What Are the Origins of Halloween?

1. What Are the Origins of Halloween?

2. What are the origins of Halloween? The Pilgrim forefathers well knew of Halloween's occultic roots. In fact, they banned celebrating Halloween in the new world.

3. Halloween was not celebrated in the United States until 1845. What are the origins of Halloween? At that time many thousands of Irish emigrants flooded into New York because of the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-46.

4. What are the origins of Halloween? • They brought with them the old Druid holiday of Halloween. • Gradually, the idea of celebrating this day spread throughout the rest of North America.

5. The Druids were a special class among the Celtic peoples who performed the functions of priest, religious teacher, judge, and civil administrator. • Among the Druids were three classes, prophet, bard and priest. They were assisted by female sorceresses. What are the origins of Halloween?

6. What was the religion of the Druids? • Alexander Hislop in his book, The Two Babylons, says, • The god whom the Druids wor- shipped was Baal, as the blazing Baal-fires show --- • We know that they offered human sacrifices to their bloody gods. • We have evidence that they made their children pass through the fire to Molech, and that makes it highly probable that they also offered them in sacrifice.”

7. What was the religion of the Druids? • The Druids were well versed in astrology, magic, and the mysterious powers of plants and animals. • They held the oak tree and the mistletoe, especially when the latter grew on oak trees, in great reverence.

8. What was the religion of the Druids? • The Druid lord of death and evil spirits was called Saman, Samana, Shamhain or Samhain. • His "holiday" was called "The Vigil Of Saman" or Samhain (pronounced so-wein). • This pagan god was shown as a ghostly, skeleton hold- ing a sickle in his hand. He later came to be known as THE GRIM REAPER.

9. Why was October 31st so important? • The pagan Celts in Northern Europe held two great fire festivals each year -- Beltane on the eve of May 1st and Samhain on the eve of November 1st -- to mark the beginning of summer and winter.

10. Why was October 31st so important? • November 1st was the day of death because the leaves were falling, it was getting darker sooner and temper-atures were dropping. The Druids believed Muck Olla, their sun god, was loosing strength because Samhain, lord of death, was overpowering him.

11. Why was October 31st so important? • They believed that on October 31st Samhain assembled the spirits of all who had died during the previous year. • They had been confined to in- habit animals' bodies for the past year as punishment for their evil deeds. • On the eve of the feast of Samhain, October 31st, they were allowed to return to their former homes to visit the living.

12. Why is the origin of Halloween so evil? • Druid worship was conducted in a grove of trees (preferably oak trees) or in a Druidic stone circle, the most famous surviving circle being located in Stonehenge, England.

13. Why is the origin of Halloween so evil? • To appease Samhain and keep the spirits from harming them, Druid priests led the people in diabolical worship ceremonies. • Horses, black sheep, oxen, human beings, cats, and other offerings were rounded up, stuffed into wicker cages and burned to death.

14. Why is the origin of Halloween so evil? • Human sacrifice was common at the ancient Druid Sacrificial Circle at Stonehenge. • Within three miles of this sight there are over 350 funeral mounds that contain the remnants of countless human sacrifices.

15. How did Halloween become a part of western culture? • It seems that early professing Christians desired to have a part in the seasonal festivities along with their pagan neighbours. • “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” --1 John 2:15

16. How did Halloween become a part of western culture? • In an attempt to "Christianize" this pagan worship day, in A.D. 800, the Roman Catholic Church moved "ALL SAINTS DAY" from May to November 1st. • The new day was called All HALLOW'S DAY and it soon became the custom to call the evening before ALL HALLOWE'EN. It was shortened and called HALLOWEEN.

17. How did Halloween become part of western culture? • The pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. • Even later, in A.D. 1000, the Roman Catholic church would make Nov. 2nd 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.

18. How does the satanic religion of the Druids live on at Halloween? • All Hallows' Eve predictably became a time of spells, curses, and horrors for those who did not believe, but for the Satanists, particularly the witches, it was a joyous festival and major sabbat." • (Quoted from The Occult Conceit - A New Look at Astrology, Witchcraft and Sorcery, by Owen S. Rachleff, from page 189-190.)

19. How does the satanic religion of the Druids live on at Halloween? • During the Middle Ages there was a mighty revival of witch- craft and Satanism. • There developed the belief that on October 31st witches travelled to their covens flying on brooms, guided by evil spirits in the form of black cats.

20. There was a great outpouring of satanic power, and as all the old practices continued, some new ones develop. • Satanists--acting true to form--reversed the Christian procedure. Because Nov. 1st was All Saints' Day (All Souls' Day, Nov. 2nd, memorializes the dead), Satanists established Oct 31st as "All Demon's Night." Is Halloween still a satanic holiday?

21. Is Halloween still a satanic holiday? Noted New Age Researcher Texe Marrs says, "...our own research confirms that on this unholy night [Halloween], witches' covens meet, drink, dance, spit out curses and spells, con- jure up spirits, engage in immoral orgies, induct new members, and offer up animal and human sacrifices.

22. Is Halloween still a satanic holiday? Jack Roper, occult researcher with C.A.R.I.S. (Christian Apologetics: Research & Information Service) says "...the time of the year where you have the highest rate of Satanic ritual crimes is Halloween."

23. What about Halloween costumes? • On the evening of October 31st, the Druids ordered the people to put out their hearth fires. • The Druids built a huge new year's bonfire of oak branches, which they considered sacred. • They burned animals, crops and human beings as sacrifices to their sun god Muck Olla and Samhain, their god of death.

24. It was believed that Saman, lord of the dead, would then send evil spirits to attack people. What about Halloween costumes? • The only way these people could escape was by assuming disguises and looking like evil spirits themselves. • During the ceremony, people wore costumes made of animal heads and skins, which they hoped would frighten the evil spirits away.

25. What about “Trick or Treating”? • “The Druids in Ireland would go through the countryside on the eve of October 31st to collect offerings to Satan. • They would carry lanterns, bags of money, and canes with very sharp points on the ends. • At each house, they would demand a specific amount.

26. What about “Trick or Treating”? • “If the household would not not give the offering, the Druid would use the cane to do physical harm to the male human or one of the household’s prize animals." • --Seven High Pagan Masses and Halloween by Irene A. Park; page 1) • In later years, Irish farmers perpetuated the custom, going house to house begging for food for their ancient gods.

27. What about black cats? • Druid priests believed that cats were once human beings but were reincarnated as punishment for evil deeds. • Because of this, they held cats sacred and involved them in their idol worship of October 31st and November 1st. • (The American Book of Day, third edition by Hatch)

28. What about black cats? • In many areas of North America, the Humane Society will not release black cats around Halloween for fear that they will be mistreated or sacrificed.

29. What about “Jack o’ lanterns”? • The World Book Encyclopedia, 1977 edition, volume 9, page 24-26 says, "The apparently harmless lighted pumpkin face of `Jack-O-Lantern' is an ancient symbol of a damned soul.”

30. What about “Jack o’ lanterns”? • According to an article by Dr. John MacArthur, Jr., "Jack-O-Lanterns were named for a man called Jack, who could not enter heaven or hell.

31. What about “Jack o’ lanterns”? • With this in mind, people began to hollow out pumpkins and turnips, placing candles inside to scare evil spirits from their houses.

32. What about witches? • Witchcraft is the pagan worship of the Mother Goddess and her consort the Horned God.

33. What about witches? • Witches (Wiccans) claim they don't even acknowledge Satan. • But a former Alexanderian Wiccan witch clarified this by stating, "as I got to the higher degrees I learned that the name of the horned god was Lucifer. I learned that the sign of the second degree was an inverted pentagram...symbolizing the horns of Satan."

34. As a believer, what should be my involvement with Halloween? “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. --Romans 12:1, 2

35. As a believer, what should be my involvement with Halloween? • Have you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life? • Have you submitted to the Word of God as your Guidebook for life? • Use the principles God gives us in His Word to come to your own conclusion! “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” -- Psalm 119:105

36. What principles does God give us? • Don’t be guilty of worshipping demons either knowingly or unknowingly! • “They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abomi-nations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. --De 32:16, 17

37. What principles does God give us? • Avoid fellowship with demons (i.e participating in that which is offered to them)!

38. What principles does God give us? • ‘What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils (lit. demons), and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils (lit. demons). --1 Cor. 10:19, 20

39. What principles does God give us? • Have no part in that which promotes or glorifies evil! • Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. • Avoid things which simply appear evil! • 1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

40. What principles does God give us? Ask yourself, “Will my involvement glorify God?” 1 Cor 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. • If you don’t have peace about it, DON’T DO IT! • Rom 14:3b . . .for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

41. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” --1 John 2:15