Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
Most people think of Halloween today as simply a day when children dress up in costumes and go from home to home to “trick or treat” and collect enough candy to make any parent cringe.
In the United States’ Halloween is the second most popular holiday (after Christmas) for decorating and reaps a huge financial bounty of retail selling of frightening costumes to children and adults alike, decorations and candy. Americans spend $21 million on Halloween candies yearly second only to Christmas in total sales. Halloween is the Number 1 season for selling humorous greeting cards. In North America, some 25 million cards are sold annually. (Peter Smith, “By the Numbers,” The Toronto Star, 2002-OCT-27.) Halloween is the third-largest party occasion next to Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Halloween remains a popular day in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Children get to dress up in their favorite costumes and ring doorbells throughout their neighborhood to collect as much candy as possible.
Halloween was much more significant in ancient times, however.
While the holiday celebrated today is wrapped in scary costumes and decorations, in antiquity, the pagan traditions of Halloween were quite different and of enormous significance throughout Scotland, Ireland and Britain. October 31st was a very important day to the ancient Celts of Ireland, Scotland and Great Britain. No kidding around in costumes and trick or treat bags; Halloween was much more serious to the non-Christian Cults a thousand years ago. The history of Halloween encompassed ancient beliefs about the world – both living and dead.
Understanding the history of Halloween can perhaps help you decide what to let your children take part in, and what to keep your children away from. Also, knowing the origin of Halloween and its history can also help Christians view the adult, youth, and child activities associated with Halloween celebrations in the light of Christ’s truth. There are no passages in Scripture that address the Halloween practices directly as the holiday didn’t even exist in the early church. Solomon reminds us though, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9), and the practices celebrated today do seem to have parallels to practices condemned in the old and new testaments of the Bible.
When America and the world celebrates the Festival of Samhain and the powers of darkness by masquerading as evil creatures or decorating our homes, schools, businesses and churches with occult symbols, evil power is glorified.
The sort of practices celebrated on Halloween are what defiled the ancient nations. The Israelite’s were warned against such practices when they entered the Promised Land, “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.” [Deuteronomy 18:9]
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. [Deuteronomy 18:10-14]
As believers, we are called to “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. [1 Thesalonians 5:21-22] Who can deny that virtually all of the symbols of Halloween are evil? Witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, devils and demons all portray evil. Christians are to “… have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” [Ephesians 5:11]
While some might say that Halloween is now only a fun children’s holiday, it should be noted how much the modern day American practices and modern day witchcraft (Wicca) have in common with the ancient beliefs of the Celtic people.
The apostle Paul said witchcraft is one of the acts of the sinful nature and those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:16-21; see also Revelation 22:15).
Is Halloween just another innocent holiday that doesn’t harm anyone? Is it really just childish fun?
Considering that Satan is the father of lies, it can be understood how many are confused and deceived about this holiday. Like Christmas and Easter, both Christian celebrations, the true origins of Halloween, a non-Christian celebration, are eons old and some of the true meanings of the traditions of these celebrations have been distorted over time. Many of the practices and beliefs surrounding the pagan Halloween are also found in the New Age movement that has swept across our society.
While some people consider celebrating Halloween to be a sin, others simply feel that Halloween quite simply shouldn’t be a holiday at all! A few Southern states have been known to ban trick-or-treating on Halloween, especially when it happens to fall on a Sunday. Halloween parties are renamed “fall festivals” and children replaced scary costumes with costumes of Bible figures, historical figures, or no costume at all. Personally, I choose to not celebrate or acknowledge the pagan holiday at all.
When Christians participate in Halloween, it sends a message to children that witchcraft, demonism, Satanism, and the occult are something fun, entertaining and harmless.
Recognizing this pagan holiday gives the false impression that what is actually lethal is innocuous. Some children develop a fascination with the supernatural which leads them later into more sinister occult practices. It’s the spiritual equivalent of painting a loaded gun to look like a toy and giving it to child to play with.
It is the kind of celebration that encourages school violence like the 16-year-old in Pearl, Mississippi who stabbed his mother to death in her sleep and then opened fire at his high school, killing two students and wounding seven. Authorities found this student along with at least six others involved in a small, avowedly satanic clique that calls itself “Kroth.”
Is it any wonder as evil prevails and Americans embrace an evil day of Satan, with the pranks of ‘would be’ hoodlums, combined with ‘demon faces’ on pumpkins, clothing of ‘death’ being worn, and calling it fun, there is an increase of violence in our society and fascination with death?
Many years ago, C.S. Lewis wrote that one of Satan’s most deceptive tactics is to convince people that he doesn’t exist. Apparently he has done a good job in his deception. Sadly, many people think of the devil as no more than a symbol of evil: like Santa Claus, he is just a fictional symbol. Many people today also do not think of witches as real people who practice magic, but simply as imaginary figures who represent the supernatural world and everything that is ‘spooky.’
It is reported there are some 6,000 witches, and approximately 10 million people are involved in the occult. However, it is very difficult to establish how many actually participate. These individuals are involved in a wide variety of activities from simply casting spells to human sacrifice.
Apart from the religious controversy surrounding Halloween, many families have also been struggling with even normally well-behaved children who are driven by unseen forces to destructive behavior. Vandalism and wanton disregard for the property of others is common on Halloween night. Police officials everywhere report a great increase in such activities on Halloween. Worse yet are the horrifying accounts of poisoned candy and fruits booby-trapped with razor blades and needles. Such threats are so real that many hospitals offer free X-rays of Halloween treats in order to prevent children from being harmed. Who but Satan could inspire such monstrous actions on this so-called harmless children’s holiday?
Do you know the truth behind the dressing up and trick-or-treating that are important parts of this holiday? If not, you need to read this book with your child. This book will help your child have a Christian perspective on Halloween, making it clear why you don’t celebrate the holiday. It reveals, in story form, the truth behind the activities that have become such an accepted part of Halloween traditions.
As an alternative to the celebration of evil and death, I suggest Christians should rather do what Christians are supposed to do every day and that is shine the light of Jesus Christ rather than participate in darkness and evil. We should emphasize the Christian influences and strive to make Hallow’s Eve a celebration of the acts of God through his people the saints. We should make it a day when acts of charity instead of vandalism and hatred abound. A day when people meditate on the acts of Godly people instead of ghosts and goblins.
What’s wrong with Halloween?
It does not have even one single redeeming virtue.
It is custom born out of pagan superstition. It is a demon-inspired, devil-glorifying, occult festival. It is an evening holy unto evil, death, and divination.
The Scriptures tells us to “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” [1Thess. 5:22]
Wake up Christian! This is the night of evil and those who love the Lord Jesus Christ should have nothing to do with it.
We are all accountable for our choices and decisions. Ignorance is no excuse. The choice is up to you. Have you been involved in this satanic holiday? Do you struggle with giving it up because “it’s just fun” and an innocent opportunity for children to dress up and collect candy? Don’t take my word for it. Let God show you what he would have you do. You might begin by praying the following:
Father in heaven I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ to confess that I’m a sinner. I’m sorry! Please forgive me. I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is Your Son and that You raised him from the dead. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that I might be saved. Each and everyday Father I turn my will and my life over to Your care, and may Your Holy Spirit lead and guide me in all the things I think , do and say. I’m Yours and You are mine. Father, please use me that I might help others come to know and love Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for saving me. Amen