[Potemkin]

From Paul's letters it is not at all clear whether Peter and Cephas are two people or two names for the same person. The combining of characters for theological /ideological / political purposes is very common in religious writing.

'Cephas' is Aramaic for 'Rock', and 'Peter' is Latin for 'Rock'. It's very likely that they were the same person (who probably called himself 'Cephas', being a native speaker of Aramaic).

[Deutschmania]

The Holy Orthodox Church takes a firm stand in counteracting any pagan event. Christ taught us that God is the Judge in all our actions and beliefs and that we are either obeying the Will of God or not: “When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do” (Deuteronomy 18:9-14).

Why Halloween contradicts the teachings of the Church? “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” (1 Samuel 15:23)

The pagan observance of Halloween began in pre-Christian times among the Celtic peoples of Great Britain, Ireland and northern France. These pagans believed that life was born from death. They celebrated the beginning of the "new year" in the fall (on the eve of October 31 and into the day of November 1) when the season of cold, darkness, decay and death began. A certain deity whom they called Samhain was believed by the Celts to be the prince of death, and it was he whom they honored at their “new year's festival”.

The Holy Orthodox Church is the Body of Christ. The seed of the Church is the blood of the Martyrs. By giving up their lives, the followers of Christ refused to partake in any form of idolatry. This anti-Christian and anti-Orthodox macabre performance undermines all reverence for the Holy Church and for the Holy Things. It mocks the Holy Relics and ridicules the Church Mysteries. By doing what is “fun” or feels good” in the moment, the Orthodox believers are fooling themselves thinking that there are no consequences for such idolatrous actions.“And cease having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).

In response http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bXWlSkFDaVYbXWlSkFDaVY