Cultural Warnings

Can Christians Really Engage In Halloween?

by Kenneth D. Willis

To answer this question, we need to take an unbiased look at where Halloween comes from, who celebrated it and why. Let’s backtrack. The modern “holiday” of Halloween celebrated on October 31st created by the Roman Catholic Church in the eighth century originally as All Hallows Eve and was followed on November 1st with All Saints Day. The night of October 1st was chosen to accommodate preexisting pagan customs that centered on the ancient Celtic feast of Samhain (pronounced Solwin). It centered on the “lord of the dead”; he is more well known as “the grim reaper”. The feast of Samhain was used by the Druids, who were the satanic priests of ancient Britain and Ireland. The Druids believed that on the night of October 31st, the veil that separated the living world from the spirit world and the realm of the dead became thin and made interaction with the dead easier than any other day of the year. On the night of Samhain, or Halloween, the Druids engaged in dressing up as demonic entities and ghosts. They would leave food outside their homes and light bonfires. These things were done to hide from the demons that walked the earth during the night of October 31st, to buy them off with food and the bonfires were done in connection with human sacrifice. The Druids would find live human sacrifices and desecrate graves to get bones to put in the bone-bonfire. The very word bonfire comes from the original word bone-fire. 

What we can conclude from even a quick study of Halloween’s origins is that it is a pagan holiday filled with demonic elements and dark violence. Fast-forward to the modern era and Halloween’s meaning for the pagan and occult has not changed. The only thing that has changed is the widespread commercialization of the day and its acceptance as an innocent holiday celebrated by most and even large amounts of Christians, even from the most Fundamental circles. Today, Satanists and occult members regard October 31st as their high holy day where they commemorate, by name, the ancient pagan feast of Samhain. Witches regard this day so powerful that in place of animal sacrifices that occupy other feast days, a human sacrifice is most desirable. Many babies go missing each year on Halloween, and much of that is connected with occult activities on Halloween. 

Satanists regard October 31st as Lucifer’s birthday. They use this day as their prime day for necromancy, contacting dead spirits and interacting with demons. Despite the claims of the Roman Catholic Church and many popular Christian leaders today, Halloween has never been a Christian holiday and is rooted in nothing other than total paganism and demonic activity. There are several dangers people face when participating in Halloween. First, they are exposed to cult practices and culture. Second, they are provided an acceptable opportunity for witches and occultists to promote Satanism. Third, children and adults are being conditioned and desensitized toward being receptive toward Satanic activity. Fourth, fear can have detrimental effects on certain people. Fifth, tt provides an opportunity to experiment in the occult and Satanic activity.

Knowing this, let’s apply what the Bible has to say about the demonic, the occult and their activities. 

Deuteronomy 18:10-12  - There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.  Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

To put it plainly, God hates demonic activity and those who practice it. He calls these things abominations. His view toward these things has not changed. 

II Corinthians 6:14-15 - 14 - Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

How can we, God’s people, engage in an unholy day dedicated to Satan and pagan rituals--involving death, fear, demons, witchcraft, and glorification of violence) and claim to be followers of Christ and children of light? I believe you already know the answer. We cannot. But why are so many Christians falling head over heels for Halloween? Paul’s first letter to Timothy prophesied that this day of apostasy and engaging in the demonic would come, even to the church. 

I Timothy 4:1 - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 

Christians today claim to be the children of a holy God and yet many are found walking hand in hand with Satan. Though much of it is by deception and ignorance, God has made it plain that His people are not to be involved in these wicked things. We need to carefully examine our hearts and lives and purge from both anything that, though innocent on the outside, are giving glory to Satan. My personal opinion on this issue is that no matter how me try to redeem Halloween, any attempt to Christianize it is simply repeating the incident of the Golden Calf--where we take something pagan and demonic and try to justify it with Christian rhetoric, reasoning or even outreach. But when all is said and done, God is not pleased in the least. Therefore I choose to stay away from it. And I strongly urge others to do the same. 

-Kenneth D. Willis