Halloween

Every year I know so many people who get so excited for Halloween. Well, it just plain freaks me out. It's been turned into this harmless Pagan holiday, but if you really knew what it meant would you still celebrate it? Roll your eyes and call me ridiculous all you want, but you can't ride the fence, you have to pick a side. 1 Corinthians 10:21 - You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
I'll try to condense it because it's pretty long, but here's the real deal on Halloween:

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).
The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. (Does that not freak you out? Seriously!) Samhain, a Druid god of the dead, was honored at Hallowe'en in Britain, Germany, France, and the Celtic countries. Samhain called together all wicked souls who died within the past year and who were destined to inhabit animals. The Druids believed that souls of the dead came back to their homes to be entertained by those still living. Suitable food and shelter were provided for these spirits or else they would cast spells, steal infants, destroy crops, kill farm animals, and create terror as they haunted the living. This is the action that "Trick-or-Treat" copies today. The Samhain celebration used nuts, apples, skeletons, witches, and black cats. Divination and auguries were practiced as well as magic to seek answers for the future. Even today witchcraft practitioners declare October 31st as the most favorable time to practice their arts. If that doesn't sound like Satan, than I don't know what does. Honestly, what are we teaching our children? What are we opening ourselves up to when we accept and celebrate this day? Harmless? I bet God doesn't think so. Want something closer to home? Think about the movies they release on Halloween: Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Hmm, just the release of these movies on this particular day is a testament to what it's really all about. Scary.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

Here's how Halloween became a Pagan holiday: By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

1 Timothy 4:1 - Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of the devils.

I know that's a lot of info to read, but it's better to know the truth than not. If you honestly think about Halloween and what you're really celebrating it is evil, does come from Satan, and is an abomination to the Lord God.

3 John 1:11 - Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 - ...whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

So, who are you gonna choose? Glorify God or Glorify Satan?