Halloween comes around sooner every year! Orange and black fill the supermarket aisles as foil-wrapped candy and plastic cauldrons fight for our attention. Australians will spend a record AU$500 million on Halloween, Europe will spend €1 billion, and in the USA, spending is expected to pass the US$13 billion mark. Some will argue it is just fun for the children; others will say it is a festival of evil.
The Bible doesn’t explicitly mention Halloween because that name, and the church customs associated with it, arose after the birth of the church. Many articles online proudly proclaim the Christian roots of Halloween. Others uncover its roots in paganism. But as with so much of life, the truth is a little more complicated. So we need to do some detective work to discover the truth about Halloween.
First, we need to recognise that Halloween wears many faces. There is the commercial festival that sees children in costumes going house to house collecting treats. There is the cutesy, folksy festival with fall or autumn-themed decor and pumpkin carving. There is the creepier version of the festival, decorated with skulls and cauldrons and witches’ brooms. But then, there is the history behind how we got the day, as well as the culture and practices associated with it. And last, there is the spiritual dynamic, the question of whether those celebrating Halloween are actually engaging in dangerous spiritual activity.
First, we need to recognise that Halloween wears many faces … But then, there is the history behind how we got the day, as well as the culture and practices associated with it.
The Roots of Halloween
Of all the festivals widely celebrated in the Western World, Halloween most obviously has its roots in ancient paganism. In 1897, near the French village of Coligny, a 2nd-century Gaulish relic was unearthed. Now known as the Coligny Calendar, it was a bronze tablet containing over 2,000 engraved characters and is one of the most important relics of pre-Christian Celtic Europe [1]. In this ancient calendar, we find a reference to Trinux Samoni (three nights of SAMON), which scholars identify with the ancient Irish festival Samhain (pronounced “SAH-win”) [2]. In the Irish sagas, Samhain, named after their ‘lord of the dead’ or winter, is a religious New Year celebration. As the weather turned cold and the sun hid away, the festival commenced with the lighting of bonfires, dancing and feasting [3]. It was also seen as a liminal moment, where the boundary between this world and the supernatural world became thin. Food would be left out for dead loved ones, who were believed to visit during the festival.
But it wasn’t only spirits of loved ones who came to call; evil spirits, faeries, and witches were also said to visit, causing mischief. And so people would carry treats in their pockets to bribe malevolent spirits. They would also dress up in animal skins and costumes, covering their faces or painting them black, trying to appear as beasts or monsters to confuse or scare away evil spirits [3]. Jack-o’-lanterns, made from hollowed-out turnips, potatoes, or beets, also originated in this festival and were used to light up the night and scare away unwanted apparitions [3]. A similar festival existed in the Roman world. Lemuria, observed during May, was a time to propitiate the ghosts of departed loved ones and keep them from causing mischief in the household [4].
When Christianity spread into Europe, many of these local traditions lived on and were absorbed into Christian practices. In 835 AD, the Catholic Church moved its festival of All Saints Day (“All Hallows”) to November 1st. And so many of the traditions of Samhain, celebrated on the 31st of October, became associated with “All Hallows Eve”, soon known as Hallow’e’en. During these times, the practice of trick-or-treating emerged. In a practice called ‘souling’, those dressed, as the ancient Celts had, in costumes went door to door asking for favours in exchange for offering prayers for departed loved ones [5]. In the Catholic tradition, prayers for departed loved ones would help release their souls from purgatory, so this was an arrangement beneficial to both parties. Later, the costumed revellers would perform tricks for food or coins, in a practice called guising. In time, the tricks took on a new meaning and trick-or-treating was born.
Leaving Europe for a moment, in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, similar festivals existed in late July and early August. Similarly, it was believed that the border between the spirit world and the real world dissolved. The dead would revisit their families, and the living would provide food and drinks in honour of their ancestors. Following All Saints’ Day, the Catholic Church celebrates All Souls’ Day on November 2nd, “The Day of the Dead.” So, when the Catholic church arrived in the Americas, there was a blending of Mesoamerican ritual, European tradition, and Spanish religion. Over the years, these pre-Columbian and church traditions were amalgamated into the popular event known as el Día de los Muertos.
The European festival of Halloween arrived in the United States during the 1840s, with the wave of Irish and Scottish immigrants [6]. Once on American soil, carved turnips were replaced with carved pumpkins, but many of the other trappings of Halloween remained the same. The growth of suburban living after the Second World War provided an ideal environment for trick-or-treating, especially once the rationing of sugar ended. Soon, America was exporting Halloween back to Europe, where it originated, and ironically, to other parts of the Christianised world.
Paganism and Witchcraft
Though some of the traditions may have only developed after its syncretism with Catholicism, the foundational practices and beliefs associated with Halloween, such as the thin boundary between the natural and supernatural, the dressing up, and vegetable carving, the fear of evil spirits, and association with departed loved ones, are all there in the pagan roots. The darkness and bonfires and scary costumes all go back to Samhain. The association with witchcraft also goes all the way back to Celtic times. Many who have come to Christ from a background in witchcraft have testified to the ongoing connection between Halloween and the occult.
Throughout the Scriptures, darkness is associated with evil. Men love the darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). But Jesus has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of Light, the Kingdom of His Son (Colossians 1:13). No one who believes in Jesus should remain in darkness (John 12:46). We should not participate in darkness, but rather expose it to the light (Ephesians 5:11). Likewise, the Bible prohibits engagement in magic or with those who practice magic (Deuteronomy 18:10–12; Galatians 5:19–21), it also forbids us from consulting with the dead (Isaiah 8:19). When salvation came to the people of Ephesus, the result was them turning from their pagan practices and burning the tools of their crafts, specifically their magic books (Acts 19:18–19). The dark practices that Halloween is full of and founded on have no place in the Kingdom of Light (Revelation 22:15).
But even if the historical roots are bad, what about modern commercial Halloween: the costumes for children, the treats gathered door-to-door?
Modern Halloween
But even if the historical roots are bad, what about modern commercial Halloween: the costumes for children, the treats gathered door-to-door? What of the folksy Halloween and pumpkin carving? And what about the Christian elements that have been added over time? Is it possible to celebrate in part, ignoring the ugly stuff, and just have fun? Jesus said, “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:17, NIV). With roots this bad, can we expect the fruit to be good?
Despite the connection with All Saints’ Day, most charismatic evangelical Christians are not thinking of the saints that have gone before when they see a banner for Halloween. And so, we find ourselves in a place of tension. Fundamentally, there is no Biblical prohibition against carving a vegetable into one shape or another. There is no problem with little Jimmy wanting to dress up as a cowboy or policeman. There is no intrinsic problem with him eating a toffee apple. Three hundred and sixty-four days a year, pumpkin carving might just be a harmless craft. But at Halloween it brings baggage that a saint would be wise to acknowledge and avoid. And so with each of the traditions and trappings of Halloween. Jimmy is not dressing as a cowboy just because he likes cowboys and feels like it. Jimmy has been led to it by the festival called Halloween. In this sense, it is not really possible to separate the Halloween costume-wearing from the celebration.
Then there is the nature of the costumes themselves. Many costumes focus on characters associated with horror and the occult: witches, wizards, vampires, and monsters. These are not appropriate role models for followers of Jesus, and potentially create interest in our children about things we should protect them from. For others, adult Halloween costumes are an opportunity to dress more provocatively than normal. Noble professions, like nurse or fireman, have “sexy” put in front of them, and those costumes are made to be suggestive and revealing. Again, this is not Christian behaviour (Mark 7:22; Ephesians 5:3).
With roots this bad, can we expect the fruit to be good?
Goodbye to Halloween
There can be a concern, particularly as a parent, that if we reject a festival like Halloween, our children will “miss out.” It can be hard already for our children to be Christians in their schools and amongst friends who are not saved and do not hold the same values. Some churches celebrate the 31st of October for “Reformation Day”; on this day, Martin Luther nailed up his 95 Theses in Wittenberg. Other churches run “Light Parties” for their youth and kids. These are parties that make no reference to Halloween, and emphasise light, joy, and life. These can be helpful alternatives if you want to create a space for your young people to gather and have fun during a season when others will be celebrating Halloween. Helpful alternatives, if you are able to employ them without accidentally hosting a Halloween party by mistake.
It is equally permissible to treat the 31st of October just like any other day. In Romans 14 and Colossians 2, Paul addresses special days, new moons, sabbaths, etc. He says, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day” (Colossians 2:16, NIV). Paul is talking about festivals established by the Jews, not festivals of the Gentiles. What we never see in Scripture is an endorsement of celebrating festivals established by the world. Rather, we see the opposite. The Bible specifically warns against worshipping our God in the manner of those who worship other gods (Deuteronomy 12:30–31). It tells us not to learn the ways of heathens or imitate them (Jeremiah 10:2–3).
The simplest and least confusing approach is to ignore Halloween. Do nothing special for it. Give it no attention. Should we hand out Bible tracts attached to candy to children knocking at our doors? You will need to listen to the Holy Spirit and see what he is requiring of you. But it is worth considering if participating on any level is an endorsement of some kind. A good rule to consider while preparing for the season is what Paul writes to the Philippians, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8, NIV). Let us live as those of the light, with our minds set on the light, having nothing to do with darkness.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16, NIV
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References:
1. “The Coligny Calendar.” gaulishpolytheism.com. https://gaulishpolytheism.com/the-coligny-calendar/
2. Swift, C. 2002. “Celts, Romans and the Coligny Calendar.” Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal. 83-95. https://doi.org/10.16995/TRAC2001_83_95
3. Mansky, Jackie. 2016. “Halloween Owes Its Tricks and Treats to the Ancient Celtic New Year’s Eve.” SmithsonianMagazine.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/halloween-owes-its-tricks-and-treats-celtic-new-years-eve-180960944/
4. “Lemures.” Britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lemures
5. Tikkanen, Amy. “History of Trick-or-Treating.” Britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/topic/History-of-Trick-or-Treating
6. Tensley, Brandon. 2024. “The Celtic Origins of Trick-or-Treating.” SmithsonianMagazine.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/celtic-origins-trick-treating-halloween-180984916/?itm_source=related-content&itm_medium=parsely-api
