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The occult rituals seen in the video are real and not re-enactments and therefore are not suitable for young children. If you want a video for children to watch try this one, Halloween: Have you been tricked?
Some people will argue that it is innocent fun and that in today's society Halloween shows no resemblance to it's pagan origins. I, however, strongly disagree. There are many people who witness these demonic rituals every year. We just choose to disguise them with candy and costumes and pretend they don't exist. I know how easy it it to believe this because I celebrated in the "innocent" holiday for 18 years but through the grace of God, my eyes were opened to the true nature of that day. I know many families don't allow their children to dress up in scary costumes and try to avoid the "darkness" of the day but by your having to do that shouldn't that be enough of a sign to prove that there are evil things happening that day? I even know Orthodox families that have their children dress up like biblical characters or saints and forgive me for saying this but isn't it more important to teach our children to act like saints rather than dress up like them to justify participating in a satanic holiday?
We as Orthodox Christians need to ask ourselves who we serve. Does the Bible say anything that would make it ok to partake in this celebration? How about our saints or holy fathers--would they condone participating in a holiday where skeletons, witches, graveyards and vampires abound? Yes, there are some cutesy costumes but are those what you see hanging in every storefront or porch? No.
"And what communion does light have with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial?" 2 Corinthians 6:14-15St. Kosmas of Aitolos said, "Life is spiritual warfare. If you're not fighting--you're losing." This is something we need to remind ourselves of often in today's society.
Here's another link to my Orthodoxy vs. Halloween post.
**NOTE: This post was written before there were any comments on the previous Halloween post. I was trying to upload a clip but it wouldn't allow me. Please do not think anything from this post was directed towards those comments. Thank you.
11 comments:
To me it's about context. Any holiday can be good or bad. Valentine's day can be focused on the erotic. St. Patrick's day can become a drunk fest. Christmas can be twisted by consumerism. Christ can be lost in the bunnies and eggs of Easter. Thanksgiving can be all about gluttony. It's up to me and my husband to define how we celebrate holidays in our family, and explain our values to our kids in the process. I don't see Halloween any differently. We have fun together and make great memories. If Christ is strong enough to redeem to whole world, I believe he can redeem Halloween for our family.
I celebrated this holiday growing up, but after realizing what the real meaning of it is about 6 years ago, we decided not to partake of it any longer. I had stopped handing out candy but my husband feels like the neighborhood kids should at least be able to get candy when they ring the doorbell. I think this year we will no longer buy the candy and go back to just not participating whatsoever. The kids had no problem understanding that we don't celebrate it, and they even think all the decorations and costumes they see are scary. One year our oldest, who must have been about 4 at the time, told our neighbor he doesn't celebrate it since we are Greek- it was quite funny, he left the Orthodox part out. I think if you start when they are young it is easier in terms of whether the kids will object to dressing up or not- they naturally follow the rules you set up for them as parents and just as their faith is a part of their every day lives, so is choosing to not participate in Halloween. I don't believe there is a cute side to it and don't think you can pick and choose when it comes to Halloween. I think that participation in any fashion is just plain denouncement for our Christ. If you view the movie Sylvia is referring to it really wakes you up to the reality of what happens on that day. As a family though, we just don't follow and it is not a big deal for the kids at all.
Hi, Natalie. I know that some families feel they can't find a balance in how to celebrate Halloween, and forgoing it is absolutely the right thing for them. In my family, it's a pretty minor holiday, but we do have fun. And celebrating it is the right thing for us.
Do you know people use the same arguments to denounce celebrating Christmas? They claim there are pagan roots to the date of December 25th, the symbol of a Christmas tree, and such? In fact, some groups like the Jehovah's Witness, reject the celebration of *all* holidays on the basis that they are anti-Christian. But most of us feel that there is room for these things in the context of the church and our Christian lives.
Lastly, why do we feel the need to judge each other so harshly? Accusing me and my family of denouncing Christ is pretty serious. Why would you say such a hurtful thing? I'm not perfect, for sure, but I really am trying to live my life with Christ at the center.
Rachel,
I really don't think Natalie was referring to you personally. I believe she was just stating her opinion on how she would feel if she participated and I would feel the same way knowing what I know now. Like I said, I participated in it for 18 years, the last few years slowing easing out of it by just passing out candy and then not celebrating it at all. Everyone does what is right for their family at that moment.
I agree that some things are definitely about context. I just don't think Halloween is one of them. The other holidays you mentioned in your first comment should serve as a reminder to all of us how on every holiday, society has brought in an external factor to take the glory away from Christ. Even Thanksgiving, though not a religious holiday, it falls smack dab in the middle of the Nativity Fast (if you're on the New Calendar).
I agree Christ has redeemed the world but He will not redeem Halloween but it has nothing to do with him, it is a holiday of darkness. This is something we must do for him instead. I think you'd really like the video I mention in my post, I wish it would allow me to upload the clip I wanted to...I really learned a lot from it.
The other things you mentioned like the Christmas tree, etc., I have heard that before too but I just don't feel like you can compare it to Halloween. Christmas in the celebration of Christ's Nativity and Halloween has nothing to do with Christ.
We are all trying to do our best and "fight the good fight". Please don't take anything personally, you are both right--we all must do what is best for our family and we must all love and pray for each other. We are sisters in Christ. :)
Hi Sylvia,
Hmm, I'll try not to take what Natalie said personally, but it seemed pretty clear to me.
I know we just don't agree on Halloween, and that's fine. As you said, people do what is right for them.
I didn't grow up Orthodox, I was raised in the Lutheran church. I heard a lot of this anti-Halloween rhetoric growing up. I suppose that's why I don't get too excited by it now. In fact, a lot of the anti-Halloween propaganda has it's roots in anti-Catholic propaganda. (I believe the Catholic church traces it's celebration of Halloween back over 1,000 years) Certain Protestant groups went after Catholics, vilifying them as spooky mystics who give their children over pagan ritual. They use the *same argument* against the glorification of Mary. They portray Catholic piety surrounding Mary as goddess worship and based on pagan tradition. To them, it's the same, even in the same tracts. I remember reading them in my childhood.
For this reason, it's so ironic for me to see Orthodox faithful take up the anti-Halloween issue. The Theotokos is so important to us. Yet most of the Protestant anti-Halloween folks would condemn our devotion to the Theotokos for the same reasons they condemn Halloween. I guess that's why I'm not in a hurry to jump on the anti-Halloween bandwagon with them.
Not really an argument for or against anything, I know, just something that's interesting to me as someone with experience in both groups.
Rachel
Sylvia, thank you so much for sharing your insights on Halloween :o) I was raised in non-denominational/evangelical churches, and my parents are, well, crazy. They stopped celebrating Halloween when I was little. Instead, we would sit at home with the lights off, just using small lamps so we could read or play games.
When I became a mother, I made sure that I allowed my kids to participate in Halloween festivities. I thought that banning Halloween was just another one of the insane decisions my parents had made to make our lives miserable. However, every year, I have had to explain to at least one of my children why they couldn't be a "good witch", and why I wouldn't let them be anything scary.
I actually told my children yesterday that we wouldn't be celebrating Halloween any more, and was met with much resistance. It hurts my heart to know that this is my fault, and had I just paid attention to what was REALLY going on, I would have never allowed this in the first place. My husband, an agnostic, looked at me like I had grown a 2nd head when I said that, although he has never participated with us.
My 11 year old daughter is a very spiritual young lady, and is very devout in our newfound beliefs (we were Chrismated in March). Tonight, she sat here with me listening as I read your posts to her, as well as the links you posted. She is in complete disbelief over the nastiness of it all, and is in agreement with my decision to boycott.
I really don't know what I am going to do this year. I would love to just stop dead in our tracks and abandon the whole thing, but I'm wondering if that would cause more harm than good. I'm afraid that by making a big deal about it at this point, I will be alienating my children, but if we spend the next year praying about it and talking about our beliefs, maybe they will be in agreement? The 5 year old is the one I worry about, as I was that age when my parents banned Halloween. As of today, my plan is to finish making their costumes, and leave it alone. When they ask to go trick or treating, I am going to tell them that I am not going to go. If, for some reason, my husband insists on taking them (he never has gone before), then I feel I have to submit, as he is still the head of our family. I am not planning to buy any candy, therefore, we won't have any reason to open the door. I am just so conflicted about doing what is right spiritually, and doing what is the least stressful and damaging to the mind of my high-needs kindergartener... Argghhhh! If only the straight and narrow weren't so straight and narrow LOL!
I look forward to checking out the video. Thanks for tackling this always sensitive subject again this year. Thank God we have beautiful church traditions to fill our needs--there's no need to feel bad or like we are missing anything when we don't follow worldly traditions!
Wow, I had no idea my response was going to be viewed as targeted toward anyone here and I do apologize if what I wrote was hurtful for anyone. When I posted a comment to Sylvia's post, it was just to Halloween in general and not to anyone in particular. Let me explain what I mean by denouncement- I have come to a realization personally, for my family and myself, that participation in Halloween would be denouncement. This is a reminder or verification each and every year as to why we don't participate. Not an accusation or a typecasting for why others participate and/or any kind of looking down on others. Did I denounce Christ when I participated in the past? No. I was unaware, in a personal way that to me this was something I should not be participating in. But now, what I have learned and how my spiritual journey has unfolded and from what my spiritual father has taught me and by reading the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, I cannot personally participate and I am raising my children not to participate because for me it is denouncement.
Do I feel that this is what others are doing? no, and Rachel, I had not even read your comments in that first post on this page. I don't know why you might think that I am personally accusing you and your family or anyone. I have many friends and family members who celebrate this holiday and I do not and have not and will not ever accuse anyone as you stated, again I was mentioning in my post a comment directly from Sylvia's post what I feel personally. If something is not right for me that does not make it not right for someone else. I will illustrate another example, we don't eat the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner on Thanksgiving anymore. Some of our family members do eat turkey and do not fast, however. We used to eat turkey- does this mean that I denounced Christ then? No. But can I break the fast on that one day and celebrate by eating the meat? And my own personal answer to this for myself and my family (kids, husband) is no, for if I did that I would be going against Christ. I am hesitant now to even write this since I am trying to illustrate an example and don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
Sylvia, I agree with you completely! It's really an American holiday...made to be bigger by sales, for costumes and candy...to whose benefit?
I had a Georgian friend ask me at church today about Halloween and she said she never celebrated it as a child, just heard about it when she moved to America 6 years ago...and thought it was harmless. It is NOT harmless...it is making the devil delight, even if you think dressing up as a sweet little character is cute (and I agree dressing up like a saint isn't the best solution, LIVING your daily like emulating a saint is BEST) why on this day? and why say "trick or treat" for candy? I've been on the line about this issue, when the girls were little, but saw how scared they were when we saw a horrifying display and my husband and I decided it is a holiday we will not participate in at all.
In the end, do you really want your children to have a ton of candy? I know I've had my share of cavaties and don't want to waste anymore $ on unhealthy candy made with corn syrup and artificial colors.
Hallowe’en is part of a whole string of autumn fire festivals. People slaughtered their cattle, ate and drank, remembered old times and hunkered down for a long, hard winter that many of them would not survive. All Saints’, All Souls’, Martinmas and St Katherine’s Day are all linked into this with various traditions and practices. Whatever has been made of it over the years it was literally a festival of light, not darkness. As to Bishop Kyrill I am embarrassed. Samhain is a Gaelic word that means “summer’s end” and is pronounced su-enn. I realise it’s tempting for English speakers to say Sam Hain but it’s wrong. As for the rest of the article, the best that can be said is that the myths it repeats are sillier than the ones it aims to refute and I'm genuinely shocked at an Orthodox bishop producing that kind of bilge. We just don't have that kind of information about the druids – we have what we can piece together from the Romans who were their enemies and from archaeology which is never indisputable. The festival at summer’s end – as we know from later history - involved slaughtering the animals that could not be kept alive throughout the winter and the bonfires were literally bone-fires lit to consume the unusable remains. Occam's razor and all that.
Satanism is alive and well. We have human trafficking. In both the UK and the US young women are kept in brothels against their will and raped day after day. I read on the website of a British organisation helping such girls of one who had sex with 80 men on Christmas day. Just think – 80 men paid to rape some poor girl to celebrate Christmas and then just think of the state her body must have been in. The devil has limited power, limited resources and limited time. I may be wrong but I don't think kiddies playing dress up is a big cause of rejoicing for him although possibly bishops wasting their time on it is.
And I'm sorry if I sound harsh I just feel so strongly that its our generation glamorising hell and applying its principles to the world, not people who lived 500 and 5000 years ago.
Fr. Morelli had some interesting things to say about Orthodoxy and Halloween on Ancient Faith this week.
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/morelli/orthodoxy_and_halloween
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