Thursday October 31, 2019
Faith is like a game of hide and seek.
|
Hold open your hands. This is the day the universe is in tilt and you will receive a blessing of incomparable value.
|
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN
The origins of Halloween date back centuries, to pagan and Celtic peoples living in Britain and ancient Ireland prior to the spread of Christianity. In Celtic tradition, the 31st of October marks a holiday known as “Samhain.” Celebrating the end of the harvest season and the onset of the dark portion of the year, Samhain (typically pronounced “Sow-In”) was ushered in with giant feasts and bonfires that burned late into the night.
Samhain also represented a time when the doors between the human world and the spirit world were thought to be the most open. This cast a far more sinister shadow on the autumnal festival as many believed ghosts, witches, goblins, black cats and demons were roaming about.
And still, Samhain became seen as an ideal time for marriage, luck, health, even death – and the only day one could invoke the devil’s help to such ends. Observers used this time to send messages to the supernatural powers who were believed to control the levers of nature. Some cast spells in favor of specific outcomes.
But it wasn’t all sinister – people also left offerings of food and drink outside for the visiting spirits and fairies, an invitation for the ghosts of dead family members to join them at the feast table.
However, the complexion of October 31st changed dramatically as Western Christianity gained a footing in the area.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as All Saints’ Day. The night of October 31st, then, became known as All Hallows’ Eve. This was later shortened to “Halloween” (“hallow” means saint, or holy person, and “een” is a contraction of “eve”, or the evening before).
His reasons for choosing this specific date have been the subject of widespread speculation, but some scholars believe it was a direct attempt to undermine Celtic traditions and win more people over to the Christian faith. As Christianity became the dominant religion in the area, Samhain and its Celtic observers were increasingly pushed into the shadows.
Curiously, early Americans (many of Puritan faith) refused to recognize Halloween, as it was viewed primarily as a Catholic holiday. In fact, it only began to gain traction in the U.S. around the turn of the 20th century, when millions of Irish immigrants migrated to the United States, bringing with them a strong tradition of celebrating Halloween.
Since then, Halloween has evolved into the event we recognize today: a largely secular holiday that has become highly commercialized. Far from its spiritual roots, Halloween is now primarily a light-hearted affair full of fun costumes, tasty treats, and spooky decorations...READ MORE
|
GOD CAN DO A MIRACLE
His dad is a heavy alcoholic and struggling with it badly. He's currently staying at the local shelter and the family has given up hope on this poor man and believes the damage is done. Well I don't believe God gives up on any of us nor hope for any of us. This guy says the damage is done with his dad but I don't believe that at all. I believe there is still hope for this man and that God can do a miracle in his life. Please pray for him. God bless you brothers
and sisters.
- anonymous
|
Not a Subscriber Yet?
Get your own Daily Blessings!
| |
|
|
|
