The Occult (Halloween)

The bible does not mention the term “Halloween” or the mystic Druidic rite “Samhain” from which Halloween is derived and was originally observed about 4,000 years ago. It is the Druidic New Year celebration.

Some view Halloween as a harmless holiday in which children dress up in customs and participate in various traditions. In American schools, more time is given to Halloween-centered activities than any other holiday. In a recent letter to Ann Landers, a parent expressed concern that a fourth grade teacher asked her students to write about how they would most like to celebrate Halloween. Eighty percent said they would like to kill someone or something. In business, Halloween is a multi-billion dollar industry and is heavily marketed.



Is it just scary fun? Should Christians participate in it?

Let’s take a look at Halloween’s origins:

Many Halloween customs come from pagan superstitions relating to Samhain. The druids were priests, sorcerers, and magicians of nature-base Celtic religions that prevailed in the early times in northern Europe which permeated Celtic. Roman Catholic church changed all saint’ day, designed to pay tribute to Christian martyrs, to the beginning of November in an effort to offset the pagan holiday of Halloween. It had previously been observed in May. Some protestant churches also observe All Saints Day.



The practice of “trick or treat” comes from the Celtic tradition of giving food for blessings from spirits of the dead. Failure to provide food supposedly invoked demonic retaliations. Jack-o-lanterns come from carving demonic faces on turnips and later pumpkins. Candle-lit pumpkins or skulls signify the occupants were sympathetic to these spirits and would receive mercy from these spirits if displayed. Druids believed black cats were reincarnations of evil dead souls with supernatural power and knowledge. Bobbing for apples is part of the druidic New Year’s sexual divination of fertility. Broomsticks are part of some Wiccan “circles” and originally considered to be phallic symbols which transformed sexual energy into psychic energy. Contact with spirit beings, through séances, is thought to be highest at Samhain in spirit beings are invoked for personal power.



At a Druidic New Year’s celebration, there were human sacrifices at midnight. Children were thrown into huge fires were others danced around. By morning, only ashes and bones remained. These were called “bone fires” which were we get our tradition of bonfires.



Halloween is one of the “high holy days” in the practice of Wicca, sorcerers, and devil worshippers as well as being a secular observance. On this night, and nights leading up to it, law enforcement officials notice an increase in occultist crime and ritualistic killings evidenced by symbolic markings at the scene, excessive loss of blood in the victims, and organs removed in a certain manner in victims. It is a time of increased abduction of children and animals.



Let’s get into some definitions first (Longman Dictionary)

1.Occult = Mysterious practices and powers involving magic and spirits.
2.Witch = A woman who is supposed to have magic powers, especially to do bad things.
3.Sorceress = A woman in stories who uses magic and receives help from evil spirits.
4.Sorcerer = A man in stories who uses magic and receives help from evil spirits.
The Celts were a deeply spiritual people, who worshipped both a god and a goddess.



The word “witch” is a translation of the Hebrew “Kashaph” which is the same as “Sorceress”



Is there any reference in the Bible to these practices?

There should be not be found among you anyone who burns his son or is daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord; and because of the abominable practices the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations, which you are about to dispossess, give heed to soothsayers and to diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you so to do. Deuteronomy 18: 10-11 (Revised Standard Version)

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There are more references to this practice. Look in your favorite Library and the Bible!

Original Date 10/31/2007