It's that time of the year - again

Yes - it's that time of the year again; Halloween. It has become a source of great angst to our community over this 'holiday'. And if everyone would be honest about it - this 'holiday' has been a source of angst for a very long time.

I am not an expert but this goes to the point of the matter. An examination of the roots of the holiday and the very name of the 'holiday' show us what this holiday was and demonstrates what we have been warned about by the scriptures. It does not take an expert to seek out the simple basic truths of a matter.

Hallow, by definition is something set apart to be holy and sacred. the ending 'een' changed over time but it comes from a root meaning evening. The definition is easy to find; an holy evening.

In Germany I experienced All Hallows Eve in a way I had never seen before. A night devoted to Mass and visits to the local cemeteries where candles and luminaries are placed on the graves of beloved friends and relatives who had past on. There are similar traditions in China and in Japan. The tradition crosses all boundaries and cultures. There is a reverence and devotion to our ancestors that is sometimes expressed on special nights.

So where does this tradition come from, what is the source. I am not sure and I am sure most experts are not sure either. Traditions seldom have a clear source. We do know in the Bible, in Matthew Chapter 27 verse 52 an amazing event occurs.

"And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. "

I am not saying this is the source of the tradition but I am saying that this had to be a frighting event. But it became an event that demonstrated the power of God and sealed the testimony of many of the Saints.

It seems to be in America we tend to take customs and traditions and distort them. We have this uncanny ability to strip off all the spiritual elements and leave the baser elements and even add more. Halloween is an excellent example. In America this night has become a celebration of all that our spiritual leaders, of many sects, have warned their members to avoid. But this side of the holiday only exists in America.

We can choose what we do this night. Is it a fun night of candy and costumes or a celebration of the darkness.
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