All Hallow's Eve

Now that I have a child I keep getting asked "what is Vienne dressing up as for 

Halloween?"  Well, here is yet another 'radical' thing about me:  I do not celebrate Halloween.  Explaining this to other moms has proven to be a bit 'difficult'.  I often sense that others feel, shall I say, put off...while that is not what I intend.  They often respond in frustration and maybe say to me:  "it is just fun and it never hurt anyone".  I know.  I know.  I don't judge you.  And, this post is not written for that.  This post is to just explain where I'm coming from.  I don't expect others to agree.  I feel that everyone needs to make their own decisions based on their own personal convictions....though, I do believe that it is highly important to be fully informed before ignorantly making decisions.

So, why don't I celebrate this very popular 'holiday' that is a favorite in many households? Well, first off, here is just one of the many informative links out there that explains the history of Halloween.  But if you want a short version for my own personal convictions, here it is:

I remember being shown a Chuck Smith video a LONG time ago that researched the history of Halloween.  Their research was so thorough and informative that I immediately felt convicted if I ignored it.  Knowledge can do soooo many things.  So, I learned, (as most of you have probably heard on a simplified level) that Halloween is basically considered Satan's holiday.  Witches and satanists and other practitioners of evil LOVE this day and spend the year counting down to this one day.  It is the day that they believe that the evil spirits fully come out...the day that they can come fully in contact w/these spirits.  They perform rituals and sacrifices....YES, these things STILL go on around us.  In present day.  

There is also interesting history behind the all innocent 'trick or treating', carving 'jack o' lanterns', and wearing costumes.  Things that we typically find harmless.  Trick or treating originates from the belief that on this night spirits of the dead would rise out of their graves and come back to haunt their old homes.  In fear of this, the people would set out 'treats' to appease the spirits.  If a 'treat' was not set out, then a 'trick' or curse was believed to be put on them.  They also believed that this night opened the doors of hell for any and all evil spirits to emerge on this night and to wreck havoc.  The superstitious people would then masquerade as 'devils' or 'ghouls' or 'witches' to try and blend in with these lurking demons. If they went unnoticed, then they believed that they would not get hurt by these spirits.  Silly and superstitious, I know...but nonetheless, that's how people were way back then.  

The tradition of carving pumpkins or gourds was also an effort to thwart the demonic spirits. They, oddly, believed that if they carved out an ugly demonic face on a vegetable and placed it in front of their home, that they might scare off these demons.  Weird...but...

Thus, this explains the tradition of 'dressing up in costumes...primarily witches and goblins' and the tradition of trick or treating and carving faces in pumpkins.

Now, don't get me wrong...I must clarify that I LOVE the fall.  Love love love it.  I LOVE harvest.  And, quite honestly, I love pumpkin patches and dressing up in costumes...who doesn't?  But, on this day especially, I am convicted to not take part.  I still go to pumpkin patches....I don't think I've missed going for one single year of my life.  Pumpkins mean harvest to me.  I decorate my home w/lovely little punkins and dried leaves to celebrate the beauty of this season.  If I ever carve a pumpkin, though, I do not carve faces anymore.  I might carve a scene or a leaf or something natural...or a scripture verse.  If I attend a costume party, I make sure that it is a 'clean' one and that it is primarily not on Halloween night.  I have a child now.  I know this will be difficult when she is older.  And, I do not believe in totally sheltering your children.  We will let her attend Harvest parties and discuss fun alternatives with the intention of bringing honor to Christ.  I just don't like the idea of participating in trick or treating.  Now that I've known the history behind it all, I just cannot compromise.  I feel like if I give in, I am believing what Satan wants me to believe about this day - 'that it is just pure clean innocent fun'.  I believe, though, that he has pulled a black veil over our eyes and dances in glee at our ignorance while his followers are out there worshipping him in horrific ways on this particular day.  For me, it has become a solemn day. Sometimes, I think about kids' lives and/or animals that might be sacrificed while everyone is out having their fun.  I often tell myself that I should be especially praying on this day....and I need to stay more committed to that.