Truth of God's Word. She isn't implying anything, but simply is teaching her children what God has placed upon her heart. She didn't point any fingers at anyone. If you are taking offense to anything she posted, perhaps you are feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit and should repent and come clean. If you can celebrate this filthy pagan festival without feeling conviction...by all means do!
Thank you Kathy. I prayed and knew the best answer would come. :O)
ReplyDeleteHey Kathy.....GO TO HELL!!! I wasn't talking to you. I didn't call Tammie any names! I was talkin to Tammie and I know my feelings about Tammie and that is why i came back to let her know I wasn't personally mad at her.
ReplyDeleteTammie if you don't like what I have to say then take me off your friends list.
If someone is going to post a blog like this KNOWING there is a good chance it's going to stir up stuff then they should be prepared for it. That's why YOU DON'T TALK RELIGION OR POLITICS!
What she did was INSULT any of us that celebrate it. I am not feeling any convictions! I do NOTHING WRONG by celebrating this holiday. So go away Kathy! Better go pray all day for us that are having fun today with out children. lmao!!!!
If the bible is so against it then WHY ARE CHURCHES PUTTING ON EVENTS FOR HALLOWEEN.
GEESH!
In a sense I agree with Tonya. This blog was meant to be insulting to those of us who are celebrating Halloween with our children. Insulting in the sense that we were supposed to feel small and stupid for not understanding the history behind the holiday, or feel like a bad parent for letting our kids celebrate. I personally have NO religious thoughts about this holiday, and am not teaching my kid to worship the devil or anything else. I won't feel bad for celebrating the holiday with my kid by having fun, dressing up, and trolling for candy. You are right, Kathy, that Tammie has the right to teach her kids whatever she wants. Tonya has the right to say what she wants as well. Everyone knows that politics and religion will start controversy, and Tammie chose to post anyway. If she didn't want responses, she could have discussed this with her children and left it off the internet. If she had a problem with Tonya's post, she certainly could have said that all on her own.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kat!
ReplyDeleteOkay Okay....Miss Kathy!
Read this blog http://flthrtl2004.multiply.com/journal/item/449/WARM_WEATHER_NOVEMBER_AND_TIME_...
Tammie celebrated halloween last year and in this blog she wrote about how much fun it was for HER and HER KIDS! Special moments that she herself said she LOVED. She also mentioned how they do this every year. So guess something just changed this year and that's fine if that's how she feels BUT to say the things she said in that blog & try to make us parents that ENJOY THOSE SPECIAL FUN TIMES with our children was WRONG.
It's obvious by this blog that Tammie enjoyed taking her kids out and the dressing up. AND THE CARVING PUMPKINS! Heck her daughter was even something SCARY!!!! Oh MY, what a sin, huh?
Please.....are you praying for us all yet?????
All I got to say is OH BROTHER .........
ReplyDelete'In many parts of the world,' Mom answered, 'Halloween is a religious holiday - a holiday when people worship satan and honor evil. - I'm not trying to start any problems, but where exactly does this occur? I have never heard of a country that honors Halloween as a religious holiday.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't want your kids to trick-r-treat, that's fine. More candy for my kids! ;) hehehe (You know I'm just teasing you.)
Potsy, I am thinking Africa. They use witchcraft and wiccan forms of worship and celebrate this as a holiday. I am not certain of exactly what country it would be, but I am curious.
ReplyDeleteYou're thinking, or you know? Cuz you shouldn't just assume that is the case. Just because someone tells you that somewhere in the world this is a "religious holiday" doens't mean it's true. Like I said before. I'm not trying to cause problems but it isn't the best idea to not question info like that. Because I went to a religious college, have taken many religion classes and I have never heard that to be true.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that some people felt like Tammie was implying that those who do celebrate Halloween are closet Devil worshippers or something like that. I honestly don't think she meant it like that at all. If she feels like Halloween is rooted in Pagan/occultist religious beliefs, then she's right for not celebrating it. There's definitely something to Halloween that makes it a 'special' night for witches and people who do practice the occult. However, I don't think the vast majority of people even THINK of that when they go out trick or treating. I think 90% of the population are just happy to be able to 'play dress up' again like they did when they were kids. hehe...and the free candy don't hurt! LOL
ReplyDeleteI think Tammie, that you should research the origins of all the holidays, just to be fair. You may find yourself not celebrating many of them at all. I do believe that many of the Christian holidays were taken over from the pagan people as christianity spread, for convenience. If you are feeling convicted to not celebrate Halloween because of the origins, then it may be the same for Christmas and Easter as well. If it's just because you don't like the negativity or 'darkness' of this particular holiday, then that might be another matter. I do know that people who practice the occult DO call this a special holiday, but don't celebrate Christmas or Easter, so there's something to that, I suppose......
Potsy, my best friends boyfriend claims to be a Wiccan high priest - and they do believe that Haloween is a holiday that that is set aside for the one night that makes "spirits" closer to those on earth .. or some crazy- ness.
ReplyDeleteThat should go to show how much I accept people from all walks of life. She is still my best friend even tho we share a huge difference of opinion.
Windy - I don't know if you remember or not, but we also did not take part in Easter this past year and as for Christmas, not that I like how it is hugely celebrated these days anymore anyway, but we are not celebrating it as others do - this year we are going to Florida, No santa, no tree, no presents or materialisitc garbage. I just have always hated that side of any holiday.
I don't have to "go away" on someone else's page! Tammie asked me to help her out. I think it is HER decision to have me as a friend, and not yours.
ReplyDeleteAs for my place in hell, I'm sure that if I end up there, you'll have a spot nice and toasty all prepared for me!!
I don't have to "go away" on someone else's page! Tammie asked me to help her out. I think it is HER decision to have me as a friend, and not yours. FYI: telling someone they are full of BS and stupid is a lot like calling them names.
ReplyDeleteAs for my place in hell, I'm sure that if I end up there, you'll have a spot nice and toasty all prepared for me!!
Kathy,
ReplyDeleteI never said for you to go away from being friends with Tammie. Get it straight ONCE AGAIN! If Tammie is grown enough to put out a blog like this then she should be able to handle it on her own....not call for her ONE other friend that agrees with her. She KNEW when she put this blog out there that there was a VERY GOOD chance it was going to ruffle some feathers.
What's that saying??? if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen. Well, she started the fire and RAN AWAY. That's okay...tells me what kind of person she REALLY is.
Saying something is bullshit and that what is plain and simply LIES are stupid is not calling HER anything.
That is why you should keep your nose out of it because YOU are stirring up MORE crap!
I know I got upset and took what she said personally because it was a personal attack on those of us that do celebrate it. I went back and explained to her that I wasn't mad at her personally and that I loved her. THAT'S when YOU decided to pipe in and try to tell me I don't care about Tammie. Damn right I'm going to then attack you back. You don't know me....But yet you want to try and say how I feel. Once again GO TO HELL.
Apparently Tammie wants to hold a grudge to, after I came back and said those things. So what EVER! I don't have time for this stupid, immature blog to begin with. Get INFORMED before you post a blog like this or take the heat when it comes!
You know what....if HELL is where I end up because I don't believe in this non sense that you spew....well then so be it.
BUT you can guarantee I wont have spot next to me saved for you because I wouldn't want the likes of YOU near me!
Tonya,
ReplyDeleteREALLY ? Noooooooo. It just got out of hand and I am not going to entertain that kind of behavior - so if you want to say I ran away, then so be it, but I am NOT going to stoop to any level of argueing, I never do - not even here at home. If people cannot speak without being negative - I want no part in it. That is it.
And if you read the response on my other blog, you would see I wasn't holding any grudge - I don't hold grudges - what would that say about me as a Christian ? Yea, exactly. So, if anyone has anything else to say, it will NOT be me !
Tammie, I didn't say you DIDN'T accept people of other beliefs, so I'm not quite sure why you need to keep reminding me of that. But besides that, you can't say that there are entire parts of the world that view Halloween as a "religious" holiday when in reality it is just a few folks who worship witchcraft that may hold it in that regard. To claim that there are entire places in the world that are devoted complatetly to this "religion" is kind of odd to be teaching your children. That's all I'm saying. You can teach them whatever you want since they are your kids, but you should teach them facts, not just opinions. :)
ReplyDeleteOh Pots, I wasn't really talking to you in regards to the people of other beliefs thing. That was a more in general statement for someone else.
ReplyDeleteOh I know that As to what you were saying, I didn't teach my kids 'that' - that is what the book said - the context in which I copied it from. I don't know, so therefore I wasn't going to tell them that part. I do like this book, however have found a few faults with some of the wording and disagree with a few bits. There are others out there tho, that explain better, but I won't be posting it here. :)