Halloween is a controversial holiday in the Christian church, here are some questions that followers of Christ should ask at Halloween.
11 years ago, in Rome, Italy, we had a dress up party on Halloween weekend. We invited 100 of our closest friends and strangers with one rule: no costume, no entry.
Among the hostesses included a boxer, pirate, Anna Kournikova, and a cat. You know, your average costume.
The first 5 guests arrived and we laughed at the coincidence.
The next 10 came and we wondered what we were missing.
The next 20 convinced us of a truth we could no longer deny.
In Italy, “dressing up” for Halloween meant you were a witch, a goblin, or ghost. The party was an endless parade of scary people with face paint. Imagine their surprise being greeted at our door by Anna Kournikova.
What's in this post...
People are bent out of shape about Halloween
The topic of Halloween is a divisive one.
There are some who say not to stay home in fear, that the day can be celebrated and redeemed. I’d wager nearly all Christians who participate in Halloween do so without evil intent, spirit worship, or sorcery.
On the other hand, there are those who say Halloween is evil at its roots and should be completely avoided. They reference Scripture on avoiding evil, sorcery, and witchcraft and wonder why you’d want to go anywhere near it.
How can a Christian celebrate such darkness?
This is a question many people ask.
“Can I celebrate Halloween?”
And the answer is, you can.
You can do whatever you want as a free person and Christian who makes your own choices based on your own convictions.
➡️ But I honestly don’t think that is the right question.
Christians need a better perspective
The truth of the matter is many families dress up their children, go get yummy candy, come home and go to bed. End of story.
No worship.
No sorcery.
Nothing evil.
This is their experience, and the experience they’ve had for the past 30 years, and that’s that. Anyone else must be wearing long skirts with long braids and going on about exorcism. Satan is relegated to a nuisance who causes some marital spats and tempts you to miss your quiet time.
And yet, throughout the world, Halloween (and the days before it and shortly after it) are universally recognized as days to worship the dead, offer sacrifices, conjure spirits (Ouija board), and place curses on others.
This is not fantasy or a movie.
I’m not dramatic or weird.
If you don’t believe me then it is you, not I, that is deceived.
I lived in an affluent English county for two years. This area had active covens (groups of witches) who would “celebrate” Halloween by cutting heads off animals and leaving them on the property of believers. It was not a surprise to anyone.
Especially not to Christians.
That said…
Participate, maybe, but must we redeem?
As Christians we hate to give the devil any credit. In fact, may people suggest celebrating Halloween just to mock the devil. I think this is unwise and more importantly unbiblical.
Jesus did not mock the devil, so I’m not sure who is leading this charge. If you’ve been exposed (whether in America or abroad) to the effects of witchcraft and the occult, you would not be laughing.
Period.
I’ve long noticed a strange habits Christians have, myself included at times.
It crops up when we’d like to do something, but aren’t sure if it’s “okay” as a Christian. Or when we find a grey area in the Scripture.
Instead of just living in the grey and making our own choices, we try to redeem That Thing. We try to take it back for our own.
We try to “redeem it” so we still feel sanctified.
- Hosting yoga classes inside the church does not redeem yoga. Even non Christians know yoga is spiritual, let’s not pretend it isn’t. Just do the stretches if that’s your goal, but hosting yoga classes in a church building won’t “redeem” it.
- Having a Harry Potter Bible Study does not redeem the occult. If you want to read the books for entertainment value then just do it. You might learn about God from any source, but that doesn’t “redeem” the occult.
- Hosting a haunted house in your church doesn’t redeem Halloween. If you want to dress up and eat candy, then do it. Don’t try to “redeem” it by bringing it into the church.
Jesus came to redeem people.
Not books, bars, holidays or the occult.
It’s a mark of maturity to be okay with your decisions without having to make them into something they are not.
We can make our own decisions, but we can’t bury our heads in the sand
It is too late, wise friend, to say that Halloween shenanigans are only superstitions.
All over this country and the world evil things take place on Halloween night.
Does this mean don’t take your kids down the street to get candy? That’s not what I said. Each family makes their own choices.
But as we make our choices, we cannot do so with our heads in the sand.
Evil things that regularly happen on Halloween:
- blood rituals
- animal torture and sacrifice
- ritual sexual abuse on children and adolescents
- conjuring spirits
- Satan worship
- divination
- fertility rituals
I am not crazy, I am not exaggerating, I’m not making it up.
If you don’t believe me or the many reputable sources who say the same, well, I just don’t know what to tell you. Click away, click away, click away, click away.
That said, there are a whole lot of non-evil things happening on Halloween night as well.
Non evil things that regularly happen on Halloween:
- kids dress up in fun costumes
- pumpkins are carved
- families spend time together
- people pray for the lost
- hayrides are taken
- candy is eaten
- Reformation Day is celebrated
- saints are honored (All Saint’s Day)
- communities and neighbors come together
- Bibles are handed out to trick-or-treaters (my church does this)
The real question you must ask yourself as a Christian
Let’s agree to stop asking if Christians can celebrate Halloween. Or to stop trying to take back Halloween as though it was ours in the first place.
But instead to make grown up decisions we can all stand by. This may look different for each family, and that’s okay.
The question is not whether the occult is overactive on Halloween.
Because it is.
The question is not whether eating candy or dressing up is evil.
Because it isn’t.
The question is this…
“Do I feel okay taking part in the harmless, innocent, and fun aspects of Halloween, knowing its evil associations?”
If you can answer that question yes, then enjoy yourselves.
If you can’t, don’t.
No redemption necessary.
(My point is that we often try to make grey things black or white just so we don’t have to live in the grey. Things that are not as blatantly black and white (like whether dressing up is okay) must be decided individually but with wisdom. )
FAQs on Christians and Halloween
No. The Bible was written many centuries before the established “Halloween” holiday became popular. The Bible does talk about which activities and practices we should avoid relating to the occult – which has ties to Halloween – but not specifically.
This is a matter of conscience. Some things are very explicitly forbidden in the Bible. Halloween seems to fall into a gray area as may people “celebrate” Halloween by simply dressing up and eating candy. Are people within the occult on overdrive during Halloween? Yes. Does that mean if you dress up you are sinning? Well, that’s the million dollar question.
This is a hot topic and a big issue within some churches. Many believe it’s absolutely not a Christian’s place (and in countries I’ve lived in outside the US it is not normal for Christians to do so). Within the US it’s quite common for churches to host Halloween events even though it does have a pagan origin and, in fact, many occult practices happen on the night of Halloween.
God redeems people, not objects or things. He can redeem any person who repents and believes in Him, but the Bible doesn’t talk about redeeming things of the occult. He doesn’t redeem Ouija boards or seances or calling up the dead, etc. So if you want to dress up and get candy, is that really trying to “redeem” Halloween?
I agree with you about the importance of separating the innocent from the evil. Christian parents can create fun opportunities for kids while making clear what the difference is. As Christians we can have our own customs and create our own Halloween fun within safe, wholesome parameters.
In our family, we honored the roots of the name Halloween (“All Hallows Eve” = the eve of All Saints Day, November 1) by dressing as saints or other historical figures we admired. It was lots of fun to research the costumes and create them from dress-up clothes and borrowed jewelry, and it was a big deal–something we always looked forward to.
I’ve heard quite a few people celebrate the saints on this day too. I honestly didn’t even know it was also Reformation Day until a few years ago :)
May I suggest you take Reformation Day out of the list of non-evil things that happen at Halloween. Reformation changed history. It happened to happen on the same date but it has nothing to do with Halloween and it is certainly not an excuse to celebrate Halloween.
Carla, thanks for your input. I’ve seen people celebrate that on Halloween which is why I put it.
I appreciate this perspective and I think you make a lot of good points in the article. The issue is definitely a black-and-white one for me, though (rather than grey as you mentioned it is for many others). Matthew 7:18 says that, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” If any holiday is rooted in pagan and occultist practices, it’s a no-go for our family. (And while that stance, when applied to Halloween, won’t offend many Christians, it is a much touchier and more awkward subject when applied to Christmas and Easter, since they originated in pagan culture and were “Christianized” by the church in order to placate pagan cultures that the church was trying to convince to convert.) I’ve never agreed with the idea that you can take the good parts of something and leave the bad parts behind.
Melissa, thanks so much for sharing your opinion. I love when comments are rich. Since you mentioned it, do y’all celebrate Easter or Christmas? I have some Christian friend who celebrate neither. Easter because the 3 days doesn’t land on a Sunday (though I’m sure it’s more detailed than that) and Christmas as well. I’d love to hear your reasons!
Thanks for asking. We do neither because of 1) their pagan origins, and 2) the fact that neither is commanded (or mentioned) in the Bible. So to call them “Christian” holidays is, in my opinion, violating the Biblical instruction not to add to or take away from what is written in the Bible. I have never seen a place where Jesus told His followers to celebrate or commemorate either His death OR His resurrection. He DID, however, command us to commemorate, (or “proclaim”) his DEATH by keeping the Passover (1 Cor. 11). So my family keeps the Passover every year, along with the other annual holy days outlined in Leviticus 23 (which is part of “The Law”). Some Christians believe that we don’t have to keep these any more, but Christ Himself observed all of these and did not do away with them (“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” – Matthew 5:17).
I know that all the Christians out there who keep Easter and Christmas do so with good intentions, so I don’t mean to imply otherwise. We are all responsible for the truth that has been revealed to us so far. Christ wants followers who will worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), and while the “spirit” part is there for many well-meaning Christians, a study into the origins of these two holidays will reveal that the “truth” part is lacking. 119 Ministries has a teaching on this that sheds light on the origins of these holidays if you’re interested: http://119ministries.com/videoteachings.aspx?viewcontentpageguid=89fd5c89-7503-4f5c-a63e-46ce5d085679&parentnavigationid=28668 (That’s just the link to their short promo video, and then the link to the full-length teaching is on the page if you want to see more.) I haven’t watched this particular teaching, but everything else I’ve seen from them is spot-on and really well done, so I’ll endorse it, sight unseen. :)
Melissa thank you for thoughtfully and kindly explaining all your views and beliefs to add to the conversation!!!
It is easier for me to not comply with the tradition of Halloween I don’t call it a holiday but Christmas and Easter going to be a little bit harder as I know like you said they have pagan origins so I think God’s just taken some of us on her journey and that maybe one day I’ll be ready to give up or not glorify as much Christmas and Easter till then God bless
the issue with that is though- most christian holidays have pagan roots. i’m actually a pagan myself, being both a wiccan, and a witch. take christmas for example; in wicca it is called “Yule” we place pine on our altars, light candles, gather with family, eat lots of food and etc. I can see how one may think all paganism is evil, but that isn’t a fair remark to make. Some christians are good people and some are not, the same goes for pagans. Most pagans don’t actually do evil rituals anymore, although some do, most don’t. Wiccans especially don’t do evil rituals or animal sacrificing because it goes against our moral code of; “an ye harm none, do what ye wilt” basically meaning, as long as you’re not harming the earth, it’s animals, it’s people or etc, do what you will, but know karma will get you in the end. another point i’d like to make is that most satanists don’t even worship satan, he’s more of an image they look up to. most satanists are just atheists as they don’t believe in a god, goddess, satan, etc. i’d also like to point out that pagan and wiccan blood rituals aren’t evil. most wiccans simply prick their finger and use a couple drops of blood to make their magick stronger, no sacrificing is included. anyway- thanks for your time, blessed be everyone.
We do not celebrate Christmas or Easter, either; we do celebrate the Passover as well. I do believe we are not under the Law anymore since Jesus fulfilled it, but it’s extremely important to be obedient to God through Jesus, by walking with the Holy Spirit, reading the Word, and loving God and your neighbor as yourself. On another note, in response to the previous comment have heard the testimonies of several Satanists/others who used to be into “white witchcraft,” etc and they all admit they got their “powers” from somewhere.. The voices were coming from spirits in order to read tarrot..ect. Not trying to spend too much time on darkness, but just look into some of these powerful testimonies yourself. These ex-satanists, ex-witches, etc have surrendered all to Jesus Christ after revealing the Truth. We do indeed battle against spiritual forces in this human reality. It is possible to debunk every other religion. I have a powerful testimony myself. Do not be decieved by the liar, who is the actual source of this magik whether people realize it or not. Almighty God is the One who “hangs the Earth on nothing” (Job 26:7).
I love that you talked about it. Growing up in my dad’s house we never did anything on Halloween. I don’t think I really understood why until I was older. I think I’d you aren’t going to celebrate Halloween them you should make sure your kids understand clearly why you believe what you do. If not they will grow up thinking they are missing out on something. I have no problem with my daughter dressing up. And maybe that comes from me feeling like I missed something as a kid. I definitely will teach her what I believe and why I believe it instead of expecting her to just go along with it for no reason.
I agree, Diana. Particularly when kids are curious and asking questions, always better to give an explanation for why you do what you do. And I think we all struggle with the pendulum swing, wanting to do things we felt we didn’t get much of!
Awesome post! It is so important that we celebrate things that are good and of God, and to not accept things that are of darkness just because someone strung up some fairy lights! Some mums i’ve spoken to have mentioned that they celebrate Halloween because they love dressing up their kids in costumes. In Australia, at least in my hometown, Halloween was seen as an American holiday, so there weren’t trick-or-treaters. It just wasn’t a thing, really. But we had costume parties ALL. THE. TIME! No special occasion required. So the whole costume thing just isn’t a valid excuse for associating with such devilish things!
And they are devilish. My two year old hides her head in my neck when we enter, oh, practically any store at the moment, because there are skeletons and horrible faces confronting her as soon as we step inside! How is this a children’s holiday??
Yes, I’ve seen some super scary stuff lately. Advertisements for a Zombie run with men and knives sticking out of their heads and blood, etc. I mean I see how adults can think it’s entertaining, but it’s seriously disturbing.
Good points, Amy. You don’t have to keep Halloween to have lots of fun dressing up!
I just love how you have separated the good from the evil… When it comes to my kids, their costumes are limited to their favorite characters (Batman and Buzz Light year), without any witches or other spooky disguise… Also as a Christian mom, I have a concern: I agree occult rituals are emphasized on Halloween, but they are also with us all year through via different channels. My 5 year-old daughter and 3.5 year-old son know about Satan and Jesus, good and evil. However, what I am not sure is when I should bring in the witches and the other disturbing elements as they enormously enjoy reading “Winnie the Witch” series, they think Winnie is a funny person who travels on a broomstick with her cat, Wilbur… The last thing I want is disappoint them by unveiling the real darker side of Winnie… And if such books should be banned for containing anti-Christian material, then the entire Disney should be banned too (there isn’t a single movie that does not include fairies, wizardry, sorcery, etc.) Once again this is a hugely grey territory that is harder to tackle…
Christina, it is hard to tackle isn’t it? It’s clear what’s evil and what isn’t, but the working out of it all is certainly filled with grey areas!
Ugh! We struggle with the whole Disney thing all the time! I have a friend who pretty much boycotts all Disney movies except maybe Bambi and The Fox & the Hound! I loooove Disney, so while we forego some of the most blatantly witchcrafty ones, I find myself rationalizing it with really cute films like Frozen and Tangled. It is definitely my policy that, to the extent that I allow my children to be exposed to such things, we’ll have open conversations to discuss it, and we’ll look at scriptures condemning occult practices.
Melissa, that’s a great idea for any type of movie actually. To talk and discuss what is happening and what the Bible says. I know when we (adults, not kids) watched Brave I was like… no no no no no. Ha.
I think that what is missing here is the scripture that says “The whole world lies in the wicked one” Not part of it, but the WHOLE world! Satan has tainted EVERYTHING! We are in the world but not to be a part of it… And oh Disney is the worst, but before you think I’m being radical, know that Satan is not coming like a devil with a a pitchfork, but as an angel of light! And his aim is to start young, because young minds are so vulnerable… like sponges soaking up everything…. the enemy works through subliminal brainwashing. Oh it’s for the little ones I weep… please do not celebrate Halloween! You cannot take anything evil and give it a Christian coating and expect God to bless it… Satan is a mixer… he mixes truth with lies, because he knows he will not get his lies accepted if he came with brazen lies, so he comes with 90 percent truth and 10 percent lies, making his lies more acceptable… Please listen to this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_wUK1Jv79Y Disney exposed! 60 years of satanic mind control
Young minds are what satan is looking for. No witches should ever be accepted as a good thing. Witches are evil not good.. Though I would like to take the time to make sure people know there is something called momo I hope I spelled that correctly that comes on children’s videos telling them to kill themselves and even how to do it. So please be careful when allowing children to watch YouTube videos and such. It just pops up in videos for no reason. It’s not part of the video. This momo tells these children not to tell anyone or this momo will come after them it is targeting small children up to 5 but any child watching is vulnerable
I love how your posts always involve a deeper level of thinking. As someone who is not Christian and often feels alienated by Christian parenting blogs, I found this post (and your whole blog, in general) really illuminating and welcoming. It was interesting to read why people do and don’t celebrate in your words and the commenters’.
Gen, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful comment! It means a lot you took the time to say it.
Thanks for your comment Gen. As someone coming from a similar background to Rachel, I enjoy reading her blog. I still find myself challenged by our differences (in a thought provoking non-confrontational way), but have wondered how such posts feel to others. I’m so glad Rachel’s beliefs, though different than your own, feel welcoming rather than alienating. That is always my prayer when sharing my beliefs with others so it’s encouraging to here that it is possible.
Danielle, thanks for sharing so kindly and I hope we can all share our opinions without condescension towards others. I love that I rarely EVER get a snarky comment, but just people coming from their own perspectives!
Thank you posting this. I feel like the grey area is ” sitting on the fence”. I feel sitting on the fence is free game to enemy. This is a great question to ask my self.
Oh wow that is a GREAT perspective!
Interesting post. Halloween was not celebrated in Switzerland where I grew up. Some years ago the shops started to make a business out of it and slowly people did start to dress up and “celebrate” Halloween- I never understood it. Now I live in Israel where Halloween is also not really celebrated- although you can see some things connected to Halloween popping up. My kids sometimes ask questions and I try to give them answers, discuss the origins… usually because they saw something on TV. Your post gives me some more to discuss/ think about.
That was its goal so I’m glad it has worked :)
Thanks for this perspective. It’s nice to know we aren’t the only ones who struggle with these things.
You are not alone!
Hi Rachel, I’m from South Africa and we never celebrated Halloween. I was only introduced to it when my husband and i moved to South Korea. The Koreans LOVE anything from the US (although I know this isn’t just from there) and thus absolutely adore Halloween. Neither my husband and I feel the need to introduce it into our family and we made our decision the only way we could. We prayed about it. I know what might be right for some families will not work for others. In the end we need to ask the Holy Spirit, especially in those gray areas to show us what is right for us. Thanks for your post, it was really well written and in the end the question to ask is spot on.
Fully agree with this. Go with your conviction and take a stand that way! It’s the only thing we can do :)
Very informative. For me, it falls under: if it causes you to sin, don’t do it. If it prompts your brother to sin, don’t bring it to them (I’m lacking the exact quote, at the moment.) If Halloween makes you want to explore the occult, then you should probably stay away.
An example: I love reading fantasy novels. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, it’s great fun. I tried reading the Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I was really sucked into the world, which revolves much around the wiccan religion. I found myself thinking: If I wasn’t a Christian, I’d totally look into being a wiccan. I stopped reading it, because the thought was too tempting. I didn’t have those thoughts with Harry Potter. Would it be cool to be a wizard, sure! Do I actually think it’s a viable option? Don’t be ridiculous. (Hopefully this all made sense!)
It makes total sense and I agree. Sometimes with television series, etc. I find myself sucked in and realize it’s not healthy for me. others can detach at that but I can’t! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
I love your question! Thanks for being so aware and inviting us to do the same. While it has never been much of a conscious one for me, I ask myself similar questions with nearly every holiday I celebrate: Why am I celebrating it? How might others celebrate it and are we comfortable embracing a holiday that lends itself to their traditions? (Knowing WHY or WHAT we’re celebrating effects HOW we celebrate and in some cases leads to combating unworthy traditions or no longer observing a holiday.)
We choose to celebrate Christmas and Easter in religious and noncommercial ways. For us, Halloween is time to dress up in a limited range of costumes and have fun with our church friends, celebrating autumn (perhaps in ways similar to some Thanksgiving traditions). This year I hope to use the scriptures to teach about the Resurrection, etc. and use such doctrines to recognize evil around us so we can more effectively combat it.
Yes! Our church says that Halloween is the time they are most inundated with those who do not attend so they take advantage of THAT opportunity. We can reach others in many ways, huh?
I love this conversation. I seem to have it with my family and neighbors every year.
I am Muslim, and we do not celebrate Halloween for the pagan roots too, but also because “celebrating” death, and anguish seem completely backwards to me.
This is the first year my husband gets to “experience” Halloween, since he was raised and lived over seas. He came home last week and was freaked out, “Our neighbors are burying a fake skeleton in their yard.” It took me a few minutes from laughing so bad. He was very worried. I explained it to him and he just thinking “our neighborhood is crazy”. And yesterday our next door neighbor put “cob webs” and fake spiders across their entryway and bushes……
For me dressing up as cute princesses or pirates or whatever is fine, gathering free candy sure…… but Zombie runs, Scream Fest and haunted houses? I don’t take pleasure in scaring myself or my children so I think I’ll have to pass.
I always remember watching to movie “Halloween Town” on tv when I was younger which taught me basically that celebrating Halloween was making fun of and ridiculing other people and others beliefs.
My best friend in college was a self-described Wiccan and was very offended by the general “Jack O Lantern culture” because she felt that Samhiem (Halloweens ancient ancestor) was a deeply religious experience for her and passing out candy and dressing up was the equalivant of the Piss Christ.
I am not offended the way others celebrate (or don’t celebrate), any holidays. And as one commenter put it already “we are all in charge of the Truth was have received thus far.”
Anyways! Thank you for reading my novel. :)
Yes, I LOVE that comment. We are all in charge of the truth we’ve received thus far.
Do you mean Samhain? I know a girl who is a Wiccan and she celebrates it
Wow alot good info! This got me to look to Gods word for answers. Thank you! Parents are to take responsibility for teaching their children a love for the Word. I take comfort in knowing God is the ultimate parent and is there for me. I am constantly saying to my kids “its not my rule”, but Gods. Parenting isnt easier, I need to still show my kids the fruit of the Spirit daily….. I am glad I can read articles from other Moms. :-)
What a great thing to do, go to the Word of God to find answers ;) It does make it easier that way. Ha.
I absolutely love Halloween. (it’s also my birthday so maybe I was predisposed?). I love dressing up my kids and taking them out for candy the same way I did as a child. I never view it as being Christian or non Christian. Im not saying that others don’t use the day in occult efforts but then again I’m sure there are other days of the year that are also celebrated by them that I know nothing about. I enjoy the fun of the day and don’t take it too seriously. I think a lot of times people take things too seriously and make a black and white issue where there isnt one. I once had a teacher tell me my birthday was the devil’s holiday and came home crying. That person took the day so seriously that they tried to scar a child. It’s a day of the year like any other and how you use the day is up to you. People use the institution of marriage in evil ways (child brides) but that doesn’t mean I’m against marriage. Anyone can use any day of the year for good or evil. Christmas occurs on the winter solstice when people celebrated by worship to a sun god. Does that mean I think Christmas is part of the occult because some people somewhere worshipped the sun. No. I enjoy the holidays for what they mean to me, good memories and time spent with family. I am a firm believer in doing what is right for you and your family. So although I choose to celebrate and have fun and make the day what I choose to make it for my family I wouldn’t and don’t frown on people who choose not to. Oh and my kids chose to be a fairy (a homemade version of Tinkerbell), a bird, and Elmo this year and can’t wait to go trick or treating or to eat mommy’s birthday cake!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, i really makes this post rich and I think the main point is for us to THINK and do what we FEEL is right, huh? And what a horrible thing for a person to tell a child. GEez.
Yes I agree! Parenting is a hard job. Everyone has to make the best decisions for them. If you’re not comfortable with celebrating Halloween, Santa, or the tooth fairy then great! If you choose to celebrate all of it then great! If you choose to only do one or the other than great! But I don’t think anyone should judge one person or another for their personal decisions. God is a God of love, not fear and retribution. Shouldn’t we all strive to be more like that?
Agreed on all points!
Thank you Rachel for an interesting and good article on how to ask the real question about halloween ( or any pagan festival)!
As an Indian, when I was a child, I was surrounded by pagan festivals all year round and the general understanding was that Christianity is a western religion and Christmas and Easter are western festivals. My parents made a stand, as the only Christians in the towns/cities we lived in, to not participate in or celebrate any of the Indian festivals because of the inevitable idol worship or temple ceremonies involved. This helped to instill in me and my brother the wisdom of Joseph in running away from evil. And we learnt to discern black from white ( Jesus vs demonic) in all our surroundings. In some ways, we grew up quite paranoid as there were many non-believer family and friends who tried to trick us quite often into embarrassing situations to see how we would maintain our stand. My father obviously never made it big in his career as an army officer because of his stand for Christ in a Hindu regiment. Dad experienced God’s favour, supernatural protection and blessing in so many ways regardless.
I have seen witchcraft/voodoo practice, animal sacrifices in thousands during Dussehra, blood bonds, child marriages, girl foeticides, dowry (happening even until last year when I moved out of India). In India, if you participate in any one festival or religious ceremony, it will mean that you as a Christian agree with all these practices too. Some Hindus or Muslims may not be as committed to their faith as their counterparts but they respect Christians who stand for their beliefs and know why they believe they cant participate. I have good friends now who understand that Christianity in India was because of a disciple of Jesus, Thomas and not the British rule and also it didnt originate in the west! I have had many opportunities to share about Jesus in such situations because people find it hard to understand how we even as children did not want any part in these fun celebrations!! Christmas and Easter are also opportunities in my family (practiced for generations now) to share that it is not just those two days of celebration for Jesus’ birth or resurrection but the gospel message that gives us Christians reason to be joyful everyday. So we try to not focus on decorations or food but on Jesus even then.
Just the last couple of years, Halloween is making an appearance in India in some cities but I am sure it is another of the black festivals or practices that we will disregard as a family.
Sorry this turned out to be a long comment!
Thank you for sharing your experience. It is something that most Western Christians have on concept about. Many people don’t even believe that evil is out there and at work. Again, thank you for making this post richer with your comment.
I think this post is dead on. It reminded me of Romans 14. Paul is talking about food sacrificed to idols, and “esteeming” days, but the idea is the same. He says..”Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind….But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats.” If we’re convinced before God that what we are doing is acceptable to Him, then we should go for it, keeping in mind that 1) We will have to give an account of our actions and decisions to God and 2) we must be loving and understanding of other believers who do not have the same convictions as ourselves.
Thanks for sharing!
Love that!
Oh my! This is a GREAT post! My husband wrote about this topic as well on his blog, https://brohenson.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/christians-halloween/
And you are so right about asking the wrong question and that irritating habit Christians have of trying to redeem STUFF!
Bless you for taking a stand and saying it like it is!
Going to read it now :)
A very good message Rachel against the evils of Halloween or Helloween, it is indeed evil and always was for the reasons you shared.
Yes ask the right Question but the right Response for me is…..
God said it!
I believe it!
That settles it!
But even if I did not want to believe it if God said it that Settles it Full Stop!
Christian Love and Blessings – Anne.
Two things: 1) I’m behind on reading these emails, so I just now read this today. The day after Valentine’s Day. :P 2) I didn’t read any of the other posts (ain’t nobody got time for that!), so if someone else had this idea, I apologize for being repetitive.
I was reflecting on what all you said and trying to decide my stance on Halloween. My kids are 3 1/2 and 4 months, so the older one has gone trick or treating the last 2 years. (At this point the candy is still mainly for mom and dad!) ;) As a child, my parents weren’t big on Halloween. I had to stop trick or treating by the time I was about 10, while all my friends continued into high school. Now that I’m adult I tend to take their attitude towards it. Why celebrate a holiday that glamourizes death and occultism? (I know, most kids are dressed much more innocently!) But the decorations have always deeply disturbed me. Whether that’s because my brother was mean and traumatized me at Halloween time or because I’m just naturally a sensitive person, I don’t know. Anyway, I also know that the majority of children and parents participate in a very innocent way, just getting candy from friendly neighbors! And it really is fun! The issue I see is one of worship. I don’t want my children to be motivated or consumed by greed. So I’m trying to think of ways I can keep their hearts in an attitude of proper worship. I think whenever we come back from trick or treating, we’ll stop and give thanks. 1) For the generosity of friends and neighbors, and 2) for our sweet bounty. :) and then ask God for self-control. That’s something we all need a little more of!
Steph, it’s a tough thing for sure. I agree about the death aspect. I didn’t even think about it until living in other countries where it’s morbid the things they do!
As a newly converted Christian I’m wrestling hard with these ideas. I’m a historian who loves the history of the British Isles. In high school bullies referred to me as a Wiccan because of my interest in ancient and prehistory eras of the British Isles. I took great offence to this because my interest is from a historical and cultural anthropological stance, not religious. I’ve never practiced or condoned black magic or evil-doing. As a historian I try to understand what pre-Christian Celtic and pre-Celtic religion looked like in this region, again as anthropology would view it. As a Christian I’m grappling with the ideas of what is “acceptable” in these interests and where to draw the line. Obviously, above mentioned animal sacrifice is not okay, just on moral grounds for the poor animals! I do like the movie Brave, though, but that has more to do with the entertainment value and the cultural and historic value of the Scottish highlands, such as the clans presented and the music. I understand how the witch is problematic, but I don’t believe such magic like that presented in the movie has ever been actually possible. I would never deny the bad things that occur on halloween, but still like the innocent aspects of dressing up and collecting candy and the harvest festival feel of it. I find it appalling that people would leave animal heads in someone’s yard. That’s just morbid! On a side note, out of curiosity, where in England did you live? I love the idea of being a curator for the National Trust, talk about a dream job! Thank you this view and insight, Rachel!
Holley, so glad you’re wrestling with all these things, we all are!
i don’t agree with this. ofc i’m not christian but i wish more homeschooling/stay at home moms were more diverse. what i mean is with religion. i’m going to raise my kids pagan and theistic satanism. that’s what i am. and i would love to see more posts about different religions. and also no i don’t actually sacrifice anyone. i’m just like anyone else
This is very the best article I have ever seen on the subject. Thank you very much for that. I would take Reformation Day out of the “non-evil”section– not because people are doing something evil at those parties, but because that was the day that Jesus’s Church was split into more pieces. I say “more” because we already had the first big split in 1054. And now we have tens of thousands of denominations with differences in some core beliefs. Jesus prayed shortly before he died that we would all be one. Yet, we have all these divisions among Christians. This is a tragedy to be mourned, and an occasion to pray for Christian unity.
One other point: While we shouldn’t mock the devil, per say, there is something Christian about laughing at physical death. St. Paul asks, “O Death, where is thy sting?” That’s a subtle form of mocking. If the decorations included skeleton, graves, and nothing else they wouldn’t really bother me. However, most of the time, witches and other things associated with the demonic are included and laughing at the demonic like that is a dangerous idea.
I guess The only question you DIDN’t ask… is What would Jesus Do?
NOT this EVER.
“You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God for your traditions of men… and by doing so you nullify the word of God”. Jesus.. recorded in Matthew 7.
You’re right, Angela, I didn’t ask this question. Thanks for sharing!
Love this! But I think the exact verse you mentioned is Mark 7:9 “He said to them, ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.’” NKJV
I never thought i would find a mom blog that spoke so blatant and clearly on what really goes on on these types of holidays, that being said, i do not condemn people who chose to participate or not. but i just appreciate your honesty and the very easy question to possibly help resolve the back and forth thought process every christian parent undoubtedly goes through.
Bethany, thanks so much for that comment. That was my hope, really, to non judgmentally think about both sides and why either do and how to decide for your own family. I appreciate you taking the time to comment :)
Hi! First, I love your blog and do not judgeor condemn others for what they believe and how they choose to their families. I am a Christian. I was raised in the church, my fad being a pastor in the Methodist church. We ALWAYS celebrated Halloween! There were years I went as a witch, a skeleton, a vampire, etc. My understanding of Halloween origin is that is was day to dress up as the things that you are scared of and face your fears, laughing in the face of evil. I have never met anyone who has ever doubted Halloween and not gone teick-or-treating because of the bad things people connect with good, innocent ones. Mow, Im not saying that Halloween does not have pagan roots, I just never understood it that way. And for the person who said WAY back when that they dont celebrate Christmas because it has pagan roots and Jesus never said to celebrate his birth or death. I completely DISAGREE with that. There were angels singing in the heavens the night he was jorn, shepherds worshiping him on bended knee that night, wise men who traveled years just to meet the King and lay their gifts before him. When Mary was pregnant and she ran to greet Elizabeth, the baby Elizabeth was carrying jumped in joy! How can you say God tells us not to celebrate when God did NOTHING BUT CELEBRATE his sons birth. Im sorry, but you got me riled on that one. The BIBLE-God inspired-celebrated this and several books in the NT tell of Jesus’ birth. No, I say Christmas roots are biblical. What I do think and know is that people will take Christian holidays and add pagan rituals, like Santa Claud, or the Easter Bunny, to them. And as for Easter? Yeah…that one had a biblical celebration too. The reaction of the women when the stone was rolled away, the angel sitting there, waiting to tell them the hood news. Jesus surprising his disciples and ascending into heaven. Nope, sorry. I think both these holidays are biblical and God would want us to celebrate them.
Thanks so much for sharing your perspective here with my readers :)
Yes, I agree with you. We celebrate Christmas because of Christ’s birth and Easter as a celebration of Christ’s resurrection.
My family never celebrated Halloween and I only went trick or treating twice in my life. My mother didn’t want my sister and I to read the Harry Potter series because it contains magic and spiritualism and other things. However, both my sister and I read the Harry Potter series and watched the movies. My sister and her husband also pass out candy on Halloween.
I went to a Christian school growing up and we celebrated autumn by having a Harvest Festival every year and my church does a Fall Festival at the park where kids can come in costumes and go trunk or treating. So it’s not specifically celebrating Halloween but children and their families still have fun.