In about a month and a half it'll be Halloween. I just want to remind all of you that contrary to pop history, Halloween is not a pagan holiday, it's a Christian holiday, the eve before All Saints Day, and the beginning of Hallowmas.
The date chosen for All Saints Day (November 1st) was not chosen to supplant the pagan Celtic festival of Shamhain, this date for the feast of All Saints actually originated in the German Church during the 7th century and the Irish Church celebrated the feast of All Saints on April 20th well into the 8th century until Pope Gregory III made the German date for the feast the official date in the west and it featured much more prominently in celebrations in the Holy Roman Empire than it did among the Celts until the 16th century.
Trick-or-treating evolved from guising/souling, a custom that children in England, Scotland, and Ireland would practice during Hallowmas by going door to door in disguises to offer prayers for a deceased person's soul in purgatory in exchange for food or money. Children wore costumes to represent the souls in purgatory, not to scare away demons, fairies, ghouls, ghosts, or trolls. Admittedly when the Irish brought this practice to America many children would threaten and sometimes carry out a pranks against neighbors who didn't take up their offer (hence the phrase "trick-or-treat" and also the origin of Mischief Night being on October 30th) but eventually the phrase became harmless and apart of the tradition.
Jack-o'-lanterns originated from the Irish folktale of Stingy Jack. As the tale goes, Stingy Jack was an awful drunk who enjoyed playing tricks on everyone. One day, he tricked the Devil himself into climbing an apple tree. When the Devil climbed the tree, Jack placed crosses around the tree so the Devil couldn't come down. He made the Devil promise he wouldn't take his soul and when the Devil promised this he let him come down from the tree. Many years later Jack died. He was confronted by St. Peter at the gates of heaven who denied him entry due to his sinful life of drinking. But Jack told him that it was impossible for him to go to hell since the Devil promised never to take his soul. St. Peter traveled to hell to inquire this from the Devil himself and the Devil confirmed this, announcing that he could not cause Jack's soul to be damned. St. Peter informed God about this and God placed Jack's soul in limbo, a dark abyss at a neutral point between heaven and hell where there was neither good nor bad nor pain nor pleasure. Jack asked the Devil if he could help him light the way, so the Devil tossed him a hot coal from hell. Jack had a turnip with him, as it was his favorite food, and he was able to carve it out and place the coal inside to light his way. Jack-o'-lanterns were placed outside to help light Stingy Jack's way during Hallowmas. Eventually when the Irish brought this practice to the Americas they switched to using pumpkins and gourds and other squashes from the original turnips and potatoes.
As we can see, Halloween is a firmly established Christian holiday that all Christians should partake in. There is nothing pagan about it. It is Christian. Have fun with it, pray during this time, especially for the deceased in purgatory, and to the saints in heaven for their intercession. Amen.
All pagan traditions have been baptized into the church and made full like the men who held them. Fear not the association with paganism, for the Jews themselves are pagan for not partaking in the fullness. Do not lie, do not decieve, be honest and accept the "pagan ties". For as much as Christ was preconfigured in the Old Testament, surely he has been preconfigured in others.
Kayden Jones
Go to your Protestant board. >>>/kjv/
Dylan Miller
What? No. It's not. In fact Orthodox Christians are forbidden from celebrating it.
Are you jewish, or something? You do not amend the one true immutable word of God. If it's not in the Bible then it is not Christian. Only a liar would allow amendments for "better spread" of the faith.
Heretics.
Jordan Jenkins
The Orthodox Church celebrates All Saints on the Sunday after Pentecost. Also, my priest told me it's ok to do.
Have I mentioned heresies? Because that's how you get heresies.
Levi Wright
Baptized into the church. To bring the tradition or custom into the fullness of God's will.
Juan Gutierrez
Says who? Liars who see Salvation and Heaven like a fornicator sees porn? Gotta convert quickkkkk at all costsssss. Let in all the amendments you later get killed for or kill others for because the region way over there will have different amendments. Hmm yeah get me into heaven baby, any shortcut necessary. Mhh mhh so good. So good to lie. Gotta have some candy and dress up as a skellington. Very baptized and godly mhhh my work here is done I am a saint now.
Josiah Anderson
Yeah that's Protestantism for ya'.
Henry Rivera
You laugh about Sola Scriptura, but read what Paul wrote in Galatians 4
Sometimes I understand how Cathodox try to explain "oh no, Paul was just talking about the judaizers and stuff. He wasn't saying all this was inherently bad". But tbh the new testament speaks extremely negatively about a lot of what the Cathodox do.
It gets to the point where it all adds up and I'm thinking… Idk guys…
Dominic Butler
How is Halloween anti-Christian?
Grayson Roberts
It corresponds with Samhain.
Joseph Adams
I've never heard of samhain
Gabriel Parker
Because it's unrelated to Halloween. Halloween is Christian.
Cameron James
I don't understand what those verses have to do with the heresy of Sola Scriptura.
Pic related once again. Philippians 2:12 kills the Protestant.
You seriously don't understand Sola Scriptura? If Scripture doesn't take precedence, we have no way of correcting incorrect teaching. Take Athanasius for example. Without sola scriptura, he would have zero way to correct the entire church.
Phil 2:12
I can't even begin to imagine how you think these passage refutes Protestantism.
Over-confidence in one's position often shows that you're very new to this discussion.
< Like this guy says, even if some Christian tradition has roots in paganism so long as it is Christianized there is no shame.
Evan Bailey
Well yeah the thing is you are supposed to fast on Halloween.
Ethan Garcia
Where in the bible does the bible say all Christian holidays are in the bible?
Julian Smith
TLDR - Satan thinks its great to celebrate Halloween and be worldly because that's how he rolls.
The word Hallow means to be sanctified and set apart. Does anyone here with the Spirit understand what it means to be set apart? In the days of old a pisspot was set apart, but not in the Hallowed sense.
What fills you? For what purpose are you set apart? If you are set apart for honor then do what honors God. How is it those who claim to be His children do not know these things?
