Halloween
Halloween is celebrated by millions of people as a fun time
for kids, putting on costumes, and going door-to-door to get candy. But it is also known
as a time of witches, ghouls, goblins, and ghosts. On one hand, some see
halloween as a harmless
time of fun and on the other, a ghastly and demonically inspired night to be avoided.
As Christians, there is a lot of debate on whether or not we
should participate in Halloween. Is it alright to go trick-or-treating? Can we dress our
kids up in costumes on that day? If we do any of this, are we celebrating an evil holiday?
Halloween's Origins
The word Halloween is derived from the term "All Hallows
Eve" which occurred on Oct. 31, the end of summer in Northwestern Europe. "All
Saints Day," or "All Hallows Day" was the next Day, Nov. 1st.
Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.
Apparently, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to
ancient Ireland and Scotland around the time of Christ. On Oct. 31st, the Celts
celebrated the end of summer. This was important because it was when animal herders would
move their animals into barns and pens and prepare to ride out the winter. This was also
the time of the crop harvests. This annual change of season and lifestyle was marked by a
festival called Samhain -- pronounced 'sow-ane' and means 'end of summer.' Sow rhythms
with cow.
There was much superstition associated with this time of change
including the belief in fairies, and that the spirits of the dead wandered around looking
for bodies to inhabit. Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they
dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and
frighten the spirits away. In addition, the new year began for the Celts on Nov. 1. So,
the day of Samhain was believed to be a day that was in neither the year past or the year
to come. Since it was in between, chaos ruled on that day. Often, people would pull
practical jokes on others as a result.
Later, around the 5th century, as the Catholic Church
developed and moved into the area, instead of adding a new day to celebrate, it took over
the Samhain celebration. Nov. 1st became "All Hallows Eve" where all
the saints of the Catholic church were honored. A later custom developed where people
would go door-to-door on Nov. 2, requesting small cakes in exchange for the promise of
saying prayers for some of the dead relatives of each house. This arose out of the
religious belief that the dead were in a state of limbo before they went to heaven or hell
and that the prayers of the living could influence the outcome. This may have been the
precursor to Trick-or Treat.
The Jack-0-Lantern apparently comes from Irish folklore about a
man named Jack who tricked the devil into climbing a tree. Once the devil was in the tree,
Jack carved a cross on the trunk, preventing the devil from coming down. The devil then
made a deal with Jack to not allow Jack into hell after Jack died if only Jack would
remove the cross from the tree. After Jack died, he couldn't go to hell, and he couldn't
go to heaven. He was forced to wander around the earth with a single candle to light his
way. The candle was placed in a turnip to keep it burning longer. When the Irish came to
America in the 1800's, they adopted the pumpkin instead of the turnip. Along with these
traditions, they brought the idea that the black cat was considered by some to be
reincarnated spirits who had prophetic abilities.
So, it appears that the origins of Halloween are a mixture of old
Celtic pagan rituals superstition and early Catholic traditions.
What does the Bible say about Halloween?
What does the Bible say about Halloween? Nothing. But it does
speak concerning witches, the occult, and paganism.
Exodus 22:18, You shall not let a witch live.
Deut. 18:10-12, "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, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or
who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable
to the LORD…"
The Bible definitely speaks negatively about occultic
practices, spirits, and witches and condemns not only the practice but also the people who
are involved in it. As Christians, we are to have nothing to do with the occult. Tarot
Cards, contacting the dead, séances, lucky charms, etc., are all unbiblical and can harm a
Christian's fellowship with God and open the Christian to demonic oppression. Most
Christians know this and avoid these activities. But, the question still remains. Since
there are ancient pagan connections and present occultic connections, what is the
Christian to do?
Can the Christian celebrate Halloween?
The answer is simple: Yes and No. Let’s look at the
negative first.
The Christian is not to be involved with or support the occult,
witchcraft, demonism, or any other thing that uplifts the occult. To do so is to
contradict God’s word, dabble in demonic spirits, and invite judgment from God. If a
Halloween celebration is centered on demons, devils, spirits, etc., I would say don't have
anything to do with it.
On the other hand, it isn't wrong to dress up in a costume and go
door-to-door saying 'Trick or Treat." Provided that the costume isn't demonic, I
can't see anything wrong with this. It's just fun for the kids.
Take a look at the Christmas tree. It was originally an
ancient fertility symbol. Yet, it has become a representation of Christmas and the place
where gifts are placed. Are the Christians, then, paying homage to an ancient pagan
fertility god? No. Not at all. They do not consider it pagan at all and are simply joining
in on a cultural event and giving no honor to anything unbiblical.
In the Bible in 1 Cor. 10:23-33, Paul speaks about meat
sacrificed to idols. This meat was often sold in the meat market and the question arose,
"Should a Christian each such meat?"
Paul said in verse 25, "Eat anything that is sold in the
meat market, without asking questions for conscience' sake." This is most
interesting. He says it is okay to eat the meat bought in the market place even though
that meat may have been sacrificed to idols.
Then in verses 28-29 he says, "But if anyone should say to
you, 'This is meat sacrificed to idols,' do not eat it, for the sake of the one who
informed you, and for conscience' sake; 29 I mean not your own conscience, but
the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?"
(NASB). Paul
is saying that if you find out the meat was sacrificed to idols, don't eat it -- not
because of you, but because of the other person. In other words, eating that meat won't
affect you. But, it may affect the attitude of another who does not understand the freedom
the Christian has in Christ.
Is it any different with Halloween (or Christmas)? No. Even
though Halloween has pagan origins, because of your freedom in Christ, you and/or you kids
can dress up in costumes and go door-to-door and just have fun. However, if you are not
comfortable with doing this, then you should not. If you know of a person who would be
stumbled by doing it, then you shouldn't either.
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Matthew J. Slick, 2002
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