In the past several weeks, there has been a large number of new discussion threads concerning Halloween started in the Christian discussion forum. Most of the participants registered their disgust with the celebration of things associated with the occults. No one seems to recognize it as a Christian holiday.
(The following is taken from Wikipedia.)
The term Halloween comes from All Hallow Evening, i.e., eve of "All Hallows' Day" also known as All Saints' Day.
It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 to November 1.
Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well. Like other vigils, it was celebrated on the previous day if it fell on a Sunday, although secular celebrations of the holiday remained on the 31st. The Vigil was suppressed in 1955, but was later restored in the post-Vatican II calendar.
In the early Church, Christians would celebrate the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ (known as the saint's "birth day") by serving an All-Night Vigil, and then celebrating the Eucharist over their tomb or place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighboring dioceses began to transfer relics, and to celebrate the feast days of specific martyrs in common. Frequently, a number of Christians would suffer martyrdom on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all.
A commemoration of "All Martyrs" began to be celebrated as early as the year 270, although no specific month or date are mentioned in existing records.
(Back to my comments)
Perhaps we should consider celebrating All Saints' Day as it was intended, in remembrance of our brothers and sisters in Christ who have been martyred: Christian evangelists and new converts in Muslim countries, in communist China, in rural India.
Remember our Christian brothers and sisters in Sudan.
Remember the Korean Christians who were martyred in Afghanistan.
Associated Press Article about attacks on Christians in Turkey
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