Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

This content may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Learn more at the bottom of this page or read my full disclosure policy.

Sharing This!

Is Halloween evil? As controversial as this question I think it’s worth talking about. Halloween has been approached a variety of ways by Christians. Some approach it as nothing more than fun and games. Others participate under the guise of All Saints Day or church harvest parties, and others avoid it completely. But is it true? Is Halloween Bad for Christians? 

We’ve been very open with the community about our stance on Halloween. I’ve been having this conversation with teachers, pastors, friends, neighbors, church members, and even other parents; from the time I was in first grade. I get just as many questions today.

People wonder if I feel like I’ve missed out on anything; if I feel like my childhood has been deprived. They ask if it’s some religious rule I’m following, like maybe there’s a Bible verse that says celebrating Halloween is a sin.

In this article, you’ll gain the big-picture perspective of Halloween and Christianity. I’ll address the questions above and also answer common questions about Halloween like:

• Is Halloween In the Bible?
• Why Should we celebrate Halloween? Why Shouldn’t We?
• What do Christians do instead of Halloween? Are there Christian alternatives to Halloween?

Can’t Halloween Just Be Fun?

That’s what most people who celebrate Halloween claim it is; just a boatload of fun. I never really understood that.

Costumes are fun. Parties are fun. Candy and laughter are fun. Halloween includes a lot of those things so shouldn’t it be fun?

Yes, Halloween includes a lot of things that seem fun. However, the Spirit behind it is anything but. Here are a couple of the childhood experiences I had that really got me thinking about the spiritual side of Halloween.

I had a teacher one year who waited until the week of Halloween and placed an open ladder in the doorway of the classroom with a black cat on top of it so we had to walk under the ladder and the cat to get in and out the classroom. Kids literally panicked. Some refused to go into the classroom. It didn’t make any sense.

Nobody walked on the sidewalks at recess because they were afraid of the consequences of stepping on cracks in concrete.

Girls were afraid to look in the bathroom mirrors for.. whatever reason (I’m sure I could find it if I took the time to google it).

Why is Halloween scary?

The sale of horror movies sky-rockets this time of year.

The constant flood of fear caused anxiety in people to increase. With anxiety came depression. I never understood how people could spend 300+ days a year battling fear and anxiety in one way or another – but then welcome both into their lives with open arms when Halloween came around.

Why do we pretend it’s fun?

Suicide rates in our city went up every Halloween season.

Vandalism increased.

Stores began to carry grotesque costumes and décor and neighborhoods literally began decorating their homes with scenes that wreaked of fear and death.

Since when was it acceptable for those things to be fun? 

Years later and I’ve married. My husband used to celebrate Halloween. We made the decision together that we wouldn’t be doing that with our kids. Four kids later, we’ve held firm to our convictions. My hope is that through the following information, you’ll understand why.

The Origin of Halloween

What is Halloween? Simply put, Halloween is a community celebration observed by countries around the world on October 31^st.

What is the origin of Halloween? What does Halloween celebrate and how did the church get involved? Here is what I know about the Halloween origin. Halloween and many of the traditions associated with it can be traced back to the traditions of the Celtics. It was a pagan New Year Eve celebration (their New Year was November 1st). The Celtics believed on New Year’s Eve the world of the dead and the living could somehow intertwine and the dead could walk among them. They used scary costumes and jack-o-lanterns to ward off dead spirits. Fortune telling and sorcery were a primary part of the celebration mostly because they were embedded in the culture. 

Around 40AD the Roman empire attacked and took over the majority of Celtic territories. They combined Feralia, a Roman festival commemorating the passing of the dead, with the Celtics New Year celebration. Eventually, this celebration was moved under the umbrella of All Martyrs Day.

The All Saints Day Tangent

For a while, I wondered if All Saints Day was an appropriate alternative to Halloween. After all, many Christians participate in it. We’re honoring the Saint’s right? To answer these questions properly we have to have a clear understanding of two key things: 

• What is the true meaning of Halloween?
• What is the catholic definition of “saints.”

The word Halloween actually came from the name of the All Saints Day celebration, “All-Hallows” meaning all saints. From there it became All-Hallows-Eve and eventually Halloween. Remember how the Roman empire came in and took over the Celtic territories in 40AD merging many of their beliefs and celebrations, including the celebration of the dead?

Well, years later, in 1000 AD, All Saints day (also known at the time as All Souls Day and under the umbrella of All Martyrs Day) was established by the Roman Catholic church.  The same practices that were used to celebrate the Celtic New Year and the Roman festival Feralia, were carried into the All Saints Day celebration. This is where understanding the catholic definition of “saints” comes in. 

To the majority of Christians, the term saint simply describes followers of Jesus. In the Catholic faith, the term saint is used to separate the ordinary follower of Jesus from those who carry deity-like power and authority. Think of it like Greek mythology but with a Christian twist (yikes!). Just as the greeks would approach supposed deities for help and favor in their areas of influence, so was the relationship between the saints of Catholicism and the ordinary Catholic. Alonda with this ideology that so swiftly made its way into the church came the traditions of the Celtics; Ghost stories, trouble-making, witchcraft, fortune-telling, etc. All in the name of honoring the saints.

A Biblical Response to All Saints Day

All Saint day may be a part of the real history of the catholic church, but that doesn’t mean everything it encompasses is God-honoring. How we celebrate is equally as important as what we celebrate. Is the worship of saints ok? Turn to Acts 14 with me, and let’s see what the Bible has to say about it. Here Paul is doing missionary work in Lystra. While he was there he comes across a man who has been crippled from the time He was in the womb (see Acts 14:8). This man had been listening to Paul preach and the truth produced a strong faith in Him (see verse 9). Paul, noting this man’s faith, “ said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk” (see verse 10).

To the Greeks who had very little understanding of the true God, but had built their lives on the deities of Greek mythology they would have seen this as the work of one of their greek gods. Which is exactly how the next few verses describe their response.

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was ^[j]just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
Acts 14:11-13

The really interesting part comes next in verses,

“But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their ^[k]robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these ^[l]vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them…”
Acts 14:14-14

Paul and Barnabas were not honored by the worship of people. Instead, they were grieved that man had placed with them the glory that belonged to God. Would it be fair to assume that most martyrs for Christ would take this same position; to GOD be all the glory?

So then we come back to the real question.

What does the church say about Halloween? Or All Saints Day? Still, with all of this information people are conflicted. They want the fun but not the symbolism. We MUST pay attention to the root of the things we celebrate. If the root is evil we need to separate from it. If it started out as holy (which many Christians do believe) then it would be wise for us to abandon the tradition of today and get back to the root of what it was.

What Does the Bible Say About Halloween?

So we’ve looked at the history of Halloween. Let’s take a minute to examine what the Bible has to say about Halloween.

Wait.

Is Halloween in the Bible? This actually may surprise you!

You won’t find the celebration the world calls Halloween anywhere in the Bible. BUT… Did you know there is in fact a celebration that took place among God’s people around this time? The actual date varies because of how the Jewish calendar works. So it won’t be October 31st every single year. But, there is a celebration, a most holy celebration, that God does want you and I to be a part of. 

It’s NOTHING like the Halloween celebrations that happen today. The one thing they have in common is the time of year. What’s the first thing that sets this celebration in the Bible apart from Halloween? Let’s turn to Nehemiah and find out.

The Feast of Tabernacles (Feasts of Booths)

Two primary themes of this celebration are freedom and salvation. The Israelites are finally returning to their homelands after being exiled to Babylon and the Feasts of Tabernacle is the celebration that follows their homecoming.

In addition, it is symbolic of God dwelling among His people again. A tabernacle is a dwelling place for God. It was established in Exodus (after God freed His people from Egypt and dwelt among them), it was re-established after God brought the Israelites home from Babylonian exile. At the same time, it was a prophetic expression of the coming of Jesus.

And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth. 
John 1:14 TLV

It’s a reminder that His Spirit dwells among us now AND is a prophetic expression of eternity,

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.
Revelation 21:3

Want to know more about what this celebration looked like?! Here’s a quick glimpse.

…This day is holy to the Lord your God ; do not mourn or weep… Go, eat the festival foods, drink the sweet drinks, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to the our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your refuge… Then all the people went away to eat, drink, to send portions, and to celebrate a great feast, because they understood the words which had been made known to them.
Nehemiah 8:9, 10, and 12

Check out Nehemiah 9:4-38 and Nehemiah 10 for more details.

Make no mistake, this celebration is not the same thing as Halloween. It’s not even in the same ballpark. In this celebration, God was honored. In this celebration, God was the focus. In this celebration, the people separated themselves from all things evil and took a public stand for God and righteousness.

There was singing, dancing, worship, great food! It was a PARTY! A celebration that far more life-giving than Halloween. I don’t know about you, but I’m all in for that kind of celebration! If you feel the same way, keep reading! We’ve got the perfect solution.