”Halloween celebration fetish, does not depict act of worshiping God”

 Some residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on last Thursday expressed divergent opinions toward the celebration of Halloween in the country.

Halloween is a celebration time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs, and all the faithful departed.

Its activities include trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, decorating, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lantern, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing.

Others are: playing divination games, pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories and watching horror films.

Halloween

Some of the residents, who spoke in Abuja, said it would be improper for some Nigerians to engage in the celebration of Halloween just as they Europeans do.

Mr Jerry Adesewo, National Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Abuja Chapter, said there is nothing wrong in celebrating Halloween as a festival, but it should be done with relevance to the nation’s cultural heritage.

“Every geographical location has their way of life, so I would rather say that instead of doing it in the Western way, we can do it in African way.

“If the world celebrates it, I do not see any reason why Nigeria should not be involved in it, rather we remember our artifacts, dance, dressing and other cultural heritage.

“If Halloween must be celebrated in Nigeria, then just like other borrowed carnival that is being celebrated, it should be done in our own cultural way and manner.

“It will not have cultural relevance to us if it is being celebrated the Western way,“ Adesewo said.

Adesewo, who described Halloween as a festival of colours and light, added that Africans should see and use Halloween celebration as a medium of adding value to our culture and creating cultural awareness.

However, Mr Ferdinand Sule, a pastor of King Jesus City Ministry, Karimo, described it as fetish, adding that Halloween does not depict the act of worshiping God.

“The world today is full of ups and downs. Celebration of this is absolutely a sign of evil and has bad impact on our society and the Christendom.

“Christians should not be involved in such activities.

“The Bible did not say we should do such nor we should celebrate anyone apart from Jesus Christ,“ Sule said.

Halloween is observed in a number of countries including Ireland, Britain and U.S on October 31, November 1 and 2 (NAN)