Why Do Christians Celebrate Halloween?

[jcizzle]

You celebrate Easter, Christmas? Look at the history of these holidays and see how they evolved. Just as Halloween evolved so did Easter and Christmas. Theres nothing evil about Halloween anymore than theres anything "Christian" about how Easter or Christmas is celebrated.

I know many holidays have elements that are dark or have become twisted but this one's orgin is here.

Yes I celebrate these holidays. But as I said in my original post, to me Halloween has evil beginnings with Christians trying to tame it down so they can participate. Easter and Christmas have holy beginnings and have drifted from that over time. I do celebrate easter but it's about the rising of Jesus from the grave. I do celebrate Christmas but it's about the birth of Jesus not Santa. We give gifts on Dec 25th but from birth my kids were not lied to about Santa. He's a mythical thing we pretend for fun but the gifts are really not from him. We give gifts to each other as symbols of how God gave us Jesus as a gift.

We have what we call HallowHim at our church. Kids dress in nonscary outfits and come to life center for carnival. Nothing satanic about it. Will have hundreds of kids attend.

No problem with this. Our church does something similar. We don't participate because we choose to make it a non-event and not recognize the day at all. For the reason copied below from the op. I go to work. My kids go to practice then home for dinner and tv. But I have no problem with folks that put a turn on it.

It would be like a Jewish family passing around gifts on Dec 25th but saying it's not for Christmas. Sure dressing up is fun. Costume parties for birthdays and the like would be great. But not scheduled intentionally to coincide with this holiday. I'm a guy who feels it is great for Christians to fast. However, I don't look at my calendar to find when Ramadan begins so that I can coordinate my fasting with this muslim holiday and then say it's not for that reason.

 

[jcizzle]

From History.com


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. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

 

[caojyn]

Yes I celebrate these holidays. But as I said in my original post, to me Halloween has evil beginnings with Christians trying to tame it down so they can participate. Easter and Christmas have holy beginnings and have drifted from that over time. I do celebrate easter but it's about the rising of Jesus from the grave. I do celebrate Christmas but it's about the birth of Jesus not Santa. We give gifts on Dec 25th but from birth my kids were not lied to about Santa. He's a mythical thing we pretend for fun but the gifts are really not from him. We give gifts to each other as symbols of how God gave us Jesus as a gift.

http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm
if you consider the Roman Hoilday of Saturnalia to be holy

 

[bootsbaker]

You celebrate Easter, Christmas? Look at the history of these holidays and see how they evolved. Just as Halloween evolved so did Easter and Christmas. Theres nothing evil about Halloween anymore than theres anything "Christian" about how Easter or Christmas is celebrated.

This.

 

[inactive]

Easter and Christmas have holy beginnings and have drifted from that over time. I do celebrate easter but it's about the rising of Jesus from the grave. I do celebrate Christmas but it's about the birth of Jesus not Santa. We give gifts on Dec 25th but from birth my kids were not lied to about Santa. He's a mythical thing we pretend for fun but the gifts are really not from him. We give gifts to each other as symbols of how God gave us Jesus as a gift.

I am going to stir the pot back a bit When we talk about the non-Christian parts of Easter and Christmas, we don't mean the secular parts in modern times. We mean stuff like this:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter1.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_tree.htm

Pagan celebrations based around the Spring Equinox and Winter Solstice, whose dates were picked for observance of Christian holidays.


Not saying I support or oppose Christian or Pagan festivals but here's the info regardless.

 

[bigfug]

Because we love chocolate!

 

[348]

I know some buddhists that celebrate Christmas.

 

[inactive]

From History.com


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. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

But Halloween is All Hallows Eve, the day preceding All Saints Day. That is a Catholic Holy day. It's another day that was arguably sniped from other spiritual groups' celebrations. Not only Celtic or Norse like you linked, but also quite notably:

another 2000-3000 old celebratory tradition.

 

[Wheel Gun]

Anyway, Share your thoughts. Do you celebrate halloween? Do ya think I'm crazy? Even if you still celebrate, does it make sense why I don't?

Here's another spin. If you go waaaayyyy back in history, various pagan events used this holiday to celebrate/encourage/predict demonic mischief and the underworld was pretty much believed by people to run free on Earth causing trouble. I'm sure it was great fun for some, but many many people were terrified by this belief.

Churches reacted to this holiday/belief/terror by opening their doors to people for shelter and comfort. In time of fear, churches offered an alternative place to hang out for a day or so. We snicker at this, but most people took this stuff very seriously. I think Halloween provides Christianity with a strong story to tell. Now, as then, Christ and His Church provides the same offer now and tomorrow for real or imagined fear.

I don't think local churches should shy away from the holiday; just explain it. Anyway, that's the way I look at it.

 

[RidgeHunter]

I know some buddhists that celebrate Christmas.

We've had Muslims at our Christmas dinner before. And it's chock full o athiests every year.

Why does anyone care? That's the real question.