Written By Bella Young
Should Christians celebrate Halloween? A fair question to ask, but first you must ask yourself four other questions: 1) What is Halloween? 2) What does celebrating Halloween mean? 3) What does the Bible say about Halloween? 4) What should you do?
To tackle the first question, let’s research.
What is Halloween? Halloween is a holiday celebrated every year on October 31st.
What were its origins? “Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts...celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth” (History). Not only did they believe that ghosts returned from the dead, some made sacrifices to Samhain, lord of death and evil spirits (True Discipleship).
What happens on Halloween? Most kids and teenagers dress up in costumes (from Disney princesses to devils) and trick or treat, go to parties, carve pumpkins, and watch horror movies. Some extreme people celebrate old traditions such as sacrifices.
Who celebrates it? Kids to grown adults celebrate Halloween.
To answer the second question, you must look at what celebrating Halloween means to you. Are you celebrating or simply participating? Some say they are the same, but evaluate yourself and your own intentions. Some people like dressing up for Halloween but with boundaries. Others use Halloween to get together. Some stay in and watch horror movies. Some try to spread the Gospel on Halloween. Some stay away from the 31st completely. These are some examples of what celebrating Halloween means, but what does it mean to you? Check your motivations and find out.
The third question of what the Bible says about Halloween is the most important. Does it matter what Halloween means to you if the Bible disagrees? Let’s dive into God’s word.
1 Corinthians 10:21 "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons."
Ephesians 5:11 "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."
Ephesians 4:27 "And give no opportunity to the devil."
1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
1 Thessalonians 5:32 "Abstain from every form of evil."
What do these verses mean and how do they relate to Halloween?
All of these verses have a central idea: God warns us to stay away from evil. Due to Halloween having origins rooted in evil and being filled with evil traditions (dressing up as a devil, horror movies, haunted houses, etc.), I believe that the Bible is telling Christians to stay away from the evils of Halloween. Is Halloween all bad? No, but is it worth it to participate in a mostly evil holiday? In Ephesians 4:27, we are told to not give the devil a foothold. I believe Halloween is a foothold.
One final question: What should you do? Praying to God about what you should do on Halloween and researching more is always a good starting point. Also, whether you celebrate Halloween or not, we should not judge other people who may or may not agree with us. Everyone’s heart and motivations should be between them and God. We can and should spread awareness, but we must radiate God’s love by loving each other.
A&E Television Networks. (2021, October 25). Halloween 2021. History.com. Retrieved October
26, 2021, from https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween.
“The Dark Side of Halloween .” True Discipleship,
truediscipleship.com/the-dark-side-of-halloween/.