Día de Los Muertos

My daughter, and I in Old Town, San Diego

Día de Los Muertos

I looked up the origins of Halloween and here is what I found online.

Halloween has roots in Celtic Christianity. The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, a time when the Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred. They lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts.

As Christianity spread, Samhain traditions blended with Christian practices. The evening before All Saints' Day, known as All Hallows' Eve, incorporated elements of the earlier festival. This fusion of customs led to the modern Halloween celebration on October 31.

People originally wore costumes to disguise themselves from evil spirits. Over time, costumes became a fun part of the holiday.

Trick-or-treating has roots in the medieval tradition of "souling," where children went door-to-door asking for food in exchange for prayers for the dead. 

The tradition of carving pumpkins comes from earlier practices of using turnips or other vegetables to create lanterns, which were believed to ward off evil spirits.

Today, some Christians believe this holiday is a time for witches and Satan worshippers to celebrate evil, while others think it is a time for fun, to dress up, and get treats.

What do you believe? 

Here in Old Town, San Diego, the Hispanics celebrate “Día de Los Muertos,” or the Day of the Dead. Dressing up in costumes and painting their faces to look like a skeleton, they celebrate loved ones who have passed.

I do believe in evil. Demonic forces are present every day, not just on Halloween.

Guard your heart. Know that Christ is far greater than evil in this world.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  1 John 4:4