Chapter Six – The Customs and Traditions of Halloween (page

As much as the villagers missed their dead relatives and enjoyed reuniting with them one time a year, no one was willing to give up their own life for their departed loved one. So in costume, the villagers danced and sang loudly as they led the evil spirits away from their homes, through the streets, and out to the great forests where there were bonfires waiting.

By watching the way the human sacrifice died, the Druid priests could predict the omens and the future of the village for the coming year.

On the mystical night of October 31, the Druids believed that the sins of their deceased loved one's could be atoned for through sacrifice to a particular god that had the power to determine in what way the deceased would be reincarnated - either as an animal or as a human. Typical sacrifices throughout the year were horses and cats. But on the night of Samhain - humans were sacrificed. By watching the way the human sacrifice died, the Druid priests could predict the omens and the future of the village for the coming year.

So as the departed relatives (ghosts) visited the homes and enjoyed a feast with their living loving relatives, some of the Druid priests manned the giant bonfires and made human sacrifices for the 'souls' of these visiting, dead spirits. All hoped that their loved ones would be appeased that they would return to life again as human and not be tortured to remain as roaming spirits or worse – to return as an animal.

After feasting with their deceased family members, the young men of the households, dressed in their animal costumes would lead their visiting spirits out of their homes and to the bonfire where the Druid priests awaited.

In the coming centuries, other villages eagerly accepted the practice of disguising themselves as 'spirits' during the "Feast of the Dead". Spreading all throughout Europe, homeowners began to attempt anything to keep evil at bay. They placed horseshoes over their doorposts to ward off the witches during that night (with the belief that witches feared horses). In impersonating the spirits of the dead, young Gaelic men would dress in all sorts of grotesque costumes. Led by pagan priests, the young men walked the streets among the dead 'spirits' and went door to door singing, offering to pray for and lead the dead in return for a 'fee' of special treats.

When these beliefs immigrated to America they became part of acceptable 'holiday activities' for children. The early Scottish and Irish immigrants would send their children "a-souling" during the evening of Samhain. The children would disguise themselves and go door to door requesting food or coins in exchange for promised prayers for the departed 'souls' of the homeowner's loved ones. The non-Scottish and non-Irish adults of American high society didn’t understand this common pagan custom. But it fascinated them and they didn’t want to miss the fun.

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The adults of American high society began to plan "a-souling parties" where they copied some of the Irish/Scottish customs. Wearing disguises provided the adults with an opportunity for drunken revelry and risqué behavior without 'consequence'.

Soon Trick-or-Treat for children spread throughout the U.S. and 'tricksters' began to wreak havoc among the homeowners and businesses that refused them a treat.

They arrange tables with toys, skull candies, funeral cakes, and other treats for their departed children. When the children go door to door they don't say "Trick-or-Treat". They say, "¿me da mi calaverita?, "Can you give me my little skull?" In the late 1800's and early 1900's it became a night of vandalism as wagons were overturned, gates were lifted off their hinges and hung up in trees, and household and business items were destroyed.

Dressing in costumes and going Trick-or-Treating came from - and still is - a pagan celebration of the dead today:

 In Mexico, to celebrate 'the Day of the Dead' - parents hold festivals in their homes for children who have died. They arrange tables with toys, skull candies, funeral cakes, and other treats for their departed children. When the children go door to door they don't say "Trick-or-Treat". They say, "¿me da mi calaverita?” or, "Can you give me my little skull?"  In Czechoslovakia, families remember the dead by eating special cakes and drinking cold milk "to cool the souls roasting in Purgatory" with special places set at their tables for the 'departed'.  In Scotland and Wales, people still set blazing bonfires near their homes to keep the evil spirits from their doors. Inside, each family member drinks a special "brew" believed to ward off any spirits that sneaked past the fires.  In North Wales some toss marked stones into bonfires to predict the future. A family marches around the fire praying, and then returns to their home to sleep. When they awake, it's believed that if an individual's stone is missing, he will be dead within the coming year.  In Austria, they leave bread, water and a lighted lamp on the kitchen table before bed. Their hope is to welcome the dead spirits back to earth so they can receive some of their spiritual magic.  In China food and water are placed in front of photographs of deceased relatives.

Bonfires and lamps are lit in order to guide the spirits as they travel the earth that night.  In Germany, homeowners store away their knives on Halloween night because they don't wish to risk harm to (or from) the returning spirits.  In Japan, spirits are said to return to their birthplaces. Housecleaning and grave sweeping are done in preparation. Altars are set up in their homes and sometimes 'priests' are hired as welcome-fires are lit. After the 'spirits' return home, 'send-off' fires are lit to guide the spirits back to their graves.

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As I stated previously, in America even the parents who aren't Christian – refuse to use common sense when it comes to Trick-Or-Treat. In a time when our neighborhoods aren’t safe for children and no one knows their neighbor - parents freely allow (and encourage) their children to dress up in costume and go begging in the dark, asking strangers for candy.

For those who are Christian - why in the world do we even have to debate about participating in the traditions of pagans (Mark 7:8-9)? Why do we justify yoking our children (or ourselves) with wickedness in the name of fun (2 Cor. 6:14-17)? Why do we insist upon imitating what we know is evil (3 John 1:11)?

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CHAPTER SIX

The Customs and Traditions of Halloween

witches, fortune tellers, black cats, ghosts and the paranormal, vampires, werewolves, haunted houses, etc.

'Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world. ~ William Shakespeare

WITCHES & FORTUNE TELLERS

Obviously people associate witches with Halloween. The most traditional costumes are the 'ghost’ and 'witch' costumes of various designs. Hollywood has portrayed witches in a 'good and bad' light for years. For the most part, good witches were portrayed as beautiful while bad witches were ugly. Good witches used their powers to help others; bad witches were evil and harmed people.

The truth is that witches are not the creation of great Hollywood writers. Witches are real. Witchcraft is an ancient 'craft'. (Ask anyone from some of the old quarters of New Orleans areas if “hoodoo” and witchcraft are real and exist today.) Ask anyone from some of the old quarters of New Orleans areas if "hoodoo" and witchcraft are real and exist today.

Witches do not consider themselves in the same religious realm as Satanists. Witches don’t intentionally glorify or worship Satan. Instead they believe they are pagans that worship 'nature'. Witches derive their power from the gods and/or goddesses of their personal choosing and from the wisdom of the spirits and forces of nature.

Witches do still gather in covens and in drum circles. Unlike their comic Hollywood portrayals, they don't necessarily utilize black, steaming cauldrons that bubble with magical potions. But they do use alchemy and nature to concoct elixirs and potions for the purpose of altering the mind and for 'healing' (or hurting) and manipulating.

I understand that this part can be a bit controversial - but bear with me. There are witches who can 'foretell' events and 'read' your past. For many it's a simple, learned trickery. But there are some who do possess the 'power' to know things they absolutely cannot know. How is this?

Let me explain. God is our Creator (Deut. 32:6). He knew us before the time He formed us together in the wombs of our mothers (Psalm 139:13-16). As He fashioned us, God gave to each individual specific gifts (James 1:17 & Romans 12:6-8) and talents and abilities to be used for His purposes (Jeremiah 1:5).

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Now if God knew us before birth then created us with specific gifts and placed us in our mother's wombs, this means that we received some level of 'spiritual gifts' before we were ever born. Those spiritual gifts were in our lives before any of us ever came to know Christ as Savior and Lord.

Sadly, with a bit of 'tempting' – with a good amount of sensory manipulation – and with a desire to elevate ourselves, it doesn't take much for Satan to influence and use the 'gifts' that God placed within each of us for His purposes. Satan uses God's good gifts for his own evil purposes. (Acts 16:16-18)

Personally, we know a woman who was gifted in the prophetic as a child and teenager. Not knowing Christ, she became fascinated by what she knew about others. Because she didn’t know this gift was from God to be used for His purposes, she became a noted 'fortune teller'. After learning that her prophetic gift wasn’t magic at all but instead a gift from God, she entered into a right relationship with Jesus Christ. Today she's using her prophetic gift for the Lord and for His work.

Back to witchcraft. Witchcraft is real. Witches are real. And in a sense – their magic and fortune telling are real. We've met and spoken with a number witches in the area where we used to live. We have an acquaintance who used to be a witch but is now a Spiritfilled believer. She told us that we'd be shocked at how many witches and pagans sit in Christian churches and pretend to be Christians every Sunday. She also shared where the local coven meets in our area and she told of the things they did. One of their biggest agendas was to infiltrate, to deceive and then to 'curse' local churches and Christians.

The truth is that there may be some 'good' people who claim to be witches. But there are no good witches. Witches do not serve or worship 'nature'. They do not acquire their magic from impish goddesses or gods of nature. Although witches are highly offended by any accusation that they worship Satan - they ultimately do worship Satan. They are deceived that their spiritual powers are derived from nature or from the universe or from their ‘natural’ chemical concoctions. Their powers come from Satan. The spirits they conjure to do their bidding are not the deceased. Those spirits are not nymphs or fairies or personal guides. The spirits they conjure and rely upon are demons.

This is why God is so strongly against witchcraft. He knows the 'spirits' behind the 'craft'. And God knows the agenda of the spirits that influence and drive witches. Because of this, many witches despise Christians. They know that we who have spiritual eyes can see right through them. And they know full well the Scriptures in God's Word that condemn their craft: (Deut. 18:10-12, Ex. 22:18, Gal. 5:19-21).

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