Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated on November 1st. Celts believed the night before, October 31st, was when the ghosts of the dead returned and mingled with the living. To avoid recognition, people wore costumes and masks. As Christianity spread, the holiday was transformed into All Saints' Day. Over time, traditions evolved to include carving jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins and children going door-to-door collecting treats. Irish immigration in the 1800s helped popularize Halloween in America. While Halloween has pagan roots, the Bible warns against practices that could involve darkness or the occult.

1. Halloween
Origins and Traditions

2. Origins
They celebrated their New
Year on November 1st.
ö Halloween began two thousand years ago
in Ireland, England, and Northern France
with the ancient religion of the Celts
(Paganism).
This day marked the
beginning of the
dark, cold winter, a
time of year that
was often associated
with human death.

3. Samhain (sow-in)
On the night of October 31, they
celebrated Samhain (sow-in), when it
was believed that the ghosts of the dead
returned to earth.
Costumes
People thought that they would
encounter ghosts if they left their
homes… so that the ghost could not
recognize them

4. The Christian Influence
 As the influence of Christianity spread
into Celtic lands, in the 7th century, Pope
Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day, a
time to honor saints and martyrs, to
replace the Pagan festival of Samhain. It
was observed on May 13th.
A change to the date occurred…In 834,
Pope Gregory III moved All Saint's Day
from May 13th to Nov. 1st. Oct. 31st thus
became All Hallows' Eve ('hallow' means
'saint').

5. Trick-or-treating began with the
All Souls Day
th century…
poor in the 15
November 2nd, called All Souls Day, is the
day set apart in the Roman Catholic
Church for the commemoration of the
dead.
 During the All Souls Day festival in England,
poor people would beg for “soul cakes,” made
out of square pieces of bread with currants
 Families would give soul cakes in return for a
promise to pray for the family’s relatives

6. then children…
 The practice, which was referred to as "going asouling" was eventually taken up by children who
would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be
given ale, food, and money.
Today…Children still go from house-tohouse, but instead of ale, food, and
money, they get candy.

7. With Irish Immigration…Halloween came to
American
In 1848, millions of Irish emigrants
poured into America as a result of the
potato famine. They brought with them
their traditions of Halloween.
They called Halloween Oidche Shamhna
(`Night of Samhain'), as their ancestors
had, and kept the traditional
observances.

8. The Jack-O-Lantern…pumkins were
available in America
The Irish used to carry turnips with
candles in them to light their way at night
and to scare away ghosts..

9. People have recently started carving less traditional
Jack-O-Lanterns

10. If you don’t give candy to a trick-or-treater…

11. This could happen to you!

12. Bibliography
www.wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm
www.historychannel.com/halloween
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls_Day#Pagan_roots
www.fni.com/heritage/oct97/historyhall

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14. What Does the Word say
about all this…





Mark 7:13
1 Peter 2:9
Mat 8:22
Eph 5:6-12
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (“Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid
every kind of evil.”)
James 1:27 (“keep oneself from being polluted by the world”)
3 John 1:11 (“do not imitate what is evil”)
Romans 12:9 (“abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”)
Deuteronomy 18:9-14 (do not learn to imitate detestable ways, including
spiritists, sorcerers and witchcraft)
Ephesians 5:11-12 (“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of
darkness” / “live as children of light”)
1 Timothy 4:1 (don't “follow deceiving spirits and things taught by
demons”)

15. More Scripture
 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (“what fellowship can light have with darkness?”)
Philippians 4:8 (think about pure, lovely, noble things)
1 Corinthians 11:1 (“follow the example of Christ”)
1 Corinthians 10:31 (“whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God”)
James 4:7-8 (submit yourselves to God / resist the devil / purify your
hearts)
Ezekiel 44:23 (“…teach my people… to distinguish between the unclean and
the clean.”)
Proverbs 22:6 (“train a child in the way he should go”)
Matthew 18:6 (“if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to
sin…”)
Hosea 4:6 (“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”)
John 3:19-20 (people love darkness instead of light)
Romans 13:12 (“put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of
light.”)
Ephesians 6:11-18 (“take your stand against the devil's schemes.”)
1 John 5:19
2 Chronicles 7:14