Informed Christians should understand the origins of Halloween as they assess their level of involvement in celebrating what is actually a “pagan” holiday.
According to Wikipedia,
Halloween is typically linked to the celtic festival of Samhain which is derived from Old Irish and means “summer’s end”. The festival of Samhain celebrates the end of the “lighter half” [...]
Entries Tagged as ‘Christian History’
October 31, 2009
The History of Halloween, Is It Really Something Christians Should Celebrate?
February 16, 2009
President’s Day: Celebrating the Legacy of Two Outstanding Christian Leaders
Abraham Lincoln and George Washington are the presidents whose birthdays we celebrate annually on President’s Day. Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 and Washington was born on February 22, 1732.
This year, February 16th, is the date set aside to commemorate the great contributions of these outstanding leaders of our country.
Time has not tarnished nor years decayed the reputations of this duo [...]
February 7, 2009
A Valentine’s Day Mystery
This week on February 14th Americans across this nation will celebrate the holiday known as Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is the annual holiday honoring love and romance and as you probably know it is celebrated by the custom of sending greeting cards or gifts to express affection. The cards, known as valentines have become big [...]
December 11, 2008
Christmas Greetings
A greeting is by definition an acknowledgment or expression of good will, it often takes the form of a salutation exchanged upon meeting someone. Gabriel the angelic messenger assigned by God to handle the news of the birth of Christ became practiced at delivering just such salutations.
In the first chapter of the book of Luke [...]
November 25, 2008
A Call To Give Thanks
Thanksgiving by definition means to express gratitude towards God. Thanksgiving was central to the Jewish faith and an essential part of worship according to the Old Testament. It was offered generally by the Jews in response to God’s concrete acts in history but sacrifice and offerings were also to be given continually out of a grateful [...]
November 17, 2008
The Jewish Roots of a Thanksgiving Feast
The Pilgrim Separatists who settled at Plymouth Massachusetts and celebrated the first American Thanksgiving feast were Christians but the precedent for thanksgiving feasts traces back to the Old Testament and Judeo-Christian roots.
The tradition of thanksgiving feasts began with the Jewish people thousands of years ago. In the Old Testament God commanded the Jews to participate [...]
November 3, 2008
It’s November, let’s turn our hearts toward Thanksgiving
Tomorrow no matter what the outcome of our National election may be the reality is–life will still go on–and it will still be November 2008.
Regardless of who wins and who loses we will be approximately three weeks off from the celebration of Thanksgiving and it will be a holiday that many of us will desperately need in the aftermath of [...]
