Behind the masks of Halloween: why you should think twice before celebrating

For many across the US, Oct. 31 marks a day of dressing up in costumes trick-or-treating, and consuming tons of candy. This is not the reality for me, however, or the countless other people that don't join in on the day's celebrations. Instead of going door to door this Friday evening, I'll most likely be at church, watching a film that explains the meaning of the occasion and explains exactly why I won't celebrate Halloween.

My reasons for not participating in the festivities are not only religious, but moral as well. I've watched videos in Sunday school of the celebration's origins and the events that take place on Halloween. Images of Satan worshippers dancing around in small circles, jumping over fire and sacrificing children should be enough to convince most people not to celebrate the holiday.

Films such as the ones that I've viewed detail the origins of the holiday and outline reasons not to celebrate Halloween. Oct. 31 is known as "The Festival of the Dead" because it marks the change from life to death, as established by the Celtic tribes and the Druids (their priests). Occultists believe that Halloween is a transition between life and death, and thus try to communicate with the deceased through practices such as divination.

The festivities of Halloween were derived from early practitioners of the occult. The idea of trick-or-treating came from occultists who would dress up in costumes and leave treats at their door to appease the spirits and ghosts that left their graves during the night to return to their previous homes. These people also tried to scare spirits away by carving a scary face into a pumpkin and sometimes using it as a lantern. The practice of eating apples was for the purpose of divination and the fertility ritual, and symbolized fruit bringing sin and death into the world, as in the Garden of Eden.

In other words, there is a deeper meaning rooted in the occasion. Halloween doesn't only involve dressing up as vampires, witches, or your favorite superheroes. It doesn't merely entail collecting all the candy you want either. Halloween originated from supernatural beliefs that deal with worshipping the devil and his demons. People young and old don't always understand exactly why it is that I and others don't celebrate the holiday. It goes beyond worshipping Satan. Safety is a concern issue when it comes to knocking on random doors and asking for candy. Morals are an issue when it comes to participating in something on which you're not fully knowledgeable. I don't celebrate because I don't approve of worshipping the devil and I don't want to take part in a tradition which involves glorifying sin and death. People should definitely think twice this Halloween before they strap on their costumes, pick up their buckets, go trick-or-treating and commemorate a very serious tradition.