A Reflection on Halloween

By Michael C.

A lot of people this past Halloween season did not celebrate Halloween. According to Focus on the Family, some people believe that Halloween is a worship of the devil. So, should Christians celebrate Halloween? What do NorthStar students think about Halloween? I for one have been on both sides. For 10 years of my life, Halloween was a holiday that was never celebrated in my house. We would never give candy to people. We would turn all the lights out to make it seem like my family was not home. My family moved overseas when I was 10, and we met other Christian families who did celebrate Halloween. Their ideas influenced my parents; now, we do go trick-or-treating. So, I do not believe that celebrating Halloween is right or wrong.

Some of the history of Halloween, according to Focus on the Family, is as follows. Celtic pagans in the Iron Age (1200-500 B.C.) celebrated a holiday called Samhain. They celebrated it as the end of the summer holiday. It was celebrated as the end of one season and the beginning of another. The Celtics also believed that it was the day that the world of the gods became visible to the humans. They believed that many of the gods would play tricks on them. They would offer many sacrifices to their ancestors and the gods. It was a day filled with supernatural episodes. It sounds pretty demonic to me (Greer).

Continuing on with information from Focus on the Family, Samhain went through many changes and morphs until 609 A.D when Pope Boniface lV decided to make it a new holiday. He called it All Saints’ Day or All-Hallows Day and it was to be celebrated before the summer. It was moved to coincide with Samhain. This was a day that honored those who gave their lives and died for the Christian faith.  Later on, Pope Gregory the 3rd moved this holiday to November 1st.  All saints day is a day that celebrates those who would rather die than renounce their faith in Jesus. That is something worth celebrating. The day before All-Hallows day was All-Hallows eve or Halloween (Greer).

All-Hallows eve has evolved over the years. Sacrifices offered have changed into candy given (Greer). Halloween has turned into an enormous celebration in America. According to a recent infographic from The Shelf the total Halloween spending in 2021 was 10.1 billion dollars (Stone). All things considered, Halloween is a celebration that has its roots in death, demons, and the supernatural. So, should Christians celebrate Halloween?

There are two different views on Halloween. This first view says as Christians we cannot celebrate Halloween. It has pagan roots. Because real-life witches believe that Halloween is the day that the veil between the dead and the living is the thinnest and celebrate this day (Greer), some Christian abstain because the Bible clearly forbids witchcraft. NSA student Keenan says, “Though we would want Halloween to be harmless fun, its very nature and identity can never be that.”

The other view is very different. This view states that Halloween is just innocent fun. A kid dressed up as a superhero knocking on people’s doors asking for candy is not a sin. This holiday might have pagan roots, but so does Christmas. We can either reject, accept, or redeem a holiday celebration. Those who hold this view feel that they can redeem Halloween, just as they have done with Christmas. As some have said, “To the pure all things are pure,” and Christians are pure in Christ and can have pure motives. This view acknowledges the pagan roots of Halloween, but these Christians are not trying to worship the devil when they dress up asking for candy. 

I asked some NorthStar students about what they thought about Halloween and received a variety of responses. Many had serious concerns about the holiday; others said it was just a way to get candy. Some said that their parents just did not allow them, and they had no strong opinions on Halloween. Some people said as they grew older it seemed like a kiddish holiday. One person said, “Why celebrate it when there’s Christmas to look forward to.”

Our actions should be God-glorifying. If you celebrate Halloween, choose a costume that honors God. If you choose not to celebrate Halloween, consider how you can respond to others with love and grace. While we Christians may have different views on Halloween, it is not something worth ending our fellowship over.

Michael C. currently lives in North Carolina with three siblings and mom and dad. He has been at NorthStar for three years and has recently started writing for the Navigator. He enjoys running, reading, and geeking out about Lord of the Rings.

🔎Informational, 🧑‍🚀NSA Culture, 🗓️SeasonalEIC NSA2022-2023, November 2022 Publication