Punto de vista cristiano sobre el dia de accion de gracias!!!

Es fácil enseñar sobre pavos, peregrinos y sobre los indios como parte de la historia del Día de Acción de Gracias, pero algunos maestros y padres cristianos se preguntan cómo enseñar a los niños sobre Dios como parte de esta historia también. El carácter religioso del Día de Acción de Gracias hace fácil enseñarlo desde una perspectiva cristiana. La religión fue lo que motivó a los Peregrinos, quienes vieron que sobrevivieron en el Nuevo Mundo de manera casi milagrosa. Usa el Día de Acción de Gracias como un punto inicial ideal para hablar sobre la gratitud hacia Dios.

 

 El primer Thanksgiving (Día de Acción de Gracias) reconocido a nivel nacional, fue un festín entre los colonos de Plymouth, Massachusetts y la tribu Wampanoag. Los días de acción de gracias se celebraron en colonias y estados individuales hasta 1863, cuando el presidente Abraham Lincoln declaró un día nacional para el Thanksgiving (Día de Acción de Gracias), para celebrar el Día de Acción de Gracias final en Noviembre. El presidente Franklin D. Roosevelt movió el día de fiesta una semana en 1939, para estimular las ventas al por menor durante la Gran Depresión.

 

Halloween from a Christian perspective!!!!

What is the History of Halloween: A Christian Perspective?

When we consider the history of Halloween (a Christian perspective), it may seem as if the modern holiday has gotten out of hand. After all, doesn’t Halloween glorify evil? Is it right to send our children out as devils and vampires? Should we emphasize the saints, whose nearly forgotten feast day is the reason for Halloween? Hallow is the same word for "holy" that we find in the Lord’s Prayer, and e’en is a contraction of "evening." The word Halloween itself is a shortened form of "All Hallows Eve," the day before All Saints Day. This holiday, properly understood and celebrated with all of its fun trappings, can be a way for us to deepen our understanding of faith.

Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic tribes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany. On October 31, the tribes would celebrate the festival of Samhain. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead -- including ghosts, goblins, and witches -- returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.

When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival, such as making centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. The Romans also bobbed for apples and drank cider -- traditions which may sound familiar to you. But where does the Christian aspect of the holiday come into play? In 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Halloweens  Even or “holy evening.” Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. On November 2, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates All Souls Day.

The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died, whether they are officially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as saints or not. It is a celebration of the “communion of saints,” which reminds us that the church is not bound by space or time.

History of Halloween (Christian Perspective) – The Customs
Many of the customs we now associate with Halloween are also derived from ancient celebrations.

For example, the current custom of going door-to-door to collect treats actually started in Ireland hundreds of years ago. Groups of farmers would go door-to-door collecting food and materials for a village feast and bonfire. Those who gave were promised prosperity; those who did not received threats of bad luck. When an influx of Irish Catholic immigrants came to the United States in the 1800s, the custom of trick-or-treating came with them.

Does your family carve a pumpkin to place on your porch for Halloween? If so, then you can once again thank the Irish for the tradition. Actually, the custom began with a turnip. People would hollow out the turnips and place lighted candles inside to scare off the evil spirits. When the Irish came to America, they discovered the pumpkin as a larger substitute for the turnip. And so, we now carve pumpkins instead of turnips for Halloween.

Although Halloween has become mostly a secular holiday, we need to remind our families of its Christian roots. Talk about ways that you can safely celebrate both the secular and Christian aspects of the holiday. One way might be through the costumes that your children choose






 

NFL Pick me!!!!