Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
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There are a lot of Christians who say, “No.” And there was a time when I agreed with them. I had heard their arguments…Halloween was the devil’s holiday, it celebrates demons, and it was entirely of pagan origin. I feel bad that when my kids were little, they didn’t go trick-or-treating.
But now I take my grandkids trick-or-treating.
For some reason, Christians seem to be attracted to conspiracy theories, and sometimes fear the devil where God wants us to see opportunity. “Halloween” is actually shortened for the very old Christian celebration, “Hallowed Evening,” the night before All Saints Day, which was set aside in 609 AD to commemorate the death of Christian martyrs.
There are pagan elements in the world’s celebration of Halloween, most of which have their roots in the Celtic New Year (November 1) and Samhain, the night before, as well as the Roman holiday, Pomona, that celebrated the fruit harvest (bobbing for apples). And I don’t think followers of Jesus should dress up as witches, demons, and other evil characters. But there can be a lot of harmless fun for kids and families as we gather for parties and community events, and look to build connections with people who need the Gospel. That’s why we do our Family Fest, and encourage kids and adults to dress in costumes. (Though, we do ask you to refrain from themes that glorify evil).
Today, I see Halloween as an opportunity to connect with neighbors and families. Every year we see a lot of non-church kids and their parents come to our church through Family Fest. I’ve met many of my own neighbors, just by taking my granddaughters door to door. I also see Halloween as an opportunity to score some good dark chocolate (the little girls don’t care for it). Incidentally, did you know that 25% of the candy sold in America is bought in late October?
I don’t think it’s right for us to celebrate death, demons, witches, or any other kind of evil. But I do think it’s fun to carve pumpkins, dress up in harmless costumes, bob for apples, play other games, get together with friends and neighbors at parties, and trick-or-treat. As followers of Jesus, we should look to redeem anything we can in our culture and use it to represent Jesus and point people to him.