Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
By Pastor Jon Mark Olesky
“Should Christians celebrate Halloween? Can Christians accidentally become pagans by trick-or-treating and dressing in costumes? Is Halloween a continuation of Samhain?”
Every pastor gets asked questions like these. I’ve answered these type of questions many times, but never publicly until now. Please hear me out. I will likely offend many with this article.
Halloween and Samhain
I’ll start by answering the easy question: “Is Halloween a continuation of Samhain?”
The short answer is no.
Samhain (traditionally celebrated Oct 31-Nov 1) is an ancient Celtic festival that marked the end of the harvest year while also bringing in the darker time of the year as the days shorten and nights lengthen.
Early Celtic tradition held that the season unveiled the seen and unseen realms so that the spirits could cross realms into our world. Celts celebrated by making food and drink offerings, even animal sacrifices to appease these spirits.
Tradition held that the souls of the departed would revisit their homes seeking hospitality in which some food or drink was waiting for them.
Now, is modern Halloween a continuation of Samhain? Since it doesn’t have the same cultural purpose or intent, we must conclude that no, it is not.
You can clearly see some connections to Halloween’s tradition of trick-or-treating and dressing up; however, intent and motives matter. I’ll say more about motives in celebration later.
All Saints Day & All Hallows Eve
If Halloween isn’t a continuation of pagan Samhain, then where does Halloween find its origins?
Many are surprised to find out that Halloween has always been distinctly Christian. Indeed, even the name “Halloween” is a contraction of “All Hallows Eve” which was the night before “All Saints Day.”
Nicholas Rogers, in his book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night” says:
“…[Samhain] did not offer much in the way of actual ritual practices… Most of these developed in conjunction with the medieval holy days of All Souls’ and All Saints’ Day” (22). He goes on, “The name ‘Halloween’ is, as is well known, a contraction of ‘All Hallows’ Eve,’ the night before All Saints’ Day… Each of these days, in slightly different ways, celebrated the Christian departed and established the memorialization of the dead as a key part of Halloween.”
Here’s what this shows: Samhain has pagan origins, Halloween has ecclesiastical (church) origins.
Now again, I’m not denying there aren’t some similarities between Samhain and Halloween, or that everyone understands the Christian origins of “All Hallows Eve.”
However, virtually all Americans who trick-or-treat this year will see it as a fun tradition to have their kids enjoy. And that’s extremely important. There’s no accidental paganism. Pagan celebration requires intentionality.
Something else to understand is how days work in biblical times. The biblical day begins the preceding evening. Therefore, the eve of the calendar overlaps the beginning of the next day. For example, in many cultures (like Brazil where my wife is from) they celebrate Christmas Eve night as part of Christmas Day.
Apply that same idea to “All Saints Day” and “All Hallows Eve” (Halloween) the night before: On October 31, the demonic realm tries one last time to achieve victory, but is banished by the joy of the Kingdom where the Saints rule in endless day.
One of the primary ways the demonic realm is vanquished is through mockery. “Death where is your victory, death where is your sting?” (Rom 8; 1 Cor 15).
Jesus’ mockery of death and the devil is not joining Satan in his pride. It’s crushing his pride. “God opposes the proud” (James 4:6).
God mocks the mocker. God gets the last laugh (Psalm 2). Nobody actually thinks that Satan wears a red suit with horns and a tail, but he’s portrayed that way as mockery. He’s portrayed comically because he dared to contend with the Almighty, his prideful head has been crushed (Gen 3:15), and he’s been “cast out” and “bound” (John 12:31-32; Rev 20:2-3).
This is the same reason the gargoyles were placed on ancient churches. They symbolized the Church ridiculing the enemy. With their tongues out, they make faces at those who’d join Satan seeking to assault the Church. The gargoyles are not demonic; they symbolize believers ridiculing the defeated demonic forces.
This is the connection of Halloween to Reformation Day. For this purpose of mockery, Martin Luther posted his 95 challenges to the wicked practices of the Church to the bulletin board on the door of the Wittenberg chapel—on Halloween.
Do you think Luther accidentally picked this day? No, he wanted to mock the Devil and those in Rome that he believed were advancing the demonic cause.
This is why All Saints Day/Halloween and Reformation Day belong together. They proclaim the truth—Satan’s power has been broken. At the cross, Christ won a supreme victory over evil.
Understanding the origins of Halloween, and work of Christ over evil, frees our consciences. We can know that the intention of these days is not to celebrate a pagan festival, and even if there’s some “uncleanness” about it, it can be “sanctified through the word and prayer” (1 Tim 4:5).
Christ is Lord Over Halloween: Two Biblical Arguments
Halloween is a redeemable day… which leads to a few biblical points.
1. Christ’s Mockery of the Enemy
The first biblical argument that some have objected with is that “it’s okay for God to mock His enemies, but Christians shouldn’t mock Satan.”
They will quote Jude 1:8—11 as a proof-text, which says,
“…these men, because of their dreams, defile the flesh and reject authority and blaspheme majestic beings. But Michael the archangel, when he argued with the devil, disputing concerning the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these persons blaspheme all that they do not understand, and all that they understand by instinct like the irrational animals, by these things they are being destroyed.”
From this text it is argued that Michael the archangel didn’t pronounce a blasphemous judgment against Satan. But rather, he said “The Lord rebuke you!” This is a serious point for Christians.
As autonomous beings, we don’t mock Satan or demons. Only God has authority to rebuke Satan. However, there is a type of mockery rooted in our union with the Christ who disarmed the rulers and the principalities, putting them to open shame, triumphing over them (Col. 1:15–23).
We don’t mock Satan, Christ mocked him and put him under his feet. We should say what the archangel Michael did: “the Lord rebuke you!”
2. Christ’s Lordship Over Paganism
A second argument often given is that Christians should have nothing to do with anything that may have pagan overtones or connections.
And while I respect believers who take this position, the problem is this view gives too much ground to the enemy by abandoning the kingdoms of this world to the enemy.
This is not the way that Christianity has historically functioned. If Christ’s Lordship is over everything (and it is!), Christians must seek to bring all things under His feet, especially pagan thought. Is anything too pagan to be Christianized?
The Apostle Paul’s address in the Areopagus at Mars Hill (Acts 17:22–34) takes this stance.
Paul walks into that pagan Areopagus. He stands up and proclaims to the pagan men of Athens (surrounded by pagan altars to deities), finds one titled “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” and Paul redeemed/sanctified what was pagan and proclaimed Christ in place of the pagan idol. He then takes it further by quoting the poet Epimenides and Stoic philosopher, Cleanthes. Paul is saying, “Christ is Lord not only over Israel, but the pagan Greeks.”
Historically it’s been argued Christians did three things with paganism: accept, redeem, or reject.
Accept. When Christians encountered pagan thought that was true, they’d accept it (as common grace truth).
Redeem. When they encountered pagan ideas that could be redeemed, they’d extend the Lordship of Christ over it, essentially Christianizing it.
Reject. When they encountered pagan ideas that couldn’t be accepted or redeemed, they reject them (Acts 19:19-20).
Peter Kreeft (in his book “Back to Virtue”) works in these same three categories:
“From the beginning there were three different attitudes on the part of Christians to the pagan world in general. (1) Uncritical synthesis, (2) critical synthesis, (3) criticism and anti-synthesis. Christian thinkers accepted either (1) all, (2) some, or (3) none of the Greek ideals. There is no neutral category. Paul is working in Spirit vs. Flesh realms, with no middle ground. Romans 14 is applicable, especially since it’s dealing with paganism. Paul’s counsel, if you accept, accept unto the Lord; if you reject, reject unto the Lord, but whatever you do, do it unto the Lord.(Rom 14).”
The idea behind both these above passages is that nobody is accidentally pagan or demonically influenced.
Innocently dressing a child up like Superman for candy from your neighbors isn’t in itself paganism.
Seeking spirits of the dead with Ouija boards in a graveyard on Halloween is a different story. There certainly are ways to open up yourself to the demonic. We shouldn’t play with demonic things, and definitely not with the intent to experience the demonic.
But accidentally becoming a demonically influenced pagan through a candy hunt in princess costume isn’t likely the path there, because intentions matter.
Ask yourself if Christians must avoid all associations with anything with pagan connections, then Paul’s sermon at the Aeropagus would not exist, and drinking from Starbucks cups, shopping at Target or Apple (or 10,000 other Planned Parenthood/LGBT supporting companies) is a no go.
One can’t completely escape pagan influences, and in fact one shouldn’t escape them. Christians are commissioned by Christ to extend His rule and reign over them. Christ must conquer more pagan territory still, especially the most rebellious pagan territory, the fallen human heart.
So whether you accept, redeem, or reject, do it unto Christ. If you abstain, do it convinced you’re submitting to Christ’s Lordship and you’re abstaining from the darkness he rules over and calls you to avoid. If you believe Halloween needs redeeming then dress those kids up mocking the enemy of their souls, trusting Christ to rule them with great gospel hope they will rule with Christ.
Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
Should Christians celebrate Halloween? I believe it’s a matter of conscience.
Whatever you do this Halloween, don’t hide.
Jesus calls us “the light of the world” (Matt 5:14). If the darkness is a little darker on Halloween, shouldn’t Christians find ways to lighten it? Shouldn’t we proclaim that “The Light has come into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Shouldn’t Halloween at least serve to remind us that “he has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col 1:13).? And that thought goes good with candy, scripture, fellowship, evangelism, loud singing of “A Mighty Fortress” (or some other imprecatory Psalm against the enemy of our souls)
Our family will do both with friends. Because we know… “The darkness is not dark to you… for darkness is as light with you” (Ps 139:12).