Origins of Halloweeen Flashcards
What is Samhain (Saa-wn)
A Celtic festival of celebration and superstition
Other famous Irish traditions include:
St. Patrick’s Day
Easter
Christmas
Marks the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter.
It was believed that during this time, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, allowing spirits to roam freely.
The Celts lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off these wandering spirits.
They also believed that the presence of these spirits made it easier for Druids, the Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.
What does Jeremiah 10:1-2 say?
1 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you,
O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
What is All Hallows’ Eve?
The word “Halloween” is a contraction of “All Hallows’ Eve.”
“All Hallows” refers to All Saints’ Day, a Christian holiday on November 1st, dedicated to honoring saints and martyrs.
“Eve” simply means the night before.
What does Matthew 6:9 say?
**After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
the word “hallowed,” which originally conveyed the sacred and holy nature of God’s name, has been used in the term “Halloween,” which is often associated with secular and, in some cases, occult practices.
the word “hallowed,” which is meant to honor God’s holiness, is now being perverted for Halloween.
What is All Saints Day?
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor saints and martyrs who have gone to heaven.
Soon after, All Saints Day came to incorporate some of the traditions of Samhain.
What holiday is called All Saints Day in the Bible?
Because the Christian world is so loving and so inclusive, they accepted Satanic holidays into their religion. Everything is welcome in Jesus.
Does the Christian church denounce this and petition for it to go back to Samhain since this is all demonic? Nope.
They’re complicit in the blasphemy.
What is All Souls Day?
All Souls’ Day, also known as the Feast of All Souls, is a Christian holiday observed on November 2nd.
It is a day dedicated to remembering and praying for the souls of all the faithful departed, particularly those who have passed away but have not yet reached heaven.
All Souls’ Day is closely associated with the belief in purgatory, a state in which the souls of the deceased undergo purification before entering heaven.
What is El Dia de los Muertos
The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos), is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration.
A blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion and Spanish culture, the holiday is celebrated each year from October 31-November 2. While October 31 is Halloween, November 1-2 is All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead.
According to tradition, the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31 and the spirits of children can rejoin their families for 24 hours. The spirits of adults can do the same on November 2.
What does Deuteronomy 18:10 say?
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 times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
Vs 12 - During El Dia De Los Muertos, some of our people make rituals or spells. Not only to try to achieve personal goals, but also to seek revenge or manipulate others.
To do this, they’ll use of candles, herbs, or other items associated with witchcraft.
Altars, or ofrendas, are also a key part of Día de los Muertos.
They’ll say they use this to honor the dead, but some use alters to try to control spirits for personal gain.
consulting with familiar spirits = some of our people attempt to communicate with the spirits of the dead during El Dia de los Muertos.
What is 1 Samuel 28:3-20 about?
This passage is about Saul and the Witch of Endor
Vs 3 - a familiar spirit is a medium.
A medium makes contact with the spirits of the dead to communicate between the dead and the living.
Like some of our people try to do during El Dia De Los Muertos!
Vs 5 - Saul was afraid of the Philistine army coming against him
Vs 6 - The Urim (pronounced you-rim) was an object that the high priests would use to get answers from God when they needed to make big decisions.
This shows that in the spirit world, there are forces for good and evil. The urim was a pure device that the high priest would use for God’s direction.
The familiar spirit uses necromancy also known as black magic to communicate with the dead, which is prohibited.
The Bible speaks of supernatural powers like telekinesis, exorcism, telepathy, and so much more.
Vs 12 - Although it was a forbidden power, this woman really could do it.
Vs 13 - when she conjured the spirits of righteous men out of the earth, they were known as gods.
Let’s read about it in verse 14.
Verse 14 - Saul bows himself because he knew God was speaking through Samuel. He knew that Samuel had godly authority.
Vs 16 - God departed from Saul. Saul lost his spiritual power.
We have to pray that God doesn’t take the Holy Ghost away from us.
Vs 18 - God told Saul to smite Amalek and destroy all that they have. Spare them not.
But Saul spared King Agag and the best of the Amalekite livestock. He didn’t have the heart to carry out what God required of him, just like many of our people today. Too soft.
But not ALL the amalekites are bad. God loves everybody!
You know how you do. You not built for this.
Vs 19 - Samuel told Saul that he and his sons would die in battle to the Philistines
Ghosts
Ghosts are a common Halloween symbol because of the belief that spirits of the dead roamed during Samhain. This ties back to the festival’s origins in honoring the deceased.
The belief in spirits and the afterlife was central to Samhain. The idea of ghosts and spirits wandering on Halloween night echoes these ancient beliefs.
Costumes
In order to avoid being terrorized by all the evil spirits walking the Earth during Samhain, the Celts wore disguises so that they would not be mistaken for spirits themselves and be left alone.
What is Acts 19:313-16 about?
Paul and the 7 sons of Sceva
Vs 13 - this is taking place in Ephesus where the apostle Paul had been preaching and performing miracles in the Messiah’s name.
His ministry in Ephesus had a profound impact, leading many to believe in Christ.
Wandering Jews would go from place to place trying to cast out spirits in the Lord’s name
They were trying to perform exorcisms using the authority associated with the Messiah’s name, as they had seen Paul do.
Vs 15 - When the sons of Sceva tried to exorcise an evil spirit, the spirit responded by saying, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?”
This question highlights how Christ and Paul had authority. The evil spirit refused to obey these exorcists because they lacked authority.
Vs 16 - The man possessed by the evil spirit leaped on the seven sons of Sceva, overpowered them, and harmed them. The exorcists fled from the house, wounded and naked, being completely humiliated.
This shows that the Lord must be with you when dealing with spiritual matters. That you can’t manipulate spiritual powers without the proper authority and relationship with God.
Jack-O-Lanterns
The tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack-o’-lanterns has its roots in Irish folklore.
Originally, turnips were carved to ward off evil spirits. When Irish immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were more abundant and easier to carve, leading to the familiar pumpkin lanterns.
The use of carved pumpkins as lanterns, with frightening faces, harks back to the Celts’ efforts to ward off malevolent spirits. The eerie glow of these lanterns was believed to frighten away evil entities.
Trick-or-Treating
The tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack-o’-lanterns has its roots in Irish folklore.
Originally, turnips were carved to ward off evil spirits. When Irish immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were more abundant and easier to carve, leading to the familiar pumpkin lanterns.
The use of carved pumpkins as lanterns, with frightening faces, harks back to the Celts’ efforts to ward off malevolent spirits. The eerie glow of these lanterns was believed to frighten away evil entities.
Ephesians 5:11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness”:
Stay away from activities that are contrary to the principles of righteousness and godliness.
Christians are encouraged to distance themselves from such activities and not to participate in them.
“But rather reprove them”:
Do not entertain trick or treating. Rebuke the practice.
Our job is to stand out and let our light shine. Promote FOT if you wanna promote a holiday.
