Why I DON'T Observe Halloween

Well it's that time of year again. A time of year where candy and costumes are scattered throughout stores. When people are getting ready to do their annual "trick-or-treating". The practice seems harmless, but the origins of this wicked "holiday" are anything but harmless. I have always been taught that we didn't do Halloween in our house because it was like the devil's birthday. Well since then I have grown up a bit and done some more research and realized just why we didn't observe it and why I still don't want to today. Halloween or All Hallow's Eve actually is a Celtic tradition and here is what one article said about it (there are multiple articles out there that say the same thing):"Witches and other evil spirits were believed to roam the earth on this evening, playing tricks on human beings to mark the season of diminishing sunlight."(http://www.eliyah.com/hallween.html) People would then disguise themselves so the spirits couldn't recognize them and light bonfires to ward off evil spirits. You can see the lingerings of the tradition today with the people dressing up in costumes. I am not against dressing up at other times, but I am against supporting a holiday with such wicked roots.

Now some people differ on how they go about NOT observing Halloween. Some will not even participate in Fall festivals or put up pumpkins. I put up a plain looking pumpkin for harvest time and I do help out with my church's Fall Festival. We dress up in family friendly costumes, have a Bible story, and games for the kids and it's not on actual Halloween. Some are not even ok with that. I just tell people that I am celebrating Fall, not Halloween. Everyone has their own convictions. I have not been convicted about helping out with the Fall festival (now Trunk or Treat that some churches do is an entirely different matter...I think that is way too much like Trick or Treating). I just know I don't want to have anything to do with witches, demons, zombies, etc that are linked with Halloween. I believe as Christians, we are called to live to a higher standard. This is why I don't observe Halloween. This doesn't mean I automatically condemn those who do let their kids Trick-or-Treat. I may not understand it, but that's up to them not me. We are responsible for ourselves and I will stand alone before Christ on Judgment Day and so will they, to give an answer for everything. I just know that as for me and my house, yes we will serve the Lord and no we will not do Halloween. That's where I stand and it was through conviction of the Holy Spirit and much prayer and research that I came to this conclusion. I pray that you will let the Holy Spirit guide you and heed His direction in your life, whatever it may be.