Hallowe'en – Pagan or Catholic?

 

Hallowe’en, Pagan or Catholic ?

 

 

By Rita Davidson

 

 

I remember when we were young, Halloween came when the weather was crisp. On trick n’ treat day, we even wore snow pants. We went door to door for candy, I remember the year I dressed as a princess. It was one of the last years I went out, since I was about 12 then. I wore the handmade flowergirl dress from my sisters wedding. It was a pink dress and it looked homemade. My grown up sister dressed up as a witch and boy she really looked like one! On the street we passed by football players and spiderman. There was one guy that was a burgler I think and a lot of princesses. We came home with perhaps a half bag of apples, candies and money for unicef that the Catholic school asked us to raise.

I remember the warnings about razor blades in apples, and pins in candy. We had to be careful of these things. Just crazy people out there that ruined the fun for the rest of us.

I never knew a thing about All Hallows Eve or All Saints Day, even though I went to Catholic school. What was that ?

 

Fast forward to our first few kids. We drove all the way into a larger town, so we could pick up candy from the richest parts of town. We came home with bags and bags of goodies then. But something just didn’t feel right for our daughters.

 

As my faith grew, I discovered that what had become a yearly habit for the world, was not something that Catholics long ago participated in. Now this was interesting I thought.

 

There was something unreal about evil when we grew up. I mean sure there was a devil, but he didn’t hurt us. There was perhaps more innocence back then. But I think it was rather more niave as it’s like the Church has been hit blindsided and didn’t know what hit it. We, of course, were not prepared. For one thing, we were not taught what we needed to know about the faith. What is God? Who made us? What is the devil? Why does the devil hate God so much ? These and more questions are required to understand why being Catholic even matters.

 

Years later, I read a book that changed my outlook on the devil forever. Hostage to the Devil. If anyone needs to lose some sleep and get very scared, go ahead and read this book. I don’t suggest it to many. The stories in there of the priests that did the exorcisms and how much they sacrificed against a foe that hated them to death. I never quite thought of evil as innocent any longer. When I wrote my book, Immodesty, Satans Virtue I got a small taste of that when I came home to a sulpherous smell and smoke in my house, and my manuscript and computer fried. When only the "Hail Mary" prayer in it survived. I felt a real fear for what evil I had stirred up.

 

When we think of how much the devil hated God when he was thrust out of heaven. We know that his hatred extends beyond centuries and past generations. His fight is an eternal fight, with an eternal enemy. An enemy that has already won. The only way that the devil can inflict harm on his enemy; God, is to steal souls away from him. Thats you and me.

 

Now with all that in mind, let’s take a look at ‘Hallowe’en’

 

What IS Halloween?

 

Halloween, also called All Hallows Eve, is the vigil of a Catholic holy day. Oct. 31 is traditionally a day of fast and abstinence to prepare for the Feast of All Saints Day on November 1st. All Saints Day commemorates the fact that souls in heaven are the Church Triumphant and are rejoicing in God’s presence.

 

We are the Church Militant. The Church family on earth, working our way towards heaven. The Church Suffering are the souls in purgatory. Whose Feast is November 2nd, All Souls. They have made it safely out of this world, but are in need of our prayers to release them from their imperfections and get them to heaven. This is what November 2nd is for.

 

We are members of a living Church. The Church Militant prays for the Church Suffering, who in turn pray for us, who in turn, one day become the Church Triumphant. This is the Communion of Saints.

 

Halloween, as we know it as the bloated commercial celebration that it has become, is a Celebration of evil. It has become a triumph for the return of paganism in the world. What was once a somewhat innocent event when I was young, has triumphed into the full return of witches, zombies and all kinds of weird, evil, distorted, abominations, that are sadistic, and hellish in every way. And don’t forget the blatant immodesty and even pornographic costumes in all array in every store. Outfits for young and old depicting prostitutes and more for our women. Makes me shudder.

 

It is a celebration of disorder. Whereas All Saints Day is a celebration of God’s order. His universe and his plan for salvation was an ordered plan. Paganism has triumphed in the same places that the Church once did, when it converted pagans to Christianity in the middle ages.

 

The Church used to offset old pagan practices and replaced them with religious practices to try eliminate them.

 

In England and Ireland, the druids used to remember their dead on this day. With no knowledge of heaven or hell, they burned mighty bonfires to their pagan Gods, to appease them. That is until St. Patrick arrived and taught them about the one true God. A mighty hero he was remember?

 

Day of the Dead is an old Hispanic practice. another pagan practice that the Church tried to get rid of, so they could come to know the love of Jesus and get to heaven.

 

Pagans have successfully reestablished their celebration of the dead and the condemned. Halloween is a day for Satanists, witchcraft and evil. A day for those in Communion with Devils, not in Communion with God.

 

Paganism is on the increase and is quickly reestablishing the pagan holidays that once Catholicism had sacrificed to replace. The world is swiftly trying to return to its savage, pagan days before Christ.

 

Halloween is a sweeping commercial success for them too. Statistics now show that Halloween is one of the second biggest grossing holidays before Christmas. In time it may outspend Christmas itself! Is that something we want to be a part of ? Isn’t this so sad, as love of God in the world decreases the love of hell and evil is increasing.

 


Paganism is spreading, why ?

 

 

Pagans are slowly taking over not only Halloween but also Christmas, Easter and other Feast days. Have you seen enough Easter Bunnies, and Santa’s Elves? These commercial successes are every year more and more moved away from Christ and more towards the empty productions the world has made them into for profits.

 

Cultural celebration days are becoming more and more popular now. Why ? A bit of research shows us that it is always based on pagan, or anti-christian history of their heritage.

 

Cinco de Maya days for example, were based on the story of two military’s against one another. Both were in the hands of the Freemasons, so it was a Triumph of Freemasonry! Why would we want to celebrate that?

 


How did it get so evil?

 

There is something in human nature that draws us to the ugly and evil, and sinful. Original sin has a strong hold over us. Its effects, even after baptism, hold a fascination over us, drawing us toward the ugly and evil. We must constantly overcome this by prayer and sacrifice for the graces to overcome these tendencies.

 


Well, what about dressing as a Mouse, or a princess or something,

isn’t that innocent enough? I mean its just candy after all ?

 

If its okay on Halloween, why not any other day of the year? When else could you send your kid across town to beg for food? Any other day of the year this would be rude! What is the idea behind this?

 

Well the whole idea is based on the Pagan belief when the dead would rise they would expect something set out for them. If they were not given something, they would become angry and evil and attack you. So it was the spirits of the dead that you were supposed to give treats to. Giving treats to the ‘dead’ (your costumed children) to save them from hurting you? If this was an ancient druid day used to placate the dead, why would we let our children go out in this spirit?

This is not some innocent frolic. The entire trick or treat, as the world celebrates it, is based on an old pagan practice, that Catholics should not be engaging in.

 

 

There are better ways to celebrate and that is what we have to do for our families so they don’t get caught up in the pagan culture that is enveloping us.

 

All Saint Day parties, can have great games and much enjoyment.

 


Yes, but kids enjoy Halloween?

 

But that is the whole problem.

 

We have trained our kids to expect Pagan holidays in all their celebrating and then we wonder why it is that they insist on these celebrations. Pagans want us to get used to celebrating their holidays, the way they want us to celebrate them.

 

 

We must be insistent if we want to hold on to our faith. The walking dead and devils are evil on All Hallows night,  and just another way to prepare us for the coming of the anti-Christ. St. Paul says; We must Love the Truth and Hold Fast To the traditions that we have received.

 

To do this, we must not return to the hellish pagan practices that have given so much evil to the world.

 

Celebrate All Saints Day with your family. Start new Traditions, learn about new saints, dress up as Saints and enjoy new games that have nothing to do with the traditions of pagan world. We must teach our children to be aware of the world and not to fall for the traps it lays for us. The devil is ready to nip at their heels every moment. Let us not dress them up to look like him, on a day dedicated to evil.


What do you do to celebrate your faith on this Feast day?

 

 

©Copyright 2012 Rita Davidson All Rights Reserved.

 

Rita is a Catholic wife and mother of seven children. She reverted back to the faith when her oldest was making her First Communion. By then, she had completed degrees in Hairdressing and Make up artistry. She went on to receive a degree in Natural Health and another degree in Art. At age 26, Rita suffered a minor stroke. With no lasting effects, this dramatically changed her outlook on life. In 1996, Rita began ‘Little Flowers Family Apostolates’ to reach out to other families with her new found faith, by creating unique Catholic books and resources.. In 1999, she wrote the bestselling, ‘Immodesty; Satan’s Virtue’. She was editor of ‘The Catholic Health Letter’ for 7 years. She has been a homeschooling mom for 20+ years, and has written for various magazines. She is honored that families have trusted her with their questions, needs and concerns over the years. She continues to write and reach out to Catholic families with her husband, Mark and their 4 boys through http://www.LittleFlowersFamilyPress.com

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