The witch PEZ dispenser is a Halloween-themed collectible candy dispenser. PEZ, short for Pfefferminz, is a popular Austrian brand known for its iconic candy and unique dispensers. The Witch PEZ dispenser features a spooky witch character with a pointed hat, green face, and a sinister grin. The witch dispenser is made of hard plastic and stands at around 4 inches tall. It has a hinged head that opens up to reveal a small slot where the candies are stored. To dispense the candy, you push a button located at the back of the dispenser, and a single candy pops out from the witch's mouth.
Pagan holidays in bible
Christmas is one of the biggest religious festivals in the world. It may surprise some that Christ Himself did not celebrate it. Neither did the original apostles.
A recent Signpost showed that Jesus Christ was not born on December 25, and that the origins of the holiday trace back to paganism. Even familiar Christmas traditions such as the Christmas tree and Santa Claus have pagan origins.
“Yes, but I celebrate Christmas to worship Christ,” many will say. They argue that one’s intent is the important thing. Is this a valid argument? Is it OK for Christians to celebrate Christmas? What does the Bible say?
The Bible does give specific instructions about avoiding the pagan symbol known today as the Christmas tree. In looking at this specific instruction from the book of Jeremiah, we also see God’s perspective on pagan practices in general.
Note what God recorded by the hand of this prophet: “Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel” (Jeremiah 10:1). God wants us to pay close attention to this. He demands that we hear His perspective on this custom.
“Thus saith the Lord , Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go” (verses 2-5).
God minces no words here. He condemns these heathen customs, these “doctrines of vanities” (verse 8).
In many other scriptures, God forbids learning and copying the practices of pagans (e.g. Leviticus 18:2-4; 20:22-24). Clearly, He does not want people keeping pagan festivals and traditions, even if they put Christ’s name on them.
As we look around during the Christmas season, we are witnessing modern versions of observances established centuries before the birth of Christ. Christianity absorbed those customs in spite of scriptural instruction to avoid them.
As extreme as this may seem, the truth is that every one of the pagan customs that now pollutes mainstream Christianity began out of deliberate rebellion against the Creator God, the same Being who came to Earth to educate us with the truth and save us out of our deception and our sin.
Throughout the Bible, God plainly reveals that He will not accept vain worship, even if it is intended to be in His honor!
Can you observe pagan customs to honor Jesus Christ? Here is God’s frank answer: “Take heed that you be not ensnared to follow them [the pagans and their customs], … and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do likewise.’ You shall not do so to the Lord your God; for every abominable thing which the Lord hates they have done for their gods …” (Deuteronomy 12:30-31; Revised Standard Version).
Notice that God not only commands against serving other gods, but also against attempting to honor the true God by following the same customs of worship as the people in the world. Jesus Himself said, “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men …” (Mark 7:7-8). God does not want people to make up their own ways to worship Him!
Jesus said in John 4:24 that true worshipers of God obey Him in spirit and in truth—which means according to the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17).
Many know Christmas is pagan but insist on continuing to celebrate it. Some will answer that it means so much to the children and that it brings families together. Does it really? Have lies, deceit and paganism ever accomplished such things? Others will say, But I don’t worship the Christmas tree. It is not an idol to me. But God never says that idols are only carved images toward which ignorant religious savages pray. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey …” (Romans 6:16).
If you see how God condemns Christmas yet continue keeping it, then the object of your devotion is Christmas—not God. For many people, Christmas is such an idol.
The observation of pagan holidays like Christmas obscures something more wonderful: God’s holy days.
God’s holy days, which can be found in Leviticus 23, are pure, free from paganism, idolatry, materialism, falsehood and compromise. And far more than that, they contain spectacular truth that Christmas and other pagan holidays do not. God’s holy days map out His divine plan for mankind. They show how God will redeem the vast majority of mankind, living and dead, Christian and pagan; how He will bring them to repentance of their sins, grant them forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and lead them to true, pure religion, an exciting and eternal future. Now that is something worth celebrating!
Are Christmas and Easter Pagan Holidays?
I wonder what percentage of the Internet is actually good and helpful and true.
This thought occurs to me each time I encounter the common criticism that Christmas and Easter have pagan origins. Such claims are plastered online and used in a philosophical sleight of hand to conclude that Christianity is rooted in paganism and thus nothing more than myth…or at least that Christians should have nothing to do with the holidays.
We discussed general parallels between Christianity and paganism in a previous blog, and found that the so-called similarities are often extremely shallow and, where they run deeper, it is an intentional usage by the authors of Scripture to demonstrate that the God of Scripture surpasses the so-called “gods” of the nations.
But what of these holidays? Are Christmas and Easter rooted in paganism? If so, would that actually imply that Christianity is mere fable or that Christians should not celebrate them?
To dispense the candy, you push a button located at the back of the dispenser, and a single candy pops out from the witch's mouth. PEZ dispensers are not only popular among candy enthusiasts but also among collectors. There is a wide variety of PEZ dispensers available, ranging from classic characters like Mickey Mouse and Batman to limited-edition Halloween-themed dispensers like the witch.
The Birth of Christmas
Wishing Christ a happy birthday was not always seen as the reason for the season. In fact, some in the early church opposed the celebration of Christ’s incarnation on the grounds that recognition of the birth of a deity was a pagan practice.
However, not all fathers agreed. As for why, we shall return to that in a bit. For now, suffice it to say the holiday entered into Church tradition as Christ’s Mass, a worship service dedicated to observe His birth. By the fourth-century emergence of Christianity as the imperial religion, the Church officially celebrated Christmas.
But what of the pagan roots? Everything from the date of Christmas to the particular practices of gift giving to decorated trees has been questioned.
It is the dating of the holiday that has received the most criticism and it is often taken as a historical fact that Christianity simply stole the date from pagan holidays. However, there are various theories as to why Christmas was associated with December 25, and none is thoroughly conclusive. Anyone who claims to know why Christmas was originally celebrated on this date is speculating. Below are a few common theories:
The Roman Empire was rampant with polytheism. Within this amorphous blend of religion were pagan celebrations sometimes posited as influencing the Christian decision to commemorate December 25. These celebrations included the birth of the sun (natali solis invicti), the birth of Mithras (the “sun of righteousness,” a popular Roman god) and Saturnalia (a popular Roman holiday).
Even if Christianity originally chose this date to coincide with pagan festivals, which remains unproven, this is no skeleton in the closet for the Church. There are good and biblical reasons why it might have been done as we will consider shortly.
If pagans can celebrate the birth of the sun, can’t Christians celebrate the birth of the One Who created and sustains the sun? If pagan gods were celebrated, how much more the true God?
Critics love to manufacture Constantinian conspiracy theories. If these skeptics are to be believed, not only did Constantine choose December 25 to unite the various religions occupying his empire, but he also created the Bible and invented the Trinity. Though this makes for great historical fiction, such a picture of Constantine does not fit the historical evidence.
Far from the caricature often painted by skeptics, the Emperor had little authority over Church beliefs and practices. When Trinitarian controversy threatened his empire, Constantine did not personally decide the matter; he called an ecumenical council and charged the bishops to preside over Nicaea. His chief concern was not theological precision but rather imperial harmony.
While it is possible that Constantine took initiative in setting the date of the holiday, such a theory is completely speculative. Plus, even if he did, it would not further the claim that Christianity is mere myth.
Although many today conclude that Christ was actually born in the spring, many of our forefathers believed, whether mistakenly or not, that December 25 was the proper date or at least season for the incarnation. Historical evidence indicates that many early teachers believed it to be the correct date and sought to demonstrate that mathematically and biblically. Various equations were posited to prove that Christ was actually born on or around December 25. Whether they were correct or not, it is important to know that this was indeed a driving consideration for many early believers.
So, why did the Church actually choose December 25? We may never know all of the motivations, but it is likely that many did so for various reasons, none of which having to do with merely stealing from other traditions.
Collectors often seek out rare and special edition dispensers to add to their collections. The witch PEZ dispenser is a fun and nostalgic item that brings back memories of childhood and the excitement of Halloween. Its unique design and functional candy-dispensing feature make it an attractive collectible for both candy lovers and Halloween enthusiasts alike. Whether displayed on a shelf or used to enjoy the delicious PEZ candies, the witch dispenser is sure to put a spell on anyone who comes across it..
Reviews for "Witch Pez Dispensers: A Cultural Icon of All Hallow's Eve"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really excited to try the Witch Pez Dispenser, but I was ultimately disappointed. The design was cute and I liked the Halloween theme, but the dispenser didn't work properly. The candies kept getting stuck and it was frustrating to try and get a Pez out. I ended up having to shake the dispenser multiple times just to get one piece of candy. It was a hassle and took away from the overall enjoyment of using the Pez dispenser.
2. Mark - 1 star - The Witch Pez Dispenser was a complete letdown. Not only did it fail to dispense the candies properly, but the taste of the Pez itself was terrible. It had a strange chemical-like aftertaste that was very unpleasant. I couldn't even finish one piece of candy before throwing the whole dispenser away. I expected better quality from a well-known brand like Pez. I would not recommend the Witch Pez Dispenser to anyone.
3. Emily - 3 stars - Although the Witch Pez Dispenser had a cute design and the candies were tasty, I found the packaging to be difficult to open. The plastic wrapper was sealed too tightly, making it a struggle to unwrap the candies. Additionally, the dispenser always dispensed multiple pieces of candy at once, which was messy and wasteful. Overall, I think Pez needs to improve the packaging and dispenser functionality for a better user experience.
4. Jason - 2 stars - As someone who collects Pez dispensers, I was disappointed with the Witch Pez Dispenser. The design and details were lacking compared to other Pez dispensers I own. The paint job was sloppy and the colors didn't match well. It felt like a rushed production. Additionally, the dispenser mechanism was not smooth and often got stuck, making it difficult to dispense the candies. Overall, it felt like a low-quality product compared to other Pez dispensers in my collection.