Halloween (Traditional health view)

I observed one trait from my Nigerian folks and it could be common among all people and that is the trait of being judgemental. 

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck

Many of my Nigerian friends believe the Halloween celebration is demonic maybe because it looks scary, the activities and costumes look devilish but it is worthy of note that Halloween is actually a Christian holiday. It originated from Christianity and it’s a day to celebrate the eve of all saint day. The day to remember Christian’s (Saints) who have slept in the Lord. It is usually celebrated with a vigil and people abstain from eating animal product and become vegetarian. 

TCM Nigeria would like to talk about the mental health aspect of this celebration and also the consumption of vegetables. The Halloween holiday is always celebrated on the 31st of October which is the eve of All saint day celebrated on the 1st of November and All Souls’ Day on the second (2nd) of November. It is celebrated with a church service where fasting, prayers and vigils are observed. Non-Christian also celebrates it with a party generally called Halloween party. Now let’s look at most of the Christian practices that has been hijacked by non Christian’s and even demonised.

• The concept of Altar: According to Bible scholars, the word “Altar” was used 374 times in the King James Version of the Bible and in the first tabernacle built by king Solomon and also at mount Sanai where Moses got the 10 commandments, we hear of two altar’s dedicated to God which are Altar of burnt offerings and Altar of incense. Later in the Bible we saw altar of Baal which is kinda demonic.
• The Concept of Signs and Wonders: This is very glaring in the book of Exodus, when God told Moses to tell Pharoah to let his people (the children of Israel) go, he commanded him to drop the rod in his hands and it would become a snake, immediately he did that, to the shock of most readers, Pharoah commanded his magicians to do the same and they all produced a serpent. But we saw that the rod of Moses swallowed the serpent of the magicians. This perfectly proves my point that demons also have the capacity of corrupting what God have the capacity to do, that is why they are addressed as Sons of God in Gensis 6:2. God is not powerful, he is Power himself.

So is it with Halloween, we have it in history that pagan worship have hijacked the celebration with their Celtic harvest festival. Now we can see that what is expected to glorify God can be hijacked by the devil, so in everything we do as Christian even when it comes to Science, we have to do whatever it takes to glorify God rather than glorifying the devil or self which devil can easily take the credit. Most of our African traditional practice also do festivals that have pagan roots which portrays masquerades which is a symbol of what most African believers depict as there ancestors that they pray to, the concept of Halloween has a form of purgatory which could be a form of Necromancy and that is very demonic and it is condemn in the Bible so I could understand with my fellow Nigerians who see it (the celebration) as demonic; especially with the costumes and images of the pumpkin and skeletons that is been portrayed in the celebration. Most of  the items that are usually consumed are branded with the theme of Halloween and most of my people are scared of using them because of the branding so they don’t worship satan by mistake. This could affect some people’s mental health which we have tried to explained in our blogpost http://tcmnigeria.blogspot.com/2022/04/asuu-strike-and-mental-health.html?m=1 that mental health is different from mental illness.

According to WHO, "Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community

If this topic is not address by our blog, it could affect how our people especially in the western world, it can affect there ability to contribute to the community especially today that it’s Halloween 31st October, 2023 which is a mental health condition and we have an obligation to enlighten them on the activities of the Celebrations so they don’t act in error.

Why people abstain from eating meat on that day, we shall still produce a post on the benefit of eating vegetables but just to clear the air that what is being consumed during Halloween people abstain from eating meat and eat Apples, Potato pancakes and Soul cakes. I want to believe maybe the rumour of not eating meat would be to honour the Martyrs and saint who died and not eating meat could be a way to honour them. 

TCM Nigeria is an alternative health blog that is cantered on preventive mainly rather than curative therapies of attacking alimentary and good education can help in preventing it. So I would close by saying take care of yourself and each other.