The EndTimeProphecyNews.org | Podcast with your host, Philip Pearson

Philip Pearson discusses spiritual warfare during Halloween and what Christians should do during this time of year. He discusses its origin, monthlong celebration which leads to the eve of another celebration on October 31. Tune in to get this brief discussion now! Visit the blog at nucreature.org

Ancient Origins of Halloween

Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.

This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

All Saints’ Day

On May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome in honor of all Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day was established in the Western church. Pope Gregory III later expanded the festival to include all saints as well as all martyrs, and moved the observance from May 13 to November 1.

Catholic Church Christianized Halloween

The importance of pre-Christian customs to people’s lives apparently wasn’t lost upon the early Catholic Church. Pope Gregory I, also known as St. Gregory the Great, who headed the Church from A.D. 590 to 604, advised a missionary going to England that instead of trying to do away with the religious customs of non-Christian peoples, they simply should convert them to a Christian religious purpose. For example, “the site of a pagan temple could be converted to become a Christian church,” Suppe says.

Sources:

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

https://www.history.com/news/halloween-samhain-celts-catholic-church