I live in a close-knit neighborhood. So, it’s no surprise that new residents quickly join our community’s Facebook group and start asking questions. And every year in October, someone asks, Do kids come to our community for Trick-or-Treating, and, if so, how many should we prepare for?
The short answer is—all of them.
Our nightmare is not the costumes. Our nightmare is the chaos and clogged roads.
But we are just a microcosm of the world around us. Halloween is one of the most celebrated events on the calendar. And one of the most lucrative.
In 2015, the National Retail Federation estimated that 71.5% of Americans celebrated Halloween and spent more than $7 billion on the festivities. Over $2 billion of that goes to candy. Add to that $3 billion spent on costumes, along with Hollywood’s obsession with it, and it’s a retail bonanza.
It’s impossible to ignore, and it’s not going away.
But should Christians participate?
But Christians ask, should we participate? Is it just another fun night, or are there real concerns that Christians need to wrestle with?
As always, what matters most is what the Bible says, not how we feel, our opinion, or our preferences. So does the Bible give any guidance about Halloween?
Yes, but before we consider our participation, let’s remember the origins of this annual deep dive into the bizarre and macabre.
Where did Halloween come from?
Modern-day Halloween derived from a mix of historical influences, most notably the Druids.
First, Halloween’s origin begins with the Druids, an upper class of pagan Celtic people who populated the lands we now know as England, France, and Germany over 2,500 years ago. They preceded the Romans, but little is known of them because they didn’t keep records of their own history.
Halloween evolved from an annual Druid celebration honoring the pagan god Samhain, the lord of the dead, to appease him and his demons. (For more information, look here).
Second, the Romans celebrated an Autumn festival, which included reverence for pagan gods associated with the harvest.
And third, Christians influenced the rise of Halloween.
As Christianity spread through the Roman Empire, early believers adopted alternatives to cultural practices. Around the 7th century, Christians instituted “All Saints Day,” on November 1. The evening before was called “All Hallows Eve,” as an alternative and as a way to counteract these pagan celebrations. All Hallows Eve was a time to honor saints who had died in their service to Christ.
But over time, these traditions merged into one celebration, what we know as Halloween. For most of our culture, it’s a night of fun. But witches, Satanists, and spiritists consider Halloween to be the night Satan has the greatest power. Witches celebrate Halloween as their own “holiday,” often planning elaborate rituals for that night.
How should Christians respond to Halloween?
Christians have three options regarding Halloween.
- Participate without reservation.
You can participate in the celebration as though it has no spiritual meaning. In this version, Halloween is just a night of fun and scary stuff.
But this is not a biblical option. The Bible clearly teaches that Christians should not imitate evil.
For instance, “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable customs of those nations” (Deut. 18:9). And again, “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God” (3 John 1:11).
The key word is “imitate,” or, more literally, “mimic.” It pictures Christians who imitate the behaviors and values of the world around them. But this directly contradicts what it means to follow Christ (Luke 9:23).
We are called to imitate Christ and to “live as children of light” (Eph. 5:1-8). So, imitating the culture without reservation is not an option. Christians cannot ignore the underlying evil that is still inherent in Halloween.
- Decline to participate at all.
Lots of Christians prefer not to participate at all, and the Bible supports this response.
For example, Paul teaches that Christians should choose what is good and avoid what is evil (1 Thess. 5:21-22). In fact, he warns Christians not to participate in “fruitless works of darkness” and instructs Christians to “expose” evil (Eph. 5:11).
By that many Christians decline to participate in Halloween at all. The roots of its evil origin are simply too ingrained in the practices of Oct. 31.
So, this option is clearly biblical. But then, so is the third option.
- Participate with a purpose.
Another common response among Christians and churches is to follow our predecessors by providing an alternative. But the hard part is to remain distinctively different.
The Bible acknowledges that we live in a world saturated with evil and darkness. While we still have time, we can bring light to the darkness.
For this reason, many churches provide an alternative to Halloween, such as a Fall Festival. And Christians participate in aspects of Halloween without ignoring the backstory or imitating the darkness. No evil costumes. Just fun, and a time to be friendly to our neighbors.
Living in a dark and lost world, Christians are instructed to avoid the temptation to hide the light of the gospel (Mark 4:21). Instead, we are taught to intentionally advance the light of the gospel into the darkness (Matt. 5:14-16) and to take advantage of cultural launchpads to share the gospel without diluting its content or conflating its message with the world’s (1 Cor. 9:22-23).
So, an intentional effort by a church to provide a positive and safe alternative that advances the gospel is also clearly biblical. It requires a more measured approach, prayerful wisdom, and wise judgment. But done well, it advances the light of Christ in a culture immersed in spiritual darkness.
We may not always agree
So, two options have biblical support, but not all Christians will agree on which is best.
That’s ok. No need to argue or take sides. Instead, practice the charity that affirms two positions can be biblical at the same time (Rom. 14:1-5, 19-23).
When Christians disagree on certain nonessentials, it’s important to always remember that you agree on what matters most—the gospel of Jesus Christ.
One more thing
In all this talk of Halloween, we cannot miss the reality in the shadows.
We should take evil seriously. It is real. And Satan thrives in this world of darkness. Halloween is a symptom, but not the main problem.
But as we take fear and Satan seriously, we must also remember not to be afraid. A hazard of Halloween is that it diverts and misplaces our fear.
The Bible is clear. Only One should be feared, and He has chosen to give us grace (Luke 12:4-5). Halloween gives us a chance to promote this truth of the gospel. Let’s not miss it.
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God
Heb. 10:31