Does Christmas Make Jesus Happy?

With another Christmas season in full swing, have you ever wondered if the Christmas holiday actually makes Jesus happy? How can we know for sure?

It’s a time when families come together. Maybe you think of it as a time for hot chocolate, eggnog and ugly sweaters; for sharing meals and making memories; and for trading gifts and spreading joy. There’s no mistaking it: Christmastime is on the mind of a lot of people.

And with the Christmas season come all the popular traditions—the decorated trees, the mistletoe and wreaths, the gingerbread houses and the lights hanging from houses and trees. And at the center of it all, we find the Nativity scene—where wise men, angels and two awestruck parents stand gathered around a swaddled newborn. That newborn, supposedly, is Jesus Christ—the central figure of the Christmas season and, ostensibly, the reason for it all.

But is He really? And is all this what He wants?

Know your roots

These days, it’s not much of a surprise to hear that most modern-day Christian traditions have their roots in very unchristian practices. The trees, the wreaths, the lights, the gifts, the food and even the date of Dec. 25—all stem from pagan traditions that have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. They were incorporated into the celebration hundreds of years after Christ was born to make the transition from paganism to Christianity easier for new converts.

But does it really matter? The logic often goes like this: Sure, these traditions may have their roots in paganism, but that was all hundreds or thousands of years ago. Things are different today. The modern Christmas isn’t about the feasts of ancient pagan gods; it’s a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God Himself.

There’s just one little problem: He doesn’t like any of it.

Standards for worship

It’s easy to assume that if our heart is in the right place, God is happy with whatever worship we offer. And while God does look at the heart (Hebrews 4:12), He also expects to be worshipped “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23)—and the truth is, there are certain ways He hates to be worshipped.

God expects to be worshipped "in spirit and truth."Thousands of years ago, as God was leading the nation of Israel into the Promised Land, He warned them against borrowing traditions from the pagan nations around them:

“When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).

But Israel didn’t listen. Over the centuries, the nation borrowed from the religions around them, blending pagan traditions together with God’s commands. God was disgusted. He sent a prophet to tell them, “I hate, I despise your feast days” (Amos 5:21). Israel had added to and taken away from God’s Word, and the result was something God found abominable.

More than 2,000 years later, here’s the question we need to be asking ourselves: Has God’s stance on worship changed?

The unchanging God

God answers, “I am the LORD, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). In the New Testament we read, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Either God feels as strongly about blending religions today as He did thousands of years ago or what He says means nothing. Since most who believe in God wouldn’t call Him a liar, then we’re left with an uncomfortable truth:

Christmas is offensive to God.

The Christmas holiday is noticeably absent from the pages of the Bible—because neither God the Father nor Jesus Christ ever commanded or sanctioned it.That’s not the kind of thing that’s easy to hear. There are many people around the world who keep Christmas with the very best of intentions, but if we take the Bible at its word, we have to conclude that the pagan origins of Christmas are still unacceptable to a God who desires to be worshipped in spirit and truth. The Christmas holiday is noticeably absent from the pages of the Bible—because neither God the Father nor Jesus Christ ever commanded or sanctioned it.

That leaves us with another question: If Christmas doesn’t make Jesus happy, what does? How are we supposed to worship God in a way that’s pleasing to Him?

The feasts of the Lord

If we’re willing to dig into the pages of the Bible, we’ll find that God answers that question very clearly. In the book of Leviticus, God reveals “the feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts” (Leviticus 23:2, emphasis added).

God’s feasts. His holy convocations. Not ours. Worshipping God in spirit and truth means worshipping Him on His terms, the way He asks to be worshipped.

In the verses that follow, God explains what some of those terms are: a weekly seventh-day Sabbath observance and seven annual festivals.

These festivals contain the blueprint for the very plan of God—a blueprint explaining who we are, why we’re here and what God has in store for humanity. The more we observe these feasts, the clearer that plan becomes. God’s feasts show us why the world is the way it is—and then they show us how God is going to fix it and how we can be part of the solution. They are filled with meaning and vision; and are designed to remind us of where we’re going and how to get there.

But we can’t have both. We can’t worship God the way He wants and the way we want. We can’t please God by mixing and matching His commands with the practices of other religions. Once we know what God wants from us, it’s up to us whether we’ll do something about it.

Christmas, at its core, is a patchwork of traditions and customs that God says He hates. It’s not a day He ever commanded us to keep—and despite the best intentions of those who keep it, it’s not a day that makes Him happy. If we’re willing to follow God where He leads, then His feast days have so much more to offer us. Jesus Christ told His disciples, “You are My friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14, New American Standard Bible).

by  Jeremy Lallier

Sa nu combinam creștinismul cu paganitatea !

   Iubiti crestini haideti sa o rupem cu obiceiurile pagane si vrajitoresti mostenite din antichitate; iata ce zice Dumnezeu impotriva paganitatii in Tit2 : 11-13

11. Căci harul lui Dumnezeu, care aduce mântuire pentru toţi oamenii, a fost arătat

12. şi ne învaţă s-o rupem cu păgânătatea şi cu poftele lumeşti şi să trăim în veacul de acum cu cumpătare, dreptate şi evlavie,

13. aşteptând fericita noastră nădejde şi arătarea slavei marelui nostru Dumnezeu şi Mântuitor Isus Hristos.

Sa respectam Biblia!

              Iata o serie de obiceiuri pagane si vrajitoresti confirmate istoric si semnificatia lor reala: 

- sarbatorile de 1 martie (martisorul) si 8 martie (ziua mamei) semnifica inchinare la zeii Marte si Rhea chiar daca au radacini milenare recunoscute acestea sunt reminiscente ale unei credinte politeiste de care poporul nostru s-a dezis de aproape 2 milenii deci, a da si primi martisoare si a crede ca acestea rezolva unele probleme de protectie in fata unei divinitati, iubire, frumusete sau tinerete, e un obicei pagan provenit din politeism. 

- ziua indragostitilor (sfantul Valentin) semnifica inchinare la zeul Lupercus, iar „casatoriile” oficiate cu acest prilej sunt o hula in fata lui Dumnezeu si o blasfemie la adresa Cuvatului lui Dumnezeu privind legamantul de casnicie 

- Dragobetele e o sarbatoare pagana similara sf. Valentin dar tipica plaiurilor noastre mioritice cu care ne laudam si nu putem renunta la ea pentru ca face parte din „tezaurul” nostru folcloric atat de apreciat de turistii straini

- Obiceiurile de a manca sau a bea in cinstea unui om sau a unui eveniment, a face cinste cuiva cu bautura sau mancare, a inchina paharul urand "noroc" sau "sanatate", a ciocni paharul, a "inalta" paharul, a toasta, sunt obiceiuri oculte pagane, iata ce zice Biblia:"Dar pe voi, cari părăsiţi pe Domnul, cari uitaţi muntele Meu cel sfînt, cari puneţi o masă Norocului (Sau: Gad.), şi umpleţi un pahar în cinstea Soartei (Sau: Meni.), vă sortesc săbiei, şi toţi veţi pleca genunchiul ca să fiţi junghiaţi; căci Eu am chemat, şi n-aţi răspuns, am vorbit şi n-aţi ascultat, ci aţi făcut ce este rău înaintea Mea, şi aţi ales ce nu-Mi place."

- Obiceiul de a ura "noroc" sau "sanatate" unei persoane care stranuta e un obicei din Roma antica (in cultura Romei se credea in eliberarea sufletului prin stranut , rolul urarii fiind un ajutor in pastrarea sufletului) ; unii crestini ureaza "Domnul sa te binecuvanteze" unei persoane care stranuta dar trebuie sa stim ca nu avem voie sa "crestinam" un obicei vrajitoresc deci solutia corecta e sa renuntam la obiceiurile vrajitoresti. 

- bradul impodobit semnifica inchinare la zeul Baal 

- obiceiul de a da si primi cadouri de 24-25decembrie nu are legatura cu nasterea lui Isus ci semnifica inchinare la zeul Baal si cultul Saturnaliilor;

- nasterea lui Isus nu se numeste Craciun; Craciunul e numele unei sarbatori pagane (putem sa-L sarbatorim pe Isus si sa ne amintim de nasterea Lui dar fara sa combinam asta cu obiceiuri pagane) dar ziua de 25 Decembrie este sarbatoarea pagana a Zeului Soare (Sol Invictus la romani)

- obiceiuri de iarna precum coronita pusa pe usa sau in casa, nuielusa de Mos Nicolae si umblatul cu capra sunt obiceiuri pagane chiar cu tenta demonica (putem canta cantece despre nasterea lui Isus dar nu avem voie sa combinam aceste cantece cu obiceiul pagan al mersului cu capra, despre care si necrestin sa fii si tot sesizezi latura satanica a dansurilor si strigaturilor specifice obiceiurilor de anul nou si Boboteaza) 

- jertfirea porcului de Ignat (20 decembrie) e un ritual demonic (cei care cred ca avem voie sa mancam carne de porc pot sa o faca dar fara sa asociem asta cu ritualuri demonice de jertfire si mai ales consumul sangelui (sangerete), ca sa nu mai amintim faptul ca toate acestea au devenit ocazii de chef, betii si dezmat.

- sarbatoarea Revelionului semnifica inchinare la zeul Ianus si provine din antichitatea greco-romana; sarbatoarea Revelionului nu are legatura cu Biblia si nu are origine in sarbatorile evreilor din Biblie deoarece calendarul evreiesc e diferit de calendarul actual iar sarbatorile Biblice evreiesti nu au nici o legatura cu zeul Ianus si nici cu cultura antica greco-romana; 

- folosirea de artificii si petarde de revelion e un obicei vrajitoresc si demonic (focul, zgomotul, fumul, tipetele si sperieturile)

- in 24 iunie se “sarbatoresc” Sanzienele (sarbatoarea soarelui si a dragostei), cea mai mare sarbatoare pagana a anului si, culmea, admisa, chiar cu numele ei, in calendarul crestin-ortodox. Ea marcheaza inceputul verii, pentru ca pe 21 iunie este solstitiul de vara sau inceputul verii astronomice. Soarele se afla pe bolta in cel mai inalt punct deasupra Ecuatorului, iar pe pamant este ziua cea mai lunga si noaptea cea mai scurta.

- jocurile olimpice sunt deschise chiar si in prezent printr-un ritual demonic incluzand altarul, focul olimpic, templul zeitei Hera, rugaciune la zeul Apollo, preotese pagane

    Cele ce urmeaza sunt credinte false si sperante sau rugaminti pagane care nu au nimic in comun cu Biblia, sunt simple traditii si obiceiuri imprumutate din paganism si acceptate in ziua de azi ca fiind, vezi Doamne, atat de incetatenite, ca nu se poate renunta la ele, sunt considerate placute dar apar in momente cand trupul, sufletul si credinta trebuie sa se indrepte pe un sens unic : Dumnezeu.

- obiceiul rochiei albe de mireasa semnifica un viitor influentat numai de decizii corecte 

- voalul miresei semnifica protectia fata de rau 

- obiceiul domnisoarelor si cavalerilor de onoare semnifica ferirea de spirite rele 

- obiceiul folosirii buchetului miresei reprezinta alungarea spiritelor rele specifice magiei negre

- aruncarea buchetului miresei semnifica transmitere de noroc – norocul nu exista ci exista doar vointa sfanta a lui Dumnezeu 

- obiceiul "tortului miresei" semnifica fertilitate si era specific epocii politeiste

- obiceiul de a arunca confetti (orez, grau, bucatele de hartie colorate) semnifica fertilitate in traditia romana din peninsula Italica

- obiceiul lunii de miere semnifica dorinta de a naste un baiat 

- obiceiul de a arunca petale de trandafir semnifica credinciosie 

- ziua mortilor (1noiembrie) semnifica un festival pagan al mortilor transformat apoi in satanista sarbatoare de Halloween de care toti comerciantii profita si tinerii poarta danturi vampiriste, se drogheaza, se imbata si au comportamente diavolesti. 

- coroana pentru morti semnifica un sacrificiu iar florile pentru morti semnifica o jertfa draceasca

- haine negre de doliu semnifica ferirea de spirite rele ce bantuie in preajma mortului 

- sarbatorirea zilei de nastere semnifica apararea de spirite rele in traditia politeista a Romei antice (vezi zilele de nastere a impatatilor romani)

- tortul de zi de nastere si obiceiul lumanarilor pe tort semnifica inchinare la zeita Artemis 

- a opri ceasurile in casa unui mort e un obicei vrajitoresc 

- gestul si expresia de a bate in lemn semnifica alungarea raului si nu are nici un sens biblic crestin. Cand bati in lemn te rogi la ceva necunoscut , dar Domnul Dumnezeu unde este?

- verigheta si obiceiul de a impodobi degetul inelar de la mana stanga semnifica legarea sufletului femeii specific civilizatiilor antice politeiste

- obiceiul de a vopsi oua si obiceiul "iepurasului" semnifica inchinare la zeita Astarteea, denaturarea completa a credintei, zapacirea completa si complexa a bietilor copii in perioada sfintelor sarbatori pascale, chiar daca le denumim: Comemorarea mortii Domnului Isus sau Sarbatoarea Invierii Domnului Isus

-obiceiul de a saruta mana doamnelor precum si salutul "sarut mana" e un obicei de inchinare idolatra in fata femeii provenita din epoca antica a matriarhatului familial. Stim ca azi, conform Bibliei femeia e supusa barbatului (barbatul este protectorul femeii) si nu invers.

- obiceiul de a da jos palaria in fata unui om semnifica servitute (inchinarea nu are loc decat in fata Domnului Dumnezeu si nicidecum in fata altor oameni sau obiecte. De fapt oamenii se vor mai inchina doar la revenirea Domnului Isus, pana atunci pauza: ne rugam, credem, ne pocaim dar nu ne inchinam in fata vreunui om sau obiect

- Rusaliile (din latină rosalia) (corect Sarbatoarea Cincizecimii), cunoscute si drept Pogorârea (coborârea) Sfântului Duh (Sfântului Spirit), sunt o sărbătoare crestină importantă, prăznuită întotdeauna duminica, la 50 de zile după Pasti. De Rusalii este comemorată coborârea Sfântului Duh asupra ucenicilor lui Isus din Nazaret. Potrivit scrierilor Noului Testament (Faptele Apostolilor 2, 1-11) acest eveniment a avut loc în ziua rusaliilor evreiesti (Savuot), la 50 de zile de la învierea lui Isus din Nazaret. De aceea sărbătoarea crestină mai poartă denumirea de Cinzecime (în latină Pentecostes, în franceză Pentecôte, în germană Pfingsten, în maghiară Pünkösd etc.). La 50 de zile dupa Pasti, poporul roman serbeaza, timp de trei zile sau o saptamina (diferentieri zonale), Rusaliile.  Acestea sint personaje feminine (cvasi)malefice a caror existenta se petrece mai ales in vazduh, vara si in padure. Similar Ielelor, cu care uneori sunt confundate, una dintre calitatile lor principale este dansul deosebit de frumos. Danseaza in aer sau pe pamint, noaptea, asezate in cerc, dar, daca sint zarite de un muritor sau daca, din greseala cineva calca pe locul pe care au dansat (acolo iarba este arsa), acesta se imbolnaveste foarte grav de o boala numita, in limbaj popular, "luat de Rusalii".  Remediul magic-ritual impotriva acestor boli il ofereau, in sudul tarii si in Moldova, Calusarii.  Rusalii, latina Rosalia = sarbatoarea trandafirilor, constind in depunerea de trandafiri - rosae - pe morminte; rusaliile - femei fabuloase din categoria Ielelor, in mitologia romaneasca, fiicele lui Rusalim imparat; potrivit credintei populare, Rusaliile le iau oamenilor mintile. Acest mit - sarbatoare pagina - , a fost suprapusa ulterior peste sarbatoarea crestina postpascala (Pascha rosata sau Domenica rosarum) a Cincizecimii si devenita Duminica Rusaliilor cind casele sint imbodobite cu ramuri verzi. Sarbatoarea este legata de abundenta vegetala a verii. Caderea Rusaliilor este un dans frenetic cu prabusiri in somn hipnotic, practicat in Duminica Rusaliilor de femeile romance din zona Timoc, insa acesta este considerat mai degraba un caz izolat de datina locala. In Dobrogea romanizata, era obiceiul trandafirilor Rosalia de la sfirsitul primaverii, sarbatoare tinuta de credinciosi in relatie directa cu pomenirile din cultul mortilor.  Iele, fapturi feminine supranaturale intilnite in mitologia romaneasca, foarte raspindite in superstitii, carora nu li se poate stabili insa un profil precis, din cauza marii diversitati a variantelor folclorice. Totusi, cel mai frecvent, Ielele sint descrise ca niste fecioare zanatice, cu o mare putere de seductie si cu puteri magice  Sarbatoarea Cincizecimii (ce corespunde cu pogorarea Duhului Sfant) e Biblica si nu trebuie confundata cu sarbatoarea Rusaliilor care e o sarbatoare vrajitoreasca pagana din cultura Romei antice. Rusaliile nu sunt Biblice. Rusaliile au fost introduse in crestinism si combinate cu Cincizecimea de catre cultele greco-catolic si ortodox. Aceste 2 culte si deasemenea si cultul romano-catolic (ce au origine comuna) au introdus in crestinism multe elemente vrajitoresti pagane. Cuvantul Rusalia provine din latinescul Rosalia insemnand "ghirlanda de trandafiri" si denumeste festivalul roman al trandafirilor asociat cu cultul mortilor. Rusaliile nu apar in textele originale ale Bibliei si nici in diferite traduceri ale Bibliei in latina, engleza, germana, italiana, franceza. Cuvantul Rusalii a fost combinat fraudulos cu sarbatoarea Biblica a Cincizecimii. Deci: Cincizecimea si pogorarea Duhului Sfant sunt Biblice si sunt diferite de sarbatoarea nebiblica a Rusaliilor.

- In acelasi mod evenimentul Biblic al intrarii Domnului Isus in Ierusalim a fost combinat fraudulos cu sarbatoarea vrajitoreasca pagana a Floriilor ce provine din cultura Romei antice. Sarbatoarea Floriilor semnifica inchinare la zeita Flora si nu trebuie confundata cu evenimentul Biblic al intrarii Domnului Isus in Ierusalim. Floriile nu apar in textele originale ale Bibliei si nici in diferite traduceri ale Bibliei in latina, engleza, germana, italiana, franceza.

- Trebuie deasemenea de semnalat amploarea pe care a capatat-o in lumea moderna sarbatoarea demonica cunoscuta sub numele de Halloween (sarbatoarea tuturor sfintilor). Departe de a fi o simpla joaca asa cum unii o privesc, aceasta manifestare pagana este un pericol duhovnicesc deoarece se adreseaza in mod special copiilor, pe care-i familiarizeaza cu vrajitoria si ocultismul.

- Chiar daca ni se pare ridicol si ciudat sa renuntam la obiceiurile vrajitoresti si pagane cu care ne-am obisnuit si care fac parte din cultura contemporana, daca studiem istoria vom gasi exemplul martirilor care mai degraba s-au lasat omorati decat sa practice obiceiurile pagane; trebuie sa o rupem cu paganatatea nu sa o reciclam; noi trebuie sa biruim lumea nu sa preluam obiceiurile lumesti; crestinii moderni nu au primit aprobarea de la Dumnezeu sa practice obiceiurile pagane; conform Bibliei trebuie s-o rupem cu paganatatea; Biblia e valabila in continuare si pentru crestinii moderni; mai acceptam noi Biblia?

         Sa nu combinam Crestinismul cu paganatatea; cei ce vor sa contrazica sau sa batjocoreasca ar fi bine sa ia seama ca aceste materiale sunt fundamentate si Biblic si istoric; sa dam aceste materiale la cat mai multi credinciosi! Dumnezeu sa fie laudat! Dumnezeu sa va iubeasca pe toti!

isus-revine.blogspot.com

THANKSGIVING DAY– PAGAN?

Before getting into the actual history of Thanksgiving, which may shock and surprise many people, lets look at two arguments for keeping it:

'I don't keep Thanksgiving Day as a holy day. It's a national day of giving thanks for what God has provided. It's not a holy day.'

Isn't this the response many use for justifying Christmas and Easter? Many who observe those pagan days do not keep them as pagan holy days but observe them none the less. But is it right to keep them? The Catholic Church expects all good Catholics to be in church those days and Thanksgiving Day also. There are many Protestant churches that keep the day as holy too. (Holy literally means, 'set apart' and in this case, for religious observance, by attending church.)

Thanksgiving Day is 'not from pagan times, hence, we are at liberty to keep it, and God will appreciate it.' 

God's Word commands us to not be like the pagans and heathens, to not worship Him like they do (Deuteronomy 12:28-32). Remember, pagan people set up their own or have their own 'holy days.' 

It's hard to understand one's stand concerning the right to keep Thanksgiving Day. Even if it didn't go back to pagan times, which it does, have pagan times ended? At some point the pagan 'holy days' were only a few years old. Did that make them anymore right then? 

Thanksgiving Day is not a day ordained or authorized by God for His People. Yet it is considered by many who love the Lord, to be a holy day. A lady, upon finding out that I didn't keep Thanksgiving said, 'Why, isn't it a Christian holiday?' And this woman doesn't even go to church! What kind of a witness to the Living God do they proclaim who observe days that God has not ordained, but pass it off as His? Is this not how the Pharisees acted, when they made up traditions that went against the Word of God, and proclaimed that the tradition was of God? 

Please realize how silly we sound when we tell someone not to keep Christmas and Easter, etc., because they're pagan, but that it's alright to keep Thanksgiving Day. Sure, God didn't say to do it, but He's sure to appreciate it. 

For those of us who keep God's Holy Days, found in Leviticus 23, please consider this: Just what is Thanksgiving Day? The Church proclaims it a holiday (holy day), for the purpose of giving thanks to God for the many blessings we have received, especially agriculturally. Quoting a 6 year old, after hearing the last line, he said, 'That's what we do for the seven days of Sucote (Feast of Tabernacles).' Out of the mouth of babes... 

Why do we need another fall harvest Festival?! God has given us Sucote (Lev. 23:33-44). It seems apparent that to keep Sucote, and then to keep, only 30 or so days later, another harvest day of thanks to God, is not only repetitious but very strange. Thanksgiving Day is an outright copy of Sucote. The Counterfeiter has struck again! Did you ever wonder why the majority of God's People don't keep the days He has designated as holy? The majority are deceived by Satan. The majority also keep Thanksgiving Day. For those of us whom He has called out of Babylon, this ought to be cause for concern. 

Most history books would like to convince us that Thanksgiving Day goes back to only Plymouth Rock in the 1600's. Plymouth Rock was not the first Thanksgiving Day though. (Ever wonder why Canada has a Thanksgiving Day also?) This pagan feast, honoring the agricultural gods, goes back thousands of years, in one form or another. 

'Thanksgiving Day, in the United States and Canada, a day set apart for the giving of thanks to God for the blessings of the year. Originally, it was a harvest thanksgiving, and while the purpose has become less specific, the festival still takes place late in autumn, after the crops have been gathered.' Indeed, it is probably an outgrowth of the Harvest-Home celebrations in England. Such celebrations are of very ancient origin, being nearly universal among primitive peoples.'1 

'The first Thanksgiving in the New World' (notice the wording, not the first, but just the first in the New World), 'however, was not merely a feast, there were prayers and sermons and songs of praise; and three days had gone by before the Indians returned to their forest and the colonists to their tasks.'2 

'In 1789...the Protestant Episcopal Church in America announced the first Thursday in November as a regular annual day for giving thanks.'3 

'It was not until 1888 however, that the Roman Catholic Church formally recognized the day.'4 

Throughout the country, 'but especially in New England, where the custom originated, the day is looked upon with great reverence.'5 (This sounds like a holy day, or a day set apart, to me. This is what happens on Christmas and Easter.) 

'Thanksgiving Day in Canada. The Dominion too, has an annual Thanksgiving Day, which is celebrated in much the same way, with family reunions and religious services.'6 (Note well: 'religious services.') 

How can this be a religious day? Where does God tell us to celebrate it?

'It is proclaimed by the Governor General as a harvest festival, but although it is a public statutory holiday, it is not traditional in date. Usually, it falls on the last Monday in October, but if harvest is especially early, an earlier date may be appointed.'7 

'When the corn crop was gathered in the fall of 1621, Governor Bradford decreed a day of Thanksgiving.'8 (Please note well the crop: corn. This will be important later in the paper.) 

'Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks for the harvest and for other blessing of the past year...Gov. Bradford of Plymouth Colony ordered the day for feasting and thanks.'9 

'Although we have nationalized Thanksgiving, celebrations were held in ancient times to give thanks for the bountiful harvest. The Greeks honored Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, with a 9 day celebration; the Romans honored Ceres, Anglo-Saxons rejoiced with a feast to celebrate the reaping of the harvest; and the Jews have given thanks for the bountiful harvest with their 8 day Feast of Tabernacles.'10 

'Thanksgiving is a sports holiday...It is a religious holiday (welcomes the Christmas season), as well as a civil holiday (most offices and shops are closed).'11 

The writer called it a 'religious holiday.' Why are God's People keeping this day? Let us pull away and ask for His Forgiveness, for walking in a pagan day of giving thanks that Satan has set up. 

'Thanksgiving is...a giving of thanks for divine bounty. Churches of all denominations are open for services on this particular Thursday every year...Quite as important as worship on this day is the renewal of family ties.'12 

'Pilgrims and Indians, turkey and pumpkin pie are so much a part of the American tradition that it is hard for us to realize that the beginnings of Thanksgiving go back not only to the Old World but to the early world. The Pilgrims frowned on all the holidays of merry England and refused to celebrate even Christmas because they knew of its pagan origins.'13 

'In proclaiming a day of Thanksgiving after the crops were gathered and before winter set in, they may have taken a hint from the Old Testament, but they certainly did not know that they were acting in a tradition which went back to the time when men first began to sow and reap. Long before the dwellers by the Nile learned to measure the year, or dreamed of building pyramids, all people who grew grain gave thanks at harvest time to the beings who had given them their daily bread for the hard winter months. Moreover, these ancient farmers sensed in the changing seasons and in the cycle of seed to plant to seed again, the miracle of death and resurrection and turned their wonder at it into legends.'14 

'The Old Testament includes many references to harvest festivals...It is recorded that Moses gave instructions to the Hebrews for the celebrations of their harvest festival, which was called the Feast of Tabernacles.'15 

Yeshua (Jesus), observed Sucote (Tabernacles), every year of His life.16 And with good reason, for He gave it to His People Israel as a reminder of the food He provided for Israel in the Wilderness, the present harvest, and the spiritual Harvest to come, when God would feed His People from His Son. 

'Even before biblical times the ancient people of the Mediterranean Basin held festivals at harvest time in honor of the earth mother. The goddess of the corn ('corn' being the European term for any grain; Indian corn (American corn), is called maize), was always one of the most important deities in the hierarchy of the gods, and her child was the young god of vegetation.'17 

'The ancient Semites called the earth mother Astarte...The Phrygians called her Semele...The Minoans had an earth mother for each district. All these local deities were absorbed by the Greeks into the one great goddess, Demeter.'18 

'Besides eating, feasting, etc. the married women practiced special rites. Under the cover of night, the women spent the next day bathing nude in the sea and dancing and playing games on the shore. Then they fasted, sang songs, then feasted, sang, and had general gaiety. All this lasted over a period of several days.'19 

'The Roman harvest festival...was called the Cerelia, after Ceres, the Roman goddess of the corn.'20 

'With the acceptance of Christianity as the official religion of Rome and the conversion of the barbarians who had invaded the crumbling Empire, these pagan rituals were frowned upon and even forbidden by law. However, the peasants clung to them with a tenacity which has made the word 'pagan' (originally meaning simply 'a villager'), a synonym for 'heathen.' As late as the sixth century ... St. Benedict ... found the local peasantry worshiping Apollo in a sacred grove. Even after conversion, old habits and beliefs died hard, and the church was too busy trying to keep the flame of civilization alive to trouble with minor heresies.'21 

'The benevolent earth mother ... blended with the equally benevolent mother of Christ. Folk memory of local deities fused with the Christian tales of saints to provide patrons for villages, and the white robed goddess of grain lived on in various guises. To those who live close to the soil, the harvest has an emotional and religious significance ... their gratitude finds expression in rites in honor of the being who they feel is most closely related to fruitfulness; a being of warm earth, rather then cold heaven.'22 

'Even today a half pagan belief in the corn mother still survives among the peasant's in many parts of Europe.'23 

'The Pilgrims undoubtedly brought memories of such English harvest home celebrations with them when they came to the new world. They had also witnessed 'thanksgiving' ceremonies during their sojourn in Holland ... The Pilgrims themselves would have denied that the Thanksgiving feast in honor of their first harvest in 1621 was evoked by memories of the profane practices of the old world; however, all revolutionaries, political or religious, once their goal is accomplished, turn back to the patterns of the society in which they have been reared, and the Pilgrims, at the time of the first Thanksgiving, were no exception.'24 

Abraham Lincoln declared on Oct. 3, 1863, after Thanksgiving had become a national holiday, that all in the United States should 'set apart' and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.'25 

'The day is fixed by proclamation of the president. It is an annual festival of thanks for the mercies of the closing year, celebrated by prayers and feasting.'26 

'The earliest harvest Thanksgiving in this country was held by the Pilgrim fathers at Plymouth Colony in 1621. But long before the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving dinner, harvest festivals were observed in this country. Among the North Dakota tribes, the corn spirit was known as the 'old woman who never dies.'27 

'In Peru, the ancient Indians worshiped the 'Mother of Maize' and tried every year to persuade her to bring in another good harvest. In Europe, the Austrians also had a 'Corn Mother' doll, fashioned from the last sheaf of grain cut in the field and then brought home to the village in the last wagon.'28 (God uses the first sheaf to dedicate the forthcoming crop, which Satan draws attention to the last sheaf for next year's crop! (Lev.23:5-12) And Yeshua is said to be the First Fruits or First Sheaf of the Resurrection from the dead (1st Corin. 15:20: 'But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.'). 

'In Upper Burma, the friends of the household are invited to the barn for a feast when the rice has been piled in the husks on the threshing floor. After a prayer to the 'father and mother' for a good harvest next year, 'then, much as we do, the entire party celebrates this year's harvest with a feast.'29 

A substantial portion of our ancestors came from England in 1621. Looking into English history we can determine why they celebrated this feast. 'Thanksgiving for the harvest is one of the oldest and the most joyous festivals that man has created.'30 

'Most of the pagan customs that gathered round the harvest season have either disappeared or have sunk under the weight of Christian disapproval and have radically changed. Today, the climax of the season is the picturesque but genteel harvest festival celebrated in churches.'31 

'However innocuous harvest rites are today, they are a relic of the great drama of the season when the fruits of the earth were collected and the means of life ensured for another year, and the thankfulness had a hidden stratum of cruelty.'32 

'The leading role in the drama was taken by Ceres, the Roman Corn Goddess. In Britain she was later known by several names: the Maiden, the Harvest Queen, the Kern or Corn Baby, the Kern Doll, the Ivy Girl, the Neck and the Mare. Sometimes she was simply the stalks of corn and sometimes she was represented by a sheaf dressed in many colored clothes which were decorated with flowing ribbons and the finest lace. Whatever her form, she dominated the banquets, harvest suppers, and merry making of early times.33(Remember the wicker horn baskets holding vegetables, fruits, etc.?) 

'The Kern Baby' an image, 'was made either from the last of the corn left standing ... or from the biggest and ripest ears to be found in the fields. The spirit herself dwelt in the corn, and mere mortals shirked the responsibility of cutting her down. So, often the act was left to chance. All those present, threw their sickles at the lone sheaf from a respectable distance and thus no one could be said to have deliberately performed the act. In the depths of folk memory, there was still the awareness of the death and resurrection cycle. The vegetation deity of the remote past needed to be propitiated by a human sacrifice.'34 

'When the feast was over, the Kern Baby was taken to the farm house and kept there until the next harvest supper. The symbol of the previous years' harvest was ceremoniously burned in the farm yard.'35 

'The Kern Baby is by no means extinct, and can be seen in some churches as part of the harvest festival decorations, though she has been divested of her diving powers. At Little Walthem in Essex and Whalton in North Umberland for example, Kern Babies are attached to one of the pews, 'the custom of crying the neck,' once prevalent in the west of England, is still observed here and there, though now it is incorporated in the harvest festival held in the church. The origin of the word 'Neck' or 'Nack' is obscure. It may come from an old Norse word for sheaf or corn or it may have a connection with 'Nix', a water spirit that is supposed to be from where we get Old Nick, one of the Devil's names.'36 

'Crying the neck: while the laborers were reaping the last field of wheat, one of them went to each group of sheaves and selected the best of the ears, which he then tied up neatly, 'plaiting and arranging the straws most tastefully.' When the laborer's work was done and the last of the wheat cut, the entire company of reapers, binders and gleaners would from a circle round the man with the neck. He then stooped down, grasped the neck with both hands and held it near to the earth. The people surrounding him removed their hats and held them downwards too, a gesture of homage to the soil which had nurtured the crops.'37 

'Most countries had their own special way of celebrating the 'ingathering' but they all sprang from the same pre-Christian impulse, the act of sacrifice which had to be performed at the end of the harvest ... The cries when the neck was held up were originally the wails of death, and the shouting and dancing which followed captured the joy of resurrection.'38 

Now we are aware that most Americans do not follow the rituals described above. Yet, does that make Thanksgiving Day right for us to observe? Is it acceptable for me to celebrate Christmas as long as I don't have a tree or yule log? Of course not. For Yahveh would not have His People to cling to any vestiges of practices that portray gods or spirits in food to be worshiped. We, who are coming out of worshiping Yeshua in the ways of Babylon, do not need to cling to a poor copy of what our God has given us in Sucote. Our need to thank Him for His Provision has already been ordained by God in the Feast of Tabernacles. 

Does Man have the right or the authority to ordain days of thanks to God? Or, has Man been given that authority by God? Yahveh answers whether or not Man can make his own religious days in counter-distinction to His, whether in ignorance or rebellion, when we see that the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, set up a day of festivity in the 8th month, the 15th day (approximately about the time Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States). Sucote occurs in the 7th month on the 15th day; generally mid-October. In the book of 1st Kings 12:26-13:5 we read:

'And Jeroboam said in his heart, 'Now shall the kingdom return to the House of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the House of Yahveh at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam, King of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam, King of Judah.'

'Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold your gods, Oh Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'

'And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.'

'And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the Sons of Levi.'

'And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel, the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the Children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.'

'And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the Word of Yahveh unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the Word of Yahveh, and said, 'Oh altar, altar, thus says Yahveh; Behold, a child shall be born unto the House of David, Josiah by name; and upon you shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon you, and men's bones shall be burnt upon you.'

'And he gave a sign the same day, saying, 'This is the sign which Yahveh has spoken; 'Behold, the altar shall be torn, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, 'Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.'

'The altar also was torn, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the Word of Yahveh.'

Jeroboam not only set up golden calves to be worshiped in place of Yahveh, and ordained ordinary men to the priesthood (the Levites having left the northern kingdom, not wanting to take part in the idolatry), but please notice the wording of the Scriptures in relating how the new feast came to be. The King James says that Jeroboam set up a feast in 'the month which he had devised of his own heart.' The NIV states, 'a month of his own choosing.' And we see that Jeroboam instituted a feast 'like the festival held in Judah' (1st Kings 12:32). 

Yahveh was angry with Jeroboam for doing this. The picture is very clear. We should not ignore the word of God in showing us that it was a substitute festival which would occur a month after Sucote, the time of 'Thanksgiving.' 

Is it possible that Jeroboam was instituting in the northern kingdom the 'Thanksgiving' of his day? He had lived outside the Land of Israel in the days of King Solomon and had come into contact with the pagan celebrations of the people in Egypt (1st Kings 11:40). Was he just 'borrowing' from them? It is Satan who copies with the intent of leading God's People astray. The Prophet Daniel spoke of Satan changing the 'times and the Law' in Daniel 7:25:

'And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.'

Thanksgiving Day was not acceptable to God 3,000 years ago. How could it be such today? The faithful general Joshua, was instructed to keep all the instructions that God had given to Israel, so that he and his sons after him would be blessed by Yahveh forever, doing what was good and right in the Eyes of Yahveh his God:

'When Yahveh your God has annihilated in front of you the nations that you are to dispossess, and when you have dispossessed them and made your home in their country; be careful you are not caught in a trap: do not imitate them once they have been destroyed in front of you, or go inquiring after their gods saying, 'How did these nations worship their gods?, I will go and do the same.'

'This is not the way for you to behave towards Yahveh your God. For Yahveh detests all this and hates what they have done for their gods; even burning their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods.'

'Whatever I command you, you must be careful to do. You shall not add to, nor take away from it.' (Deuteronomy 12:28-32)

If the ancient pagan peoples celebrated their form of Thanksgiving Day, why do Christians observe it? We must separate ourselves from all pagan days and walk in the Way of the God of Israel. For He has called us out of darkness, into His marvelous Light. He is our God and we must follow Him. When we celebrate His Holy Days, we reflect to the world the True God who provides for our every need. When we celebrate pagan holy days 'in honor of Jesus' we present a distorted and perverted picture of the One who is Truth. 

seedofabraham.net

The Pagan Roots of Halloween / Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

Are the specific customs of Halloween related to pagan beliefs?

Since Halloween itself originated in paganism, it is not surprising that its customs are related to pagan belief. According to theEncyclopaedia Britannica,

In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic Festival of Samhain was observed on October 31, at the end of summer…. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, goblins, black cats, fairies and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes.

Halloween symbols, customs, and practices undoubtedly have had a variety of influences upon Western culture throughout history. However, in early American history, Halloween was not celebrated due to America’s strong Christian heritage. It was not widely observed until the twentieth century. Initially, it was practiced only in small Irish Catholic settlements, until thousands of Irish migrated to America during the great potato famine and brought their customs with them. To some degree, our modern Halloween is an Irish holiday with early origins in the Celtic winter festival. Interestingly, in American culture, the rise in popularity of Halloween also coincides roughly with the national rise in spiritism that began in 1848.

Irish Holiday

Ireland is the only place in the world where Halloween is actually a national holiday (celebrated with fireworks); children are even released from school for the week.

Among the modern customs and practices of Halloween, we can note numerous probable or possible influences, some of which follow.

Where did the jack-o’-lantern originate?

The carved pumpkin may have originated with the witches’ use of a collection of skulls with a candle in each to light the way to coven meetings. But among the Irish, who, as noted, prompted the popularization of Halloween in America, the legend of “Irish Jack” explains the jack-o’-lantern. According to the legend, a stingy drunk named Jack tricked the devil into climbing an apple tree for an apple, but then cut the sign of a cross into the trunk of the tree to prevent the devil from coming down. Jack then forced the devil to swear he would never come after Jack’s soul. The devil reluctantly agreed.

Jack eventually died, but he was turned away at the gates of heaven because of his drunkenness and life of selfishness. He was sent to the devil, who also rejected him, keeping his promise. Since Jack had no place to go, he was condemned to wander the earth. As he was leaving hell (he happened to be eating a turnip), the devil threw a live coal at him. He put the coal inside the turnip and has since forever been roaming the earth with his “jack-o’-lantern” in search of a place to rest. Eventually, pumpkins replaced turnips since it was much easier to symbolize the devil’s coal inside a pumpkin.

How did the tradition of trick-or-treating begin?

There are several ancient practices that point to this tradition. One possibility is from the notion that ancient witches had to steal the materials needed for their festivals. The Druids may have believed that witches held this day to be special, something clearly true for modern witches.

The idea of trick-or-treating is further related to the ghosts of the dead in pagan, and even Catholic, history. For example, among the ancient Druids, “The ghosts that were thought to throng about the houses of the living were greeted with a banquet-laden table. At the end of the feast, masked and costumed villagers representing the souls of the dead paraded to the outskirts of town leading the ghosts away.”

As already noted, Halloween was thought to be a night when mischievous and evil spirits roamed freely. As in modern poltergeist lore, mischievous spirits could play tricks on the living—so it was advantageous to “hide” from them by wearing costumes. Masks and costumes were worn to either scare away the ghosts or to keep from being recognized by them:

In Ireland especially, people thought that ghosts and spirits roamed after dark on Halloween. They lit candles or lanterns to keep the spirits away, and if they had to go outside, they wore costumes and masks to frighten the spirits or to keep from being recognized by these unearthly beings.

Where did Halloween costumes originate?

Besides the reasons given above, Halloween masks and costumes were used to hide one’s attendance at pagan festivals or—as in traditional shamanism (mediated by a witch doctor or pagan priest) and other forms of animism—to change the personality of the wearer to allow for communication with the spirit world. Here, costumes could be worn to ward off evil spirits. On the other hand, the costume wearer might use a mask to try to attract and absorb the power of the animal represented by the mask and costume worn. According to this scenario, Halloween costumes may have originated with the Celtic Druid ceremonial participants, who wore animal heads and skins to acquire the strength of a particular animal.

An additional layer of tradition explaining the origin of Halloween costumes comes from the medieval Catholic practice of displaying the relics of saints on All Saints’ Day: “The poorer churches could not afford relics and so instituted a procession with parishioners dressed as the patron saints; the extras dressed as angels or devils and everyone paraded around the churchyard.”

Going from door to door seeking treats may result from the Druidic practice of begging material for the great bonfires. As we will see later, it is also related to the Catholic concept of purgatory and the custom of begging for a “soul cake.”

As for the “trick” custom of Halloween, this is related to the idea that ghosts and witches created mischief on this particular night. For example, if the living did not provide food, or “treats,” for the spirits, then the spirits would “trick” the living. People feared terrible things might happen to them if they did not honor the spirits. The Druids also believed that failure to worship their gods would bring dire consequences. If the gods were not treated properly in ritual, they would seek vengeance. This was therefore a day of fear. Further, some people soon realized that a mischievous sense of humor, or even malevolence, could be camouflaged—that they could perform practical jokes on or do harm to others and blame it on the ghosts or witches roaming about.

What’s the significance of fruits and nuts at Halloween?

Halloween traditions often involve fruit centerpieces, apples, and nuts. Three of the sacred fruits of the Celts were acorns, apples, and nuts, especially the hazelnut, considered a god, and the acorn, sacred from its association to the oak. Fruits and nuts also seem to be related to the Roman harvest feast of Pomona, apparently the goddess of fruit. For example, in ancient Rome, cider was drawn and the Romans bobbed for apples, which was part of a divination that supposedly helped a person discover their future marriage partner.

How did we get the tradition of telling ghost stories?

It became a natural expression of Halloween to tell ghost stories when dead souls were believed to be everywhere, and good, mischievous, and evil spirits roamed freely. These stories further originated as a personal expression of these beliefs.

What about Halloween?

Should you and I be involved in the celebration of Halloween?

Finding the answer to this question has been an interesting journey in itself. I interviewed several people and then researched what many leading Christian writers, authors and spokesmen have written about the subject. I also searched various websites such as christianitytoday.com, focusonthefamily.org, and cbn.com to read what others might be saying. What I found was an agreement on the origins of Halloween, but a mixture of recommendations about allowing our children to participate in this super-charged media driven holiday.

The origins of Halloween are Celtic in tradition and have to do with observing the end of summer sacrifices to gods in Druidic tradition. In what is now Britain and France, it was the beginning of the Celtic year, and they believed Samhain, the lord of death, sent evil spirits abroad to attack humans, who could escape only by assuming disguises and looking like evil spirits themselves. The waning of the sun and the approach of dark winter made the evil spirits rejoice and play nasty tricks. Believe it or not, most of our Halloween practices can be traced back to these old pagan rites and superstitions.

But what about today? Perhaps we can still learn from history. In the fourth century, Christians attempted to co-opt the holiday by celebrating the lives of faithful Christian saints the day before Halloween. This was a conscious attempt to provide an alternative and re-focus the day away from ghouls, goblins, ghosts, witches and other “haunted” experiences. Since that time many Christians have decided to allow their children to dress in more “innocent” costumes of pumpkins, princesses, Superman or as a cowboy. Part of this is due to the simple reality that in today’s Western culture it is nearly impossible to “avoid” Halloween.

Just before reaching a conclusion on the subject, I was struck with the thought that I ought to further my search and find out what Wicca, the official religion of witchcraft, has to say about Halloween. Perhaps they viewed the day as a simple fun and innocent neighborhood activity?

“Shock” is the only word to describe what I found. Halloween is a real, sacred day for those who follow Wicca. In fact, it is one of two high and holy days for them. The Celtic belief of spirits being released is current, along with the worship of Samhain (the lord of death) – both are promoted as something to embrace on that day. There is no question in my mind that to those who believe and follow the practices of witchcraft, Halloween represents an opportunity to embrace the evil, devilish, dark side of the spiritual world.

So after discovering this, what is a reasonable conclusion? As Christians you and I are placed in this world to be a light in a world of darkness. There is no lasting benefit to ignore a holiday that exists around us, but it also does harm to celebrate Halloween as it has originated and grown over the centuries.

My suggestion? Christians should be teaching their children (age appropriately) that:

• there is a spiritual world filled with goodness from God and evil from Satan (Eph. 2:1-10);
• life with Christ has power over darkness (I John 4:4); and
• those who celebrate Halloween either are unaware of its roots, or are intentionally promoting a world where evil is lauded and viewed as an ultimate power.

To counter the evil influence of Halloween, we need to join together and celebrate the reality of the heroic efforts of Christian saints over the evil in their day. Many leaders in the past -- and present -- have fulfilled the mandate of destroying the works of the devil through their sacrificial commitment to Christ and His Kingdom.

Too, rather than “hide” in the face of evil, we should unabashedly and boldly create an alternative that is positive and uplifting; that celebrates good over evil and the triumph of God over Satan. We need to provide an environment that also makes room for heaps of fun while using the day as a “teachable moment” to celebrate God’s protection, provision and purpose for our lives.

(by John Ankerberg,John Weldon, Dillon Burroughs, Elliott Watson) cbn.com