hi Christine, this is an excellent article, thanks for sharing. excellent material for a lot of pare

[這篇文章轉載自基絲汀Yahoo blog, Nov 1, 2007] 昨天收到不少網友的留言祝基絲汀「萬聖節快樂」。首先，要多謝各位的情意，往往把握每個節日的機會來表達你們的心意，很感激你們常常記念基絲汀啊。基絲汀每天都很快樂，因為有神同在，還有大家的關懷和祝福，怎能不快樂呢？ 言歸正轉，有感而發，加上有兩位網友先後提議基絲汀寫篇網誌有關萬聖節。於是一早起來「揮筆」！純屬個人感受，如引致某些網友感到被冒犯，不是基絲汀的用意，請多多包涵。
中國有鬼節，盂蘭節，外國也有萬聖節（Halloween）。慶祝萬聖節的風氣，似乎越吹越盛，越吹越廣。 不過，基絲汀一向沒有參與慶祝萬聖節的習慣，也不向我兩個兒女講及這個節日。為什麼呢？ 【起源】 從萬聖節的源起來看，不怎值得去繼續。是與迷信與交鬼有關。 約於主前五百年，原來是愛爾蘭的凱爾特族Celtic人，把夏末定於10月31日。11月1日為一年之始。在這新舊年交替的晚上，凱爾特人相信死亡之神Samhain會帶肉眼看不見的靈魂重返人間找替身。他們燃點火炬，祭司主持給死亡之神獻上焚燒動物的祭禮。凱爾特人利用動物的頭或皮毛打扮成鬼怪的模樣，口中並發出可怕的聲音。 也有傳說，凱爾特族人懷疑某人被鬼附身的話，會將他綁在木樁上活活燒死，目的是威嚇鬼魂離遠他們。 當羅馬人於公元一世紀佔領凱爾特部落領土，也漸漸接受他們的祭死神的習俗。卻廢止把活人燒死的祭祀方式。 其後，羅馬人又把他們慶祝豐收的節日與凱爾特族的節日結合起來。羅馬天主教把11月1日定為萬聖節，轉為紀念天主教諸聖人。說先前有鬼節，後有萬聖節（All Hallows Day, 或 All Saints’ Day）”Hallow” 即「聖徒」的意思。“Halloween”即 “The Eve of All Saints’ Day” . 人們戴着可怕的面具，打扮成動物或鬼怪，說要驅走在人間游蕩的鬼魔。故此，成為廣為流行以古靈精怪的打扮，來慶祝萬聖節的由來。 19世紀中期，更廣為流傳入美國、加拿大、澳大利亞，新西蘭等地。 【從信仰角度看】 慶祝萬聖節的活動隨著時間和各地文化而有所改變，現在變成喜慶和玩樂的節日。但早期的習俗和思想還是保留了下來。 不少人認為這只是文化活動，玩一下也無妨。至於基督徒應否參加萬聖節前夕扮鬼活動呢？ 由於萬聖節的起源，意識和活動，仍然是與交鬼和接觸靈界有關，參加的話，會失去好見證。未信主的朋友會疑惑你究竟信神還是信鬼呢。但是，不參加也無損失，天下之大，好的，健康的玩意多的是，無須跟潮流文化參加這種鬼節活動。當然，我們所信的神是創天造地，鬼魔也服在神的凳腳下。信徒不用怕鬼，因我們的主比萬有都大。 【按照聖經的教導】 「不可偏向那些交鬼的和行巫術的，不可求問他們，以致被他們玷污。」(利未記19﹕31) 故此，基督徒應謝絕一切這類扮鬼活動。 【從教育角度看】 可能有人想，只是玩玩化裝遊戲，不是交鬼，有何不可？可是，參與扮鬼化裝的活動豈不是已幫助宣傳其中意念嗎？尤其是小孩子耳濡目染，看見什麼，學什麼。聽到什麼，說什麼。所以，如果聽到有基督教學校也大攪萬聖節扮鬼怪活動，會令人很詫異且大惑不解。 作為家長，我決不會讓自己的兒女參加這類不正確意識，有害無益的活動。 從教育角度看，萬聖節根本沒有任何教育意義。而且前夕活動蘊藏不少邪惡的意識和惡作劇意念。小孩子可以節日理由，逐家拍門討糖果吃，威脅說﹕「請吃糖，不然就搗亂」(Trick or treat). 時至今日，可能少了孩子玩這個 Trick or treat遊戲，但人們慶祝的時候，還是玩威嚇，或是作弄別人的各種遊戲。被作弄的人也要因節日的理由而接受。 不知道你認為應否慶祝萬聖節呢？不妨分享一下你的個人看法！
hi Christine, this is an excellent article, thanks for sharing. excellent material for a lot of parents to share with their kids. to be honest, even a lot of adults have not idea what the halloween is all about. as christian, i have learned not to celebrate this festival even since, and sure share this knowledge with my husband and teach our daughter since she start to ask me what is halloween. unfortunately my sister in law she is not believer, even she is a catholic like most of the european, they look at halloween is a tradition or a festival soap dispenser kitchen like carnival when partying with funny clothes or custom. and overlooked the meaning of it. follow it blindly to the trends. she even bought my daughter a custom in this February already, a cat custom for carnival and a spider web dress for halloween. so i have explained to my daughter, we are not celebrating halloween and she told me that she believes in God and God doesn't like devil things. this is all about commercial. nowadays, if one not talking about halloween sound is very outdate. this is so commercializes that even in school, the craft, the halloween theme is over harvesting theme for october, i am working in a creche, kids are few months to 4 years old. they have not choice but to follow, making spider web, halloween pumpkins card.... and me, also not choice but have to make some bake goodies - meringue with 2 little soap dispenser kitchen eyes, and cupcake with spider web icing on the top (this is maximum soap dispenser kitchen i can do against my christian point of view) with halloween theme for the festival today.... !! i even have a invitation to go to a play land with my daughter today, but when i found out that the play land has halloween celebration today, i simple tell my friend that we don't attend because we don't celebrate halloween. if not all but as least most of the commerces are using halloween as theme and the pastry shops can't avoid either..., farmer has to name their pumpkin 'halloween pumpkin' to put in the market!!!! i ordered box of sugar will turn out delivery a box o sugar with halloween theme on it. so it is up to us to draw a line on it.... indeed, on this page you are posting this article, on the side column advertisement is link to halloween candy and decorations... that why it is so important to teach ourself and our kids not to follow the current, the tre