Halloween or Reformations day?

On the day prior to the Catholic holiday of All Saints, Luther proposed his thesis for a reformation, a renewal of the Church, to be posted on the doors of the castle church of Wittenberg. 2017 will be the 500th time.

The story of Halloween is not recorded in exactly the same manner. The word is derived from “All Hallows' Eve” - the evening before All Saints' Day. One attempts to date this to somewhere during the 18th century. This festival originated in Ireland where Christian Catholic faith was spreading throughout Europe at an early stage.

Looking back at many more old Celtic customs concerning death-cults and spirit incantations, Christian missionaries endeavoured to give new meaning to the old festival. However, the pagan influences could not be removed from the festival of the dead.

Even after its worldwide renaissance in the 19th century, the festival did not lose its occult character. It is still about the dead, about ghosts, about sorcerers and witches, about things against which the Bible warns again and again. Even when one tries to downplay the whole thing today, when one turns it into a childish fancy dress festival, the relationship to the occult still remains.

“Sweet or sour” - with this saying the children and young people go from house to house all over the world. Whoever does not partake, whoever is opposed to it, has to contend with rotten eggs, lubricants or other forms of vandalism.

The ancient, partly pre-Christian traditions are not so easy to get rid of in this world. Even Luther, who demanded, in his thesis, the return of traditions to the Word of the Bible, was unsuccessful in overcoming this. Today, Halloween is even celebrated in many evangelical Churches.

In opposition to the sweet reformation, is God's sourness (displeasure), for whom this dead- and spirit cult is an abomination.

When the doorbell rings by me on the 31st, there will not be any sweet treats. If anyone wants anything, he can take a New Testament with him, for whom I have a few reserved.

What will your decision be: sweet or sour?

I wish you a blessed week until the reformation festival.

Rainer Gigerich