I need advice about Holloween!

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I need your advice. Our church is having a Holloween Festival/Spookhouse tonight. It is being advertised as a “All Hallow’s Eve Festival” and most of the festivities will be going on in the Parish Hall. But, there will be a spookhouse in the education wing, and this is the part that is of concern to me. I heard Johnnette B. as a guest on Life on the Rock talking about the practices going on the night of Holloween. I feel that we (as the Church) are condoning the evil going on that night all over the world. I don’t want to be a part of this for that reason. They will have the kitchen open selling food and drinks, etc. The proceeds from the kitchen will go to the World Youth (my son is a part of World Youth) and help to pay the way to go see the Pope next year in Germany. I have told the leader of the World Youth in our church that I felt that the spookhouse was wrong, and she said she understood my feelings, but maybe I could come to help out in the kitchen. What do I do??? Thank you in advance for your advice.
 
I don’t know if Fulton Sheen, C.S. Lewis or the pope said it, but the devil hates nothing so much as being made fun of. There are great articles on spooks, demons & halloween customs on catholicexchange.com and cuf.org (Catholics United for the Faith) and on EWTN site. relax, mom.
 
I read on another thread that some place in Oregon has banned Halloween costumes because they could be offensive to Wiccans. (a.k.a. pagans, a.k.a. witches)
 
Dear Friends

Halloween is pagan in origin, it’s roots ultimately in the occult and evil. Most people have no concept of this and just see it as a holiday for a bit of fun, nor will they have any concept of a Catholic making fun of evil, this is very bad advice. No Catholic church nor organisation should partake in such an activity, it blurs what the day is actually supposed to be about!

Our Holy Day has been increasingly usurped by the pagan beliefs, it is a day to remember the dead (Holy Souls) and Saints (canonised Holy Souls), not a day to think about spooks, witches and evil.

My best advice, don’t partake in it

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
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Teresa9:
Halloween is pagan in origin, it’s roots ultimately in the occult and evil.
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One doesn’t follow from the other. Wedding rings are pagan in origin. Is marriage, therefore, evil? Obviously not.

For an action to be good, it must meet three criteria:
  1. It must have a good object.
  2. It must arise from good circumstances (i.e., should not be coerced).
  3. It must be accompanied by right intention.
Halloween in my house fits these criteria:
  1. The object is to have a little bit of fun with my children and wife.
  2. The circumstances are strictly voluntary and take into consideration the likes of everyone involved.
  3. My intention is to play with children, which can hardly be considered a bad thing.
Now, maybe someone else has a different take on Halloween, but that’s their problem, not mine.

– Mark L. Chance.
 
Thank you, mlchance, for your voice of faith and reason.

Cora-Jr, loving wife of Luke
Happy Halloween, all!
 
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mlchance:
One doesn’t follow from the other. Wedding rings are pagan in origin. Is marriage, therefore, evil? Obviously not.

For an action to be good, it must meet three criteria:

Dear Friend

Thank you for you post, but the practice of celebrating devil’s night which is what halleoween is; is not Christian, nor does it have a place in Christianity, nor is it wise. I am sure you can find other ways to have fun with your kids. Just because other people are doing it and find it fun and funny doesn’t mean it is. On the surface it may seem a harmless bit of fun, but it is not, the roots of it are not harmless.

Every devils night human sacrifices are made and consecrated hosts are offered at Black Masses…there is nothing fun about it.

Please supply me with evidence of the wedding band being pagan?

God bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
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Indeed, thank you Mark Chance. Teresa, you might do a search on Halloween for other threads on this issue. The bottom line is Halloween is a Catholic Christian holiday with its roots in All Hallow’s Eve. It is a harmless children’s event. Yes, some people get carried away. But let’s not be silly and let’s be glad that we are Catholics and can let our children have some fun. And Happy Halloween. to all.
 
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Teresa9:
Every devils night human sacrifices are made and consecrated hosts are offered at Black Masses…there is nothing fun about it.

Please supply me with evidence of the wedding band being pagan?
Click to expand...
I’ll provide that evidence right after I hear the morning news reports about all of the alleged human sacrifices and Black Masses that were conducted last night.

:rolleyes:

– Mark L. Chance.
 
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Teresa9:
Dear Friends

Halloween is pagan in origin, it’s roots ultimately in the occult and evil. Teresa
Click to expand...
no, it is not, it is an old English word meaning All Hallow’s Eve, the vigil of the feast of All Saints, which was celebrated in Britain at least as early as the time of Venerable Bede. It so happens that a lot of the customs surrounding what today in this country is a secular celebration (number 2 only the Christmas in dollars spent on it) have pagan origins, but that is not the same thing. As in all mission territories since the days of the Acts of the Apostles, the Church has baptized pagan customs by catechising the people about the True Faith and adapting their culture to the Gospel. there are great links explaining this in great detail that have been posted all over these forums. check it out
the rest of Teresa’s post is, as always, a prayer for God’s blessing on us, for which we all thank her.
 
Dear friends

Thank you all for your posts, if I was giving out wrong information about halloween I am truly sorry I did not know other than what I posted and I only knew this because it is what I have been told in the past. So thank you for teaching me otherwise.

Can someone tell me why as Catholics we are discouraged from celebrating halloween as EWTN have done in the run up to halloween and other Catholic sources? (It was EWTN where a Priest said that people are sacrified and the police departments have attended such crimes in the past)

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
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Teresa9:
Please supply me with evidence of the wedding band being pagan?
Click to expand...
Well, once again, for the 37th Halloween of my life, there wasn’t a single report of human sacrifice to the Devil anywhere in the U.S. Interesting.

Regarding wedding rings, they were used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Wedding rings didn’t become commonly used among Christians until the 9th century.

– Mark L. Chance.
 
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mlchance:
Well, once again, for the 37th Halloween of my life, there wasn’t a single report of human sacrifice to the Devil anywhere in the U.S. Interesting.

Regarding wedding rings, they were used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Wedding rings didn’t become commonly used among Christians until the 9th century.

– Mark L. Chance.
Click to expand...
Dear friend

Thank you for posting. What I am wondering then is why the information given out by a reputable Catholic organisation (EWTN) conflicts with yours? I am not only confused but would sincerely like some more information on both statements (yours and that made on EWTN)

Any help from anyone?

Also why are Catholics advised not to celebrate the Halloween element and to celebrate the Catholic All Souls?

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
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Teresa9:
What I am wondering then is why the information given out by a reputable Catholic organisation (EWTN) conflicts with yours? I am not only confused but would sincerely like some more information on both statements (yours and that made on EWTN)

Also why are Catholics advised not to celebrate the Halloween element and to celebrate the Catholic All Souls?
Click to expand...
I can’t respond to the part about EWTN because I am not a regular listener/viewer.

But I am a Catholic and I have NEVER been advised by Catholics not to celebrate Halloween. Indeed, the evangelical Protestants are forever trying to convince Catholics that Halloween is not Christian. But, as in so many of their views, the evangelicals are wrong. The Director of Religious Education in my parish specifically discussed the Catholic origins of Halloween to the children and parents.

What a coincidence, Mark, I didn’t hear of any sacrifices to the Devil either! Must have been another tame Halloween. But you never know about next year!
 
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Teresa9:
Dear friend

Thank you for posting. What I am wondering then is why the information given out by a reputable Catholic organisation (EWTN) conflicts with yours? I am not only confused but would sincerely like some more information on both statements (yours and that made on EWTN)

Any help from anyone?

Also why are Catholics advised not to celebrate the Halloween element and to celebrate the Catholic All Souls?

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
Click to expand...
I have no idea why EWTN would say such things, as I don’t regularly watch it. Perhaps their concern is that All Saints’ Day gets lost in the hoopla surrounding Halloween, and that is a valid concern.

However, I did grow up and attend elementary school at a fairly conservative and orthodox Catholic parish that sponsored a full-costume Halloween dance for the entire parish every year, and allowed the first-graders to dress in costume for school on Halloween and have a party. Come to think of it, the junior high also had a separate costume party the Friday before Halloween. And everyone knew that when we went trick-or-treating, the priests in our rectory and the nuns in our convent gave out some of the best goodies. 😉

I was taught that Halloween was the fun precursor to the Feast of All Saints, and that there was no problem with being a Catholic and celebrating both.
 
xeper.org/pub/lib/xp_lib_wh_SkepticsAbound.htm

Dear friends

Here is a link on whether such attacks and sacrifices are actually made.

I don’t know what to believe, but it has been known for consecrated hosts to be stolen and it has been known for the host to be descrated that is why our Lord is under lock and key (some of this is just vandalism, some not) Recently a Priest was stabbed and killed in Italy (? not sure can’t remember where I would have to look that newspaper report up again), this was done by someone who claims to be a satanist. Whether these people are simply mentally ill who commit these crimes or indeed who say these crimes are committed, on either side of the coin, I;'d like to know the truth if these claims are bogus and no such crimes take place.

One thing I know is that the fear of crime is usually worse than the actual amount of crime that takes place. Fear is something we should not have or allows us to become overly worried or alarmist.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
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Teresa9:
I don’t know what to believe, but it has been known for consecrated hosts to be stolen and it has been known for the host to be descrated that is why our Lord is under lock and key
Click to expand...
Our pastor used to be an assistant pastor in Waco and he told us that satanism is indeed at an all time high, particularly in Waco.

He says that the Hosts had to be guarded outside the church because it was too easy to break into it, which satanists would frequently do to steal them, but nothing else.

Signs would also be painted on the church walls, which the pastor would have removed immediately.

I was left with the impression that a war was going on for the souls in the area… 😦

God help us.
 
Here is opinion on this.

I see Halloween as great fun - that’s all. It’s like an greatly organized carneval party whith some spooky theme. It is a great opportunity to meet your friends, dress up and generally enjoy yourself. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with this (for kids and neither to adults). While Halloween has pegan origins nowadays most people don’t even realize this fact and even if they do they do not really celebrate any ‘pegan gods’, demons etc. by participating in it. Basically the original purpose is lost for most people. It is like Christmas for non-christians. It has christian origins (well, not really but let’s focus on the Christmas we know now) and the purpose is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. For non-christians it already has a different meaning and you really cannot claim that they are celebrating God.

Anyways I would conclude by saying:
  • Celebrating Halloween because it’s fun as long as you feel you are not drawn away from God = fine.
  • Pegan celebration of Halloween = not good.
 
dmh said:
I need your advice. Our church is having a Holloween Festival/Spookhouse tonight. It is being advertised as a “All Hallow’s Eve Festival” and most of the festivities will be going on in the Parish Hall. But, there will be a spookhouse in the education wing, and this is the part that is of concern to me. I heard Johnnette B. as a guest on Life on the Rock talking about the practices going on the night of Holloween. I feel that we (as the Church) are condoning the evil going on that night all over the world. I don’t want to be a part of this for that reason. They will have the kitchen open selling food and drinks, etc. The proceeds from the kitchen will go to the World Youth (my son is a part of World Youth) and help to pay the way to go see the Pope next year in Germany. I have told the leader of the World Youth in our church that I felt that the spookhouse was wrong, and she said she understood my feelings, but maybe I could come to help out in the kitchen. What do I do??? Thank you in advance for your advice.
Click to expand...
I think it’s fun for the kids. Don’t worry about it.
 
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